§ 17. Mr. Edwin Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents have occurred, involving British fishing patrol vessels whilst guarding fishing rights in British coastal waters, over the past six months; and if he remains satisfied that British vessels have the necessary speed to make arrests when fishing vessels are violating British fishing rights.
§ 19. Mr. James Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give a report upon the first half year of fishing protection within the extended 200 mile limits.
§ Mr. DuffyIn the first six months of 1977 protection vessels of the Royal Navy and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland carried out 507W 924 boardings of fishing vessels within the extended British fishery limits. 826 of these boardings were of foreign vessels; as a result, the skippers of 21 foreign vessels were convicted of fishery offences.
I am satisfied that the speed of vessels engaged in fishery protection is sufficient for normal patrolling duties: there has been no incident in which a protection vessel was prevented by lack of speed from making a boarding or bringing a fishing vessel into port.
The crews of the fishery protection vessels, and of the aircraft which undertake the vital reconnaissance sorties, are to be congratulated on their performance.