HL Deb 04 August 1972 vol 334 cc736-40WA
LORD KENNET

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. (1) What proportion by value of fish caught in the high seas in the North East Atlantic as recognised by the United Kingdom is caught by each of the eight nations catching most, and how this proportion has varied in recent years.
  2. (2) What proportion by value of the total United Kingdom fish catch outside British territorial waters is taken in the North East Atlantic, and how this proportion has varied in recent years.
  3. (3) What proportion by value of the fish caught between twelve and fifty miles off Iceland is caught by each of the eight nations catching most there, and how this proportion has varied in recent years.
  4. (4) What proportion of the total United Kingdom fish catch outside United Kingdom coastal waters is taken between twelve and fifty miles off Iceland, and how this proportion has varied in recent years.
  5. (5) What proportion of the fish exported from Iceland is exported to each of the eight countries importing most of it, and how this proportion has varied in recent years.
  6. (6) What proportion of all fish landed in Britain is caught in the high 737 seas in the North East Atlantic as recognised by the United Kingdom, and how this proportion has varied in recent years.
  7. (7) What proportion of all fish landed in the United Kingdom is caught between twelve and fifty miles off Iceland, and how this proportion has varied in recent years.
  8. (8) During or since the recent negotiations, what was the highest proportion of the United Kingdom's last year's twelve to fifty mile Iceland catch which the Icelandic Government was prepared to allow to continue last year.
  9. (9) During or since the recent negotiations, what was the lowest proportion of the United Kingdom's last year's twelve to fifty mile Iceland catch which the British Government was prepared to accept as next year's limit.
  10. (10) At what date and to what distance from their coast have what countries unilaterally claimed rights (a)over their continental shelf; (b)over exclusive or restricted fishing zones beyond three miles; and (c)to prevent pollution arising more than three miles out; and at what date was each of these claims recognised by the United Kingdom.
  11. (11) What proportion of all coastal states now claim rights of any sort over the waters of the sea more than (a) three; and (b) twelve miles from their coast.
  12. (12) Whether the North East Atlantic Fishery Committee is in session at the moment to deal with the crisis between Iceland on the one hand and Germany and the United Kingdom on the other.
  13. (13) What the population of Iceland is.
  14. (14) What proportion of GNP is accounted for by sea fishery in Iceland, the United Kingdom, and Germany respectively.
  15. (15) What information they have concerning the increase in average per hour catch of the distant water fishing fleets of each of the eight countries catching most in the North Atlantic, both East and West, over the last ten years.
  16. (16) What information they have about the rate of capital investment by 738 each of the eight countries catching most in the North Atlantic in their distant water fishing fleets over the last ten years.
  17. (17) What information they have about subsidies from the Governments of each of the eight nations catching most fish in the North Atlantic to the construction and operation of their distant water fishing fleets.

EARL FERRERS

Even when information is available a full Answer to many of the questions would entail an expenditure of time and effort in calculation and compilation that would not be justified and could not be undertaken without serious detriment to the urgent work of Departments. Such information as is readily available on the matters mentioned, though not always in the precise form requested, is given below. Further information regarding the weight of catches by different countries is available in theBulletin Statistique des Peches Maritimes published annually by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Some information regarding the values of catches is available in the F.A.O. Yearbook of Fisheries Statistics. For the United Kingdom, information relating to landings and values is set out in the Sea Fisheries Statistical Tables published annually by H.M.S.O.

It would not be appropriate to make public the details of confidential negotiations between Governments, but the Icelandic Government have at no stage been prepared to consider an agreement based solely on a quantitative limitation of catch by the United Kingdom.

Less than 1 per cent. of the total United Kingdom catch was taken outside the North East Atlantic in recent years.

Only demersal fish is caught by British vessels in the Iceland area. Iceland's share of the total demersal catch in the Iceland area has varied between 47 per cent. and 60 per cent. in recent years. Of the remainder, the United Kingdom has had the largest share (averaging about 25 per cent. of the total and ranging between 18 per cent. and 30 per cent.) followed by the Federal Republic of Germany, whose share has been fairly steady at about 17 per cent.

Practically the whole of the catches of the countries other than Iceland is taken from waters between 12 and 50 miles.

Fish caught in the Iceland area have averaged about 19 per cent. by weight of total United Kingdom landings, and about 45 per cent. by weight of landings by the distant water fleet.

Much of the information regarding fishery limits and territorial waters claimed by States is set out in a document (A/AC 138/50) of August 6, 1971, prepared by the F.A.O. of the United Nations. A copy has been placed in the libraries of both Houses. It is not normally necessary expressly to recognise a maritime claim if, in the view of Her Majesty's Government, the claim is well founded in international law. The North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission is not in session but, in any event, questions relating to jurisdiction (which is the issue between Iceland, on the one hand, and the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany, on the other) are not within the competence of the Commission.

The population of Iceland was 204,000 at the end of 1970. Figures for the proportion of G.N.P. accounted for by sea fisheries in Iceland, the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany are not available in any international publication. For the United Kingdom this information is not available separately but is included in a comprehensive figure for Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries.

As regards capital investment in distant water fishing fleets, and subsidies, such information as is available for the countries concerned (with the exception of the Soviet Union, which according to F.A.O. statistics took the second largest catch in 1970) is contained in O.E.C.D. publications, in particular Financial Support to the Fishing Industry (1971), Which compares support in 1969 with that given in 1964, Fishery Policies and Economics (1957–1966), and the annual Review of Fisheries in O.E.C.D. member countries. This information is not, however, in a form which directly answers these questions.

House adjourned at half-past five o'clock.