§ Mr. Beithasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plan to reopen the North Sea herring fishery including the fishery in the Longstone and Farn areas.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithCurrent scientific advice is that the state of the herring stocks in the North Sea, and especially the central North sea which includes the Longstone and Fame areas, precludes the possibility of opening the herring fishery there in 1981. The European Commission has proposed a total allowable catch of 41,000 tonnes for 1981 for the North Sea and Channel, but it is proposed this should all be taken outside the central North Sea. Officials will shortly be consulting representatives of the fishing industry about the management arrangements which should apply if and when the North Sea herring fishery is reopened.