§ Mr. Haymanasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many prosecutions there have been in each of the last five years for illegal fishing by foreign boats in British and Cornish waters, respectively; how many succeeded; and in how many of those did the sentence involve confiscation of the fishing gear.
§ Mr. John HareThe details are as follows:
(a) FOREIGN VESSELS PROSECUTED FOR ILLEGAL FISHING IN BRITISH EXCLUSIVE FISHERY LIMITS Year ended 6th November Prosecutions Convictions Cases in which gear was confiscated 1955 … 6 6 4 1956 … 3 3 3 1957 … 4 4 3 1958 … 6 6 5 1959 … 16 12 3 40W
(b) FOREIGN VESSELS PROSECUTED FOR ILLEGAL FISHING IN BRITISH EXCLUSIVE FISHERY LIMITS OFF CORNWALL AND THE SCILLY ISLES Year ended 6th November Prosecutions Convictions Cases in which gear was confiscated 1955 … 3 3 2 1956 … — — — 1957 … 1 1 — 1958 … 2 2 1 1959 … 7 6 —
§ Mr. Haymanasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, how many owners of British and Cornish fishing boats, respectively, have been prosecuted for fishing in foreign territorial waters in each of the last five years; how many were convicted; and how many convictions involved confiscation of the fishing gear.
§ Mr. John HareThe details of cases involving British skippers accused of fishing within exclusive fishery limits claimed by other countries are as follows:
Year ended 6th November Prosecutions Convictions Cases in which gear was confiscated 1955 … 12 9 8 1956 … 4 3 3 1957 … 11 10 8 1958 … 12 12 12 1959 … 3 3 3 These include the following which related to skippers of Cornish fishing vessels:—
Year ended 6th November Prosecutions Convictions Cases in which gear was confiscated 1955 … — — — 1956 … — — — 1957 … — — — 1958 … — — — 1959 … 1 1 1