HL Deb 12 November 1976 vol 377 cc966-8WA
Lord KENNET

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. (a) what has been the tonnage of fish (including shellfish) caught within 50 and within 200 nautical miles of the coast of the United Kingdom in 1950, 1960, 1970 and 1975; and what is the estimate of the potential catch in the same areas (given effective conservation) in 1980, 1990, 2000 and beyond; and
  2. (b) what are the known, or estimated, money values of these catches; and
  3. (c) what proportion of these catches has been (or could be) taken by British fishermen; and
  4. (d) how many jobs, direct and indirect, have the fishing and fishery-related industries provided, and will they provide in these years in the United Kingdom as a whole and in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and
  5. (e) what is the annual level of investment and what are the annual costs, profits, subsidies, unemployment benefit, and other payments related to these industries; and
  6. (f) taking periods from 1975 of 15, 25, 50 and 100 years, what is the discounted capital value of the achievable fish and shellfish catches within 200 nautical miles of the coast of the United Kingdom.

Lord STRABOLGI

Estimates of the quantity of fish (excluding shellfish) caught within 50 and within 200 nautical miles of the United Kingdom coast, or up to appropriate median lines are available for the average of the years 1969–1973 and for 1972, 1973 and 1974 individually. Estimates of catches during 1975 are available for the United Kingdom only.

ESTIMATED INTERNATIONAL CATCH WITHIN (A) 50 AND (B) 200 NAUTICAL MILES OF UK COAST '000 Metric Tons Liveweight
Average 1969–1973 1972 1973 1974
Nautical Miles from UK coast 200 50 200 50 200 50 200 50
SPECIES
Total Demersal 717 509 731 541 681 515 753 529
Total Pelagic 1,215 n.a. 1,266 970 1,571 1,191 1,547 1,192
TOTAL 1,932 1,997 1,511 2,252 1,706 2,300 1,721
n.a.—not available.
Source: MAFF Estimates.

ESTIMATED UK CATCH WITHIN (A) 50 AND (B) 200 NAUTICAL MILES OF UK COAST '000 Metric Tons Liveweight
Average 1969–1973 1972 1973 1974 1975
Nautical Miles from UK coast 200 50 200 50 200 50 200 50 200 50
SPECIES
Total Demersal 330 274 367 304 315 259 282 227 260 214
Total Pelagic 229 n.a. 242 241 319 311 329 313 281 268
TOTAL 559 609 545 634 570 611 540 541 482
UK catch as proportion of total international catch 29% 30% 36% 28% 33% 27% 31% — —
n.a.—not available.
Source: MAFF Estimates.

Landings of shellfish by British vessels at United Kingdom ports for the years 1970–75 are given in the table below. It is estimated that over 90 per cent. of these

Year 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975
Landings of Shellfish 56 54 59 71 64 67
Source: Sea Fisheries Statistical Tables. '000 Metric Tons

NUMBER OF FISHERMEN
England & Wales Scotland Northern Ireland United Kingdom
Regularly employed Partially employed Regularly employed Partially employed Regularly employed Partially employed Regularly employed Partially employed
1950 24,044 3,901 11,451 4,416 700 100 36,195 8,417
1960 12,712 3,646 8,795 2,451 500 150 22,007 6,247
1970 9,424 2,382 7,656 1,441 548 200 17,628 4,023
1975 9,016 3,447 7,507 1,341 538 285 17,061 5,073
Source: Sea Fisheries Statistics.

Answers to the remaining parts of the question would be highly speculative and could not in any event be produced without disproportionate cost.

landings are caught from within 12 nautical miles of the United Kingdom coast, and almost all from within 50 nautical miles.

House adjourned at a quarter before five o'clock.