§ Mr. James Johnsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the tonnages of fish caught in 1974 for sprats, mackerel, Norway pout, sand eels and blue whiting, respectively; and what steps he is taking to encourage increased catches for the purpose of producing fishmeal and fish oil.
§ Mr. BishopIn 1974 landings of the species mentioned by United Kingdom vessels were as follows:
Sprats 82,702 tonnes Mackerel 30,124 tonnes Norway Pont 38,354 tonnes Sand eels 15,494 tonnes Blue Whiting 2.8 tonnes Subject to any internationally agreed conservation measures it is a matter for commercial judgment whether increased catches are justified of fish for processing into fishmeal and fish oil.