§ Mr. Hendersonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the recommended procedure to be adopted by a Scottish fishing vessel whose skipper wishes to report a prima facie violation of fishing limits by a foreign vessel.
§ Mr. Hugh D. BrownThe following action is recommended:—
- 1.—Attempt should be made to establish contact with a fishery protection vessel in the area by general radio telephone call on 2182KHZ, or by general VHF call on Channel 16.
- 2.—If direct contact cannot be established, the skipper should call up the nearest coastal radio station on radio telephone and ask for a ship to ship link call with any protection vessel in the area.
- 3.—If a protection vessel cannot be contacted by these methods, the skipper should report to the Fishery Officer at the nearest Fishery Office by link call through a coastal radio station, either direct or via the owners agent.
- 4. If the preceding methods are not appropriate, the matter should be reported to a Fishery Officer as soon as possible after arrival in port.
The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland welcomes such co-operation from skippers when there is evidence of a possible violation of fishery limits. In addition Fishery Officers have been providing skippers with forms on which they may record details of foreign fishing activity within United Kingdom limits. Such information can assist the deployment of fishery protection resources.