§ Mr. OnslowTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek advice from the advisory committee on salmon stocks on the desirability of a United Kingdom contribution to the proposed Greenland and Foroese salmon quota buy-out.
§ Mr. CurryWe are aware of the proposals put forward by private interests to buy-out the salmon quotas for Faroes and west Greenland, which have been agreed in the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation. Any such proposals in relation to these quotas would need to be handled through NASCO as the international organisation with powers to arrange for the protection and conservation of salmon stocks in relation to high seas fisheries in the north Atlantic. A formal proposal has not yet been put to NASCO, although the issue is expected to be raised at least in principle at the meeting in Helsinki in June this year.
The salmon advisory committee is currently fully occupied in discharging its initial remit to examine and report on influences on stocks within Great Britain. We do not consider it appropriate to seek advice of the salmon advisory committee on the buy-out proposal.