§ Baroness Elliot of Harwoodasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are taking any steps to limit the catch of sole, plaice and saithe in the light of estimated catches to date, which at present levels will seriously exceed the seasonal quotas set for these stocks.
§ Lord BelsteadIn view of the estimated high level of catches in the following stocks, Fisheries Ministers have suspended directed fishing with effect from 1st April until further notice:
Estimated catches in these fisheries are likely to exceed the seasonal quota for the January to April period except for sole f and g where the latest forecast suggests it will be more or less on target.
Sole —ICES Area VII a (Irish Sea) Sole —ICES Area VII e (Western Channel) Sole —ICES Area VII f, g (Bristol Channel) Plaice —ICES Area VII d, e (Channel) Plaice —ICES Area VII f, g (Bristol Channel) Saithe—All Area VII and VIII—EC Zone In the case of place d and e, and sole e, Fisheries Ministers have subsequently decided to lift the suspensions from 7th April and 1st May respectively. This follows requests from all sections of the industry, supported by the recommendations of the Area VII Industry Advisory Committee.