§ Mr. Hicksasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the Official Report, for the last four weeks for which figures are available, the total quantity of mackerel landed at fishing ports in Devon and Cornwall; what proportion of this was taken for the non-domestic consumption market; and whether the EEC withdrawal price mechanism applied in these latter circumstances.
§ Mr. StrangFigures are not collected by the week. The latest month for which official statistics are available is August when the total quantity of mackerel landed in ports in Devon and Cornwall was 780 tons, less than 0.1 per cent. of which went for non-human consumption in the United Kingdom. The EEC withdrawal price mechanisms did not apply.
Indications are that for October landings in Devon and Cornwall were of the order of 4,250 tons of which about 45 per cent. could have been taken for the non-domestic consumption market. The EEC withdrawal price mechanism would have applied for less than half of such sales.
§ Mr. Hicksasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the Official Report, for the last four weeks for which figures are available, the quantity of mackerel caught that has been used for fishmeal, the corresponding figure for this period 12 months ago and the total amount of fishmeal now in stock compared with this date in 1974.
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§ Mr. StrangFigures are not collected by the week. The latest month for which official statistics are available is August, when 416 tons of the mackerel caught in the United Kingdom were used for fishmeal. No comparable figures are available for 1974. Details of stocks of fishmeal are not available. Indications for October are that about 2,000 tons were sent for fishmeal. The comparable 1974 figure was about 1,700tons.
§ Mr. Hicksasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will investigate the current inshore fishing situation of Devon and Cornwall involving catches of mackerel in excess of normal requirements for both the human and non-domestic markets; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. StrangWhat fishermen catch and market depends upon their judgment of the market situation. My officials have held informal meetings with those principally concerned in order to discuss the market situation for mackerel to see what means lie to hand for stabilising it.
§ Mr. Hicksasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will visit Devon and Cornwall at the earliest possible opportunity to examine the problems currently facing local line inshore fishermen in respect of recent developments in the catching and marketing of mackerel.
§ Mr. StrangMy officials have already had informal meetings with those principally concerned, and expect to have further meetings shortly. My hon. Friend has plans to visit the South-West as part of his programme for visiting fishing ports.