North Sea Haddock

HC Deb 08 March 1990 vol 168 cc851-2W

Mr. Cran

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements are being made to reduce United Kingdom fishing for North sea haddock in 1990.

Mr. Curry

At its meeting last December, the EC Council of Fisheries Ministers and the Commission agreed that, because of the seriously depleted state of the North sea haddock stock, any member state with a quota exceeding 10 per cent. of the Community share of the stock should reduce its fishing for that stock in 1990 by 30 per cent. The United Kingdom's 1990 quota is 87 per cent. of the Community's share of the stock.

Following consultations with fishing industry organisations, we have decided that United Kingdom vessels over 10 m overall length which in 1989 landed more than 40 tonnes of North sea haddock and more than 10 per cent. of whose total landings in 1989 consisted of North sea haddock should either not fish in the North sea on more than 92 days during the remainder of this year or be limited, when fishing for demersal fish in the North sea, to using and carrying gear with 110 mm mesh and of specified conformation designed to ensure that it is substantially more selective than the 90 mm mesh nets normally permitted for demersal fisheries in the North sea.

Landings of North sea haddock by vessels not covered by these new arrangements will be subject to restrictions designed to avoid any increase in effort against this stock. Producer organisations (POs) with sectoral allocations of North sea haddock are also being asked to regulate their members' landings so that they do not take more than 60 per cent of their allocations by 1 July and no more than 85 per cent. by 1 October: fishing by the non sector will be regulated similarly.

To maximise the effectiveness of these arrangements, we are laying before Parliament a statutory instrument to extend licensing to fishing in the North sea for any species by United Kingdom vessels of over 10 m.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I believe that fishermen will accept that these controls are necessary in the longer-term interests of all those who rely on the North sea haddock fishery. The reduction in the 1990 total allowable catch (TAC) and quotas for this stock needs to be supplemented with reductions in effective effort in order to ensure that the intended gains from reducing the TAC are achieved. Without such action there would be a serious risk of a total collapse in the North sea haddock stock. The paramount importance of conserving our fish stocks was supported by both sides of the House in recent debates.