HC Deb 20 February 1984 vol 54 c364W
Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) which waters will be fished by the Spanish fleet to catch the allocation of 7,900 tonnes of hake and 21,620 tonnes of other species granted to the Spanish Government by the European Community on Tuesday 14 February;

(2) if he will list in the Official Report the species of fish amounting to 21,620 tonnes which the European Community allocated to the Spanish Government in Brussels on Tuesday 14 February; and if this will have any effect on the quotas allocated to the British fishing fleet.

Mr. MacGregor

The allocations of hake and associated by-catch species to Spain for 1984 and the areas in which they can be fished under the provisional agreement initialled by the European Commission on 14 February are as follows:

Tonnes
ICES Area Hake quota Total By-catch of which Monk of which Megrim
VI 920 2,300 300 500
VII 3,160 6,320 950 2,100
VIII 3,820 7,640 700 450

The total amount allocated to Spain is therefore 7,900 tonnes of hake plus 16,260 tonnes of other species. These quantities will have no direct effect on the quotas allocated to the United Kingdom, but the Commission is expected to put forward proposals shortly for an upward revision of member states' monkfish quotas in view of the agreement with Spain. The agreement will be embodied in a draft regulation which will be submitted to the Council for approval shortly.

Mr. McQuarrie

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of the fact that the Spanish Government have been allocated 7,900 tonnes of hake and 21,620 tonnes of other species by the European Community, he will now make representations to the Spanish Government to withdraw the increased levy on imported shellfish products from the United Kingdom.

Mr. MacGregor

In view of the provisional agreement now reached with Spain for 1984, giving Spain 7,900 tonnes of hake and 16,260 tonnes of associated by-catch species, it is understood that the Spanish Government will return their import levies on certain fish products to normal levels as soon as possible.