§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what consultations he had with the British fish industry before the east coast sprat fishery was closed on 1 October; and what representations he has received from the industry about it;
(2) why he decided to close the east coast sprat fishing season from 1 October to 31 March rather than from 1 July to 31 October as suggested by the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations or as is the practice in Denmark.
§ Mr. MacGregorIn the past few weeks we have received a number or representations from and on behalf of the fishermen's organisations concerned to the effect that the closure of the sprat fishery in an area off the Northumberland coast between 1 October and 31 March interferes with a valuable traditional fishery.
This closure is one of the conservation measures included in the Council Regulation (EEC) 172/83 agreed by Fisheries Ministers in January 1983. The purpose of this closure and other closures in the Firth of Forth, the Moray Firth and a larger area off the Danish coast is to protect the juvenile herring stocks. The closures are based on the recommendations of the advisory committee for fisheries management of ICES, which was concerned that the by-catches of juvenile herring in the sprat fisheries in these areas were damaging to the recruitment to the herring fishery. The scientists did not see any need to close the sprat fishery off the English and Scottish coasts between 1 July and 31 October.
The recommendation was taken up by the Commission, which included it in its proposal for a Council regulation on TACs and quotas which it published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 1 September 1982. This draft regulation, along with others which formed the package of measures agreed in January 1983 was the subject of much discussion between representatives of the industry, officials and Ministers both in London and during Council meetings in Brussels and Luxembourg.