§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will confirm recent reports that there are over 200 foreign fishing vessels, most from the Far East and Eastern Europe, currently operating in the area around the Falkland Islands.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Young)In the latest week for which figures are available (26th June to 2nd July), 43 fishing vessels were operating in the Falkland Islands Protection Zone. Of these, 32 were of Polish registration. The remainder were Soviet, Spanish, Japanese, Taiwanese, Panamanian and Bulgarian vessels.
§ Lord Melchettasked Her Majesty's Government:
What types of fishing and ancillary vessels, such as fishcarriers and fishfactories, are operating in the area around the Falkland Islands; whether the 576WA names of such vessels are recorded; and if so, whether they will put a list of these vessels in the Library, stating which country's flag they sail under, and the type of vessel.
§ Baroness YoungThe most commonly used vessels in the waters around the Falklands are stern trawlers and squid jiggers and reefers. The East European fleets operate a certain number of mother ships for fish processing. The Falkland Islands Government maintain records of vessels entering Berkeley Sound for the purpose of trans-shipping or exporting fish from the Falkland Islands territorial waters. I have requested this information for the months of May and June 1986 and will place it in the Library when it is available.