§ 23. Mr. Wallasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement as to the value of the nought to six-mile limit as opposed to the six- to 12-mile limit from the point of view of conservation of fish stocks.
§ Mr. PriorAlthough roughly three times as much fish is caught within six miles as is caught between six and 12 miles, the conservation problems are to a large extent similar. The inner six miles is, however, particularly important for the protection of shellfish and also nursery grounds for juvenile fish, especially flat fish.
§ 34 and 47. Mr. James Johnsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement upon the position of the British deep-sea fishing fleet within the six to 12-mile limits off Europe, following the negotiations with the European Economic Community in Luxembourg;
(2) if he will make a statement on the position of British inshore fishermen within the six-mile limit and the six-to-12-mile limits off Great Britain, respectively, following the negotiations with the European Economic Community in Luxembourg.
39. Mr. W. H. K. Bakerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of the inshore fishing industry resultant on the negotiations with the European Economic Community in Luxembourg.
63W
§ Mr. PriorAs my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said in his statement on 24th June, the negotiations with the European Economic Community on fish are to continue at a further Ministerial meeting during the week beginning 12th July.
I have nothing further to add to my right hon. and learned Friend's statement.—[Vol. 819, c. 1609–10.]
§ 40. Mr. Laurance Reedasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which countries are already permitted to fish between Great Britain's six and 12-mile limits.
§ 42. Mr. Wallasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the effect on the British fishing industry of an extension of the Icelandic fisheries limits to 50 miles.
§ Mr. PriorSuch an extension would exclude us from nearly all our present fishing grounds off Iceland, but I would emphasise that the Icelandic Government have not made any such proposal to us as is required by the Agreement of 1961, which provides for the reference of disputes to the International Court of Justice. We have no doubt that an extension beyond the present 12-mile limit would be contrary to international law.
§ 48. Mr. McNamaraasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to ensure that in the Ministerial discussions on the fisheries policy with the members and applicants of the European Economic Community, to protect the interests of the deep water fleet by ensuring their access to their former traditional and historic grounds off the Faroes, Greenland and Norway within the 12-mile limit.
§ Mr. PriorI cannot predict the outcome of the Ministerial meeting to be held in the week beginning 12th July, but we of course want to see fair and equitable arrangements on access to coastal waters throughout the enlarged Community.
64W
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that the Herring Industry Board has urged that Great Britain maintains the present fishing limits on the present basis; and whether he will therefore give an assurance that Her Majesty's Government will press for the maintenance of these limits in the negotiations with the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. PriorI am aware of the Herring Industry Board's view that the Government should negotiate with the European Economic Community on the basis of maintaining the status quo on our fishery limits. We think that this would be unrealistic because it would amount to differing degrees of discrimination against member states, most of whom already fish in designated parts of our 6 to 12 mile belt.