§ Mr. Urwinasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee on the need for improved arrangements for policing of the sea within the new British fishery limits; what reply he has sent; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. HoyWe have received a resolution from the Committee on the need for the presence of a fishery protection vessel throughout the operations of the herring fleet off the coast of the Committee's area.
A reply has been sent by my Department, informing the Committee that, subject to any overriding operational requirements of the Royal Navy, the Fishery Protection Squadron will follow their normal practice of allocating a vessel to patrol the seasonal herring fishery off the East coast. My view is that the extension from 3 to 6 miles of the limits from which foreign vessels are completely excluded should tend to reduce, rather than aggravate, the danger of damage to the fishing gear of British vessels.