Fishing (Hansard, 19 December 1997)

§ Mr. Mitchell
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at which meetings of the fisheries and management committees were(a) proposals and (b) decisions made relating to the minimum size of legally caught plaice; and for what purposes these proposals and decisions were made. [20970]

§ Mr. Morley
A proposal to revise the minimum landing size for legally caught plaice was made by the European Commission in June 1996 as part of a package of technical conservation measures. The size of 17 cm proposed was that at which plaice are retained and killed by 80 mm nets. The revised minimum size was intended to reduce the discarding of dead fish that could not otherwise be landed.
On 30 October 1997, the Fisheries Council decided to increase the minimum size from 17 cm to 22 cm as part of a compromise package. This new size will apply from 1 January 2000 and is intended to take account of the fact that plaice are often targeted with nets exceeding 80 mm minimum mesh size.

§ Mr. Mitchell
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the(a) discards and (b) legally landed catches for each member state of the European Union in (i) tonnes and (ii) numbers of fish in each of the years 1992 to 1996. [20971]

§ Mr. Morley
Data on discarding are not generally available and specific information is not reported by Member States. For information on catches, I refer my hon. Friend to my answer given to him today. No data are collected on numbers of fish landed.

§ Mr. Mitchell
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the approximate weight and value of(a) the total fish catch of member states of the European Community, (b) fish consumption by member states, (c) total imports of fish from third nations and (d) exports of fish to third nations in each year from 1990 to 1996; and for each year what percentage (a) was of (b). [20972]

§ Mr. Morley
The available information, which has been produced by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and Eurostat, is set out in the tables.
For parts (a) and (b) data have been given for years 1990 to 1995; data for 1996 are currently unavailable from FAO.
Data are given for all years even though not all the current 15 Member States have been part of the European Community for the whole of this period.
The information requested relating to the value of the total fish catch of Member States of the European Community and fish consumption by Member States is not available.
373W

Part A: The total fish catch

Figures refer to all fishing areas

Metric tons in live weight (thousands)

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995

Austria 4.8 4.5 4.1 4.6 4.5 4.5

Belgium 42.0 40.7 40.0 36.9 35.1 36.4

Denmark 1,517.7 1,793.3 1,996.3 1,655.8 1,916.4 2,041.1

Finland 160.4 147.4 169.7 173.8 181.0 184.8

France 869.4 819.1 821.0 860.4 852.8 793.4

Germany 390.7 303.4 307.2 316.4 272.8 298.0

Greece 146.4 156.8 179.2 199.1 223.4 198.2

Ireland 239.3 264.9 275.7 308.1 319.2 412.7

Italy 525.5 552.2 558.3 564.7 576.0 609.8

Netherlands 507.2 458.8 487.1 532.9 529.6 521.4

Portugal 323.1 325.9 299.6 293.7 269.8 265.5

Spain¹ 1,304.0 1,273.0 1,260.0 1,255.0 1,372.0 1,320.0

Sweden 260.1 245.0 314.7 347.8 394.2 412.2

United Kingdom 810.2 851.5 869.9 929.0 963.6 1,003.7

Note:
¹ FAO forecast.
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Part B: Total consumption of fish and other marine resources— FAO estimates

Metric tons in live weight (thousands)

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995

Austria 71.0 72.2 80.1 77.9 n/a n/a

Belgium/Luxembourg 196.0 194.1 202.9 187.2 202.0 215.0

Denmark 100.5 105.0 109.8 103.3 n/a n/a

Finland 163.8 163.4 164.8 163.4 172.0 168.7

France 1,737.1 1,696.3 1,654.4 1,592.4 1,582.3 1,537.2

Germany 1,046.4 981.7 1,026.5 987.2 1,060.4 1,052.3

Greece 213.0 218.6 232.4 245.9 279.4 254.4

Ireland 57.6 53.2 60.4 64.2 69.7 n/a

Italy 1,223.3 1,298.1 1,255.1 1,225.6 1,230.1 1,245.0

Netherlands 162.5 155.3 202.8 210.0 215.3 222.7

Portugal 582.4 605.8 570.7 584.8 575.2 572.7

Spain 1,351.1 1,339.2 1,373.5 1,407.0 1,457.2 1,445.7

Sweden 233.5 230.4 229.0 234.7 248.1 n/a

UK 1,107.5 1,082.5 1,111.7 1,099.8 1,121.6 1,113.0

Note:
n/a= no data available.
Source:
Food and agriculture Organisation of the united Nations.

The total fish catch as a percentage of fish and other marine resources consumption

Percentages

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995

Austria 6.8 6.2 5.1 5.9 n/a n/a

Belgium/Luxembourg 21.4 21.0 19.7 19.7 17.4 169

Denmark 1,510.1 1,707.4 1,817.6 1,603.5 n/a n/a

Finland 97.9 90.2 102.9 106.4 105.3 109.5

France 50.0 48.3 49.6 54.0 53.9 51.6

Germany 37.3 30.9 29.9 32.1 25.7 28.3

Greece 68.7 71.7 77.1 81.0 80.0 77.9

Ireland 415.5 498.2 456.8 479.5 458.2 n/a

Italy 43.0 42.5 44.5 46.1 46.8 49.0

Netherlands 312.1 295.4 240.2 253.8 246.0 234.1

Portugal 55.5 53.8 52.5 50.2 46.9 46.4

Spain 96.5 95.1 91.7 89.2 94.2 91.3

Sweden 111.4 106.3 137.4 148.2 158.9 n/a

UK 73.2 78.7 78.2 84.5 85.9 90.2

Note:
n/a = no data available.
Source:
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
374W

Part A: The total fish catch
Figures refer to all fishing areas
Metric tons in live weight (thousands)
	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995
Austria	4.8	4.5	4.1	4.6	4.5	4.5
Belgium	42.0	40.7	40.0	36.9	35.1	36.4
Denmark	1,517.7	1,793.3	1,996.3	1,655.8	1,916.4	2,041.1
Finland	160.4	147.4	169.7	173.8	181.0	184.8
France	869.4	819.1	821.0	860.4	852.8	793.4
Germany	390.7	303.4	307.2	316.4	272.8	298.0
Greece	146.4	156.8	179.2	199.1	223.4	198.2
Ireland	239.3	264.9	275.7	308.1	319.2	412.7
Italy	525.5	552.2	558.3	564.7	576.0	609.8
Netherlands	507.2	458.8	487.1	532.9	529.6	521.4
Portugal	323.1	325.9	299.6	293.7	269.8	265.5
Spain¹	1,304.0	1,273.0	1,260.0	1,255.0	1,372.0	1,320.0
Sweden	260.1	245.0	314.7	347.8	394.2	412.2
United Kingdom	810.2	851.5	869.9	929.0	963.6	1,003.7

Part B: Total consumption of fish and other marine resources— FAO estimates
Metric tons in live weight (thousands)
	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995
Austria	71.0	72.2	80.1	77.9	n/a	n/a
Belgium/Luxembourg	196.0	194.1	202.9	187.2	202.0	215.0
Denmark	100.5	105.0	109.8	103.3	n/a	n/a
Finland	163.8	163.4	164.8	163.4	172.0	168.7
France	1,737.1	1,696.3	1,654.4	1,592.4	1,582.3	1,537.2
Germany	1,046.4	981.7	1,026.5	987.2	1,060.4	1,052.3
Greece	213.0	218.6	232.4	245.9	279.4	254.4
Ireland	57.6	53.2	60.4	64.2	69.7	n/a
Italy	1,223.3	1,298.1	1,255.1	1,225.6	1,230.1	1,245.0
Netherlands	162.5	155.3	202.8	210.0	215.3	222.7
Portugal	582.4	605.8	570.7	584.8	575.2	572.7
Spain	1,351.1	1,339.2	1,373.5	1,407.0	1,457.2	1,445.7
Sweden	233.5	230.4	229.0	234.7	248.1	n/a
UK	1,107.5	1,082.5	1,111.7	1,099.8	1,121.6	1,113.0

The total fish catch as a percentage of fish and other marine resources consumption
Percentages
	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995
Austria	6.8	6.2	5.1	5.9	n/a	n/a
Belgium/Luxembourg	21.4	21.0	19.7	19.7	17.4	169
Denmark	1,510.1	1,707.4	1,817.6	1,603.5	n/a	n/a
Finland	97.9	90.2	102.9	106.4	105.3	109.5
France	50.0	48.3	49.6	54.0	53.9	51.6
Germany	37.3	30.9	29.9	32.1	25.7	28.3
Greece	68.7	71.7	77.1	81.0	80.0	77.9
Ireland	415.5	498.2	456.8	479.5	458.2	n/a
Italy	43.0	42.5	44.5	46.1	46.8	49.0
Netherlands	312.1	295.4	240.2	253.8	246.0	234.1
Portugal	55.5	53.8	52.5	50.2	46.9	46.4
Spain	96.5	95.1	91.7	89.2	94.2	91.3
Sweden	111.4	106.3	137.4	148.2	158.9	n/a
UK	73.2	78.7	78.2	84.5	85.9	90.2