HC Deb 24 January 1990 vol 165 c771W
Mr. Morley

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how much cod from the United Kingdom cod quota was conceded to Denmark in the negotiations for allocation under the common fisheries policy;

(2) how much cod was traded off to Denmark in order to obtain agreement on United Kingdom cod and haddock quotas within the common fisheries policy.

Mr. Curry

As part of the final overall settlement which enabled the December Council of Fisheries Ministers to reach agreement, the United Kingdom, Germany and France transferred respectively 500 tonnes, 260 tonnes and 240 tonnes of their 1990 North sea cod quotas to Denmark. The outcome of the Council was very satisfactory to the United Kingdom and we secured all our major objectives, including increasing the Commission's proposed TACs for North sea cod and haddock, maintaining relative stability in the allocation of quotas at Greenland, securing recognition of our Hague Preference in relation to North sea haddock and flexibility to fish part of our western mackerel quota in the North sea, as well as the deletion of fishery management proposals that we did not like, maintenance of the minimum mesh size of 100 mm in the cod box in the German Bight, and the introduction of a seasonal control on the take of western horse mackerel.