§ Mr. Pardoeasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about his plans to conserve mackerel stocks in the waters off the South West of England.
§ Mr. BishopIn consultation with the interests concerned licensing arrangements have been introduced to regulate United Kingdom fishing for mackerel. The current arrangements which have been in force since 8th November include limits on the amounts of mackerel per day at sea which a vessel may land or tranship and special control arrangements for transhipments. My right hon. Friend is keeping these arrangements under review, bearing in mind the importance of the mackerel fishery off the south west of England and the need to avoid over-fishing.
Foreign vessels are not permitted to fish for mackerel at all within 12 miles of base lines off the coasts of Devon and Cornwall. Elsewhere off the South-West, fishing for mackerel by vessels from Poland and the German Democratic Republic is subject to licensing and quota controls, while EEC, Norwegian and Faroese fishing is subject to standstill arrangements, with other non-EEC countries not permitted to fish there for mackerel at all.
In the reappraisal of the EEC's common fisheries policy my right hon. Friend is determined to secure for mackerel, as for other stocks, adequate conservation arrangements as well as a fair share of the available fish for the United Kingdom fleet.