§ Mr. GodmanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether with reference to the interim order of the President of the European Court of Justice, Case No. 246/89R, made on 10 October, he is in a position to estimate the number of fishing vessels which are now enabled to fish under United Kingdom quotas; what their approximate share of the various quotas is likely to be; if he will list the species they may catch and in which fishing grounds they can operate; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CurryThe European Court's order effects only the nationality criteria of part II of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988. The requirement that owners of British fishing vessels should be resident and domiciled in the United Kingdom remains, as does the need for vessels to be controlled and managed from here. We expect that these restrictions will seriously limit the number of de-registered vessels which will be able to come back on to our register and fish against our quotas.