§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what steps he intends to take to protect the British Distant Water Fleet from unfair competition following the Icelandic Government's decision to allow fishing by their own vessels within its 12-mile limit;
(2) whether he will take steps to limit the amount of fish allowed to be landed at British ports by Icelandic vessels following the decision of the Icelandic Government to allow its vessels to fish within the 12-mile limit off Iceland;
(3) what representations he has made to the Icelandic Government concerning the effects on the British fishing industry of their decision to allow the Icelandic fleet to fish inside the 12-mile limit whilst excluding the British fleet;
(4) what estimate his Department have made of the effect on fish stocks following the implementation of the Icelandic Government's decision to allow Icelandic vessels to fish within the 12-mile limit off Iceland.
§ Mr. HoyI am aware that a bill has been introduced into the Icelandic legislature which would allow limited trawling within Iceland's fishery limits on an experimental basis. Our acceptance of the present Icelandic limits was not conditional on the continued prohibition of trawling, and there are no grounds for taking retaliatory action if, like other countries, including the United Kingdom, Iceland decides to permit some trawling within her limits. I am not yet in a position to assess any effect which the proposed changes might have on fish stocks or on the British fishing industry.
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§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representation he has received from the British fishing industry about the effects of the Icelandic Government's decision to allow their fleet to fish within the 12-mile limit off Iceland.
§ Mr. James Johnsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what communication was sent by the Icelandic Government to Her Majesty's Government regarding fishing within Icelandic territorial waters when she extended her fishing limits from four miles to 12 miles; and if he will make a statement.
1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 Cattle … 321,000 298,000 321,000 350,000 333,000 Sheep … 1,055,000 1,016,000 1,130,000 1,098,000 1,032,000 Pigs … 1,067,000 1,195,000 1,124,000 1,028,000 1,082,000 The average slaughterings shown above represented 63, 64, 65, 65 and 65 per cent. of United Kingdom supplies of carcase meat, offal, bacon and ham in the years 1964 to 1968 respectively.