Mr. J. Enoch Powellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he will make or invite the European Commission to make to the Government of the Irish Republic regarding the excess of the herring catch by boats of that country over the quota proposed by the Commission for the Irish Sea excluding Mourne; and when the Commission expects to receive the relevant reports by France on the 1981 herring catch by French boats.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe herring quotas proposed by the European Commission for the Irish Sea for 1981 were not agreed by the Council of Ministers and therefore, in the view of Her Majesty's Government, have no legal force. Consequently, this provides no legal basis for representations on the level of catches. However, I hope that all member States will conduct their fishing operations in a responsible manner, taking account of the need for conservation and other relevant factors, and I take every suitable opportunity to draw the attention of Community Fisheries Ministers and the European Commission to this view.
The European Commission has now received a further report of French herring catches in 1981 stating that up to 30 September no catches were taken in the Irish Sea.