HC Deb 07 November 1979 vol 973 cc190-3W
Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the Official Report the total tonnage of fish caught by United Kingdom vessels outside the waters of EEC countries for the latest convenient year and for 1974.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

The total tonnage of fish live-weight caught by United Kingdom vessels outside the waters of EEC countries was as follows:

1978 59,000 tonnes
1974 329,000 tonnes

In addition some 40,000 tonnes were taken in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea in 1978, compared with 53,000 tonnes in 1976, the earliest year for which statistics are available.

Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the tonnage and the value of fish imported into, and exported from, the United Kingdom for the years 1975 to 1978 inclusive, and for 1979 to date.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

The information requested is as follows:

UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF FISH 1975–78
1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 January to August
M tonnes £'000 M tonnes £'000 M tonnes £'000 M tonnes £'000 M tonnes £'000
IMPORTS
Fish—Fresh, chilled or frozen 113,469 54,653 114,471 78,459 119,748 95,748 183,267 143,775 149,388 117,269
Fish—Dried, salted or in brine, smoked fish 1,195 668 2,274 1,346 3,058 2,086 4,194 2,943 2,530 1,842
Crustaceans and molluscs—Fresh, chilled or frozen in brine or dried, in shell, or boiled in water 7,628 8,589 9,495 14,902 8,530 13,378 15,522 20,971 11,125 19,293
Fish, crustaceans and molluscs prepared or preserved 72,730 72,608 75,304 96,453 70,794 98,772 56,380 93,142 38,886 61,793
Total fish, crustaceans and molluscs, and preparations thereof 195,022 136,518 201,544 191,160 202,130 209,984 259,363 260,831 201,929 200,197
EXPORTS
Fish—Fresh, chilled or frozen 92,213 26,589 96,096 36,552 111,253 49,608 304,317 72,806 255,816 47,589
Fish—Dried, salted or in brine 25,376 8,022 23,840 9,878 20,185 13,716 16,389 14,308 4,688 5,990
Crustaceans and molluscs—Fresh, chilled or frozen in brine or dried, in shell, or boiled in water 14,163 14,137 18,916 23,852 24,429 28,292 24,175 38,348 13,318 25,320
Fish, crustaceans and molluscs prepared or preserved 12,154 9,012 12,038 10,877 12,488 15,674 13,561 18,689 8,494 13,616
Total fish, crustaceans and molluscs and preparations thereof 143,906 57,760 150,890 81,159 168,355 107,290 358,442 144,151 282,316 92,515

Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the total fish catch by EEC member States is caught within the United Kingdom's 200-mile limit.

Mr. Peter Walker

I regret that information is not available in the form requested. However, scientists in my Department estimate that, in 1975, 62 per cent. of all countries' catches—including those of the United Kingdom—in waters under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of member States, except in the Baltic and around Greenland, were taken from within the United Kingdom's 200-mile zone.