Mr. LauranceReed asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the United Kingdom fish catch is caught inside British fishery limits; and what is the value of this catch.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartI regret that statistics of landings are not collected on a basis which provides this information.
§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will show the total United Kingdom fish landings by British owned inshore boats in the five-year period before the imposition of the 12 mile limit, the figures for the years since the change in the limit, and what proportion of the total landings these represented in each of the years in question.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartUnited Kingdom fishery limits were extended to 12 miles in 1964. The total quantity of fish, including shell-fish, landed by British inshore fishing vessels (i.e. under 80 ft. registered length) for the five years prior to 1964 and subsequently and the proportion of these landings to total landings by British vessels in these years, is as follows: —
'000 cwts. per cent 1959* 6,411 36 1960* 5,539 33 1961 5,228 34 1962 5,434 33 1963 6,206 37 1965 7,785 43 1966 8,424 45 1967 7,413 42 1968 7,344 41 1969 8,210 44 * In part estimated, as fully comprehensive figures are not available for these years.