HC Deb 10 March 1980 vol 980 cc438-40W
Mr. Prescott

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total amount of fish caught by the British fishing fleet off the coast of Greenland; and what quotas are allowed or caught by other Community fleets in those waters.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

In 1978, the last year for which complete figures are available, the British fishing fleet caught 56 tonnes of fish in ICES statistical area XIV—East Greenland. No fish was taken off the west coast.

The Community has agreed total allowable catches—TACs—for stocks in Greenland waters for 1980, and although there has been no agreed division of quotas between member States, certain reserved allocations have been made for Greenland fishermen. In 1978 and 1979 the Greenland authorities adopted national legislation providing for shrimp catches by fishermen from Greenland, Denmark and France. In respect of other species all member States agreed to have regard to the TACs proposed by the Commission for the year in question in conducting fishing operations.

Mr. Prescott

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much fish was caught by each of the fishing fleets of member nations of the European Economic Community in the waters off Greenland in 1979.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

The latest year for which the comprehensive information requested is available is 1977. In that year the Federal Republic of Germany caught 21,649 tonnes of fish—liveweight—in ICES statistical area XIV, east coast of Greenland. Catches in ICNAF Sub-area 1—West Coast of Greenland—were: Denmark—5,842 tonnes, France—

1970–71 Appropriation Accounts: Class V Vote 9
Appropriation Accounts: Class V Vote 10
Appropriation Accounts: (NI) Class VI Vote 4
1975–76 Appropriation Accounts: Class III Vote 8
Class III Vote 9
Class XV Vote 1
Appropriation Accounts: (NI) Class V Vote 4
1979–80 Supply Estimates and Supplementary Estimates: Class III Vote 8
Class III Vote 6
Class III Vote 4
Class XV Vote 1
Supply Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (NI) Class I Vote 3

Payments to fishermen based in Hull are not separately identifiable. Precisely comparable expenditure figures for other EEC countries are not readily available.

Mr. Prescott

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has approached the European Commission for financial assistance for research into the possibility of the establishment of a European fishery centre of excellence on Humberside; and what was its response.

Mr. Peter Walker

I have discussed this question with Commissioner Gundelach and I hope further consideration will be given in the context of a settlement of the common fisheries policy.

Mr. Prescott

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what

924 tonnes, Federal Republic of Germany—48,281 tonnes.

Sources: International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), Bulletin Statistique (advance release), Vol. 62, 1977. International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (ICNAF) Statistical Bulletin, Vol. 27, 1977.