Mr. John D. TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he approved the transfer of 50 tonnes of non-sector area VII hake to the Scottish Fishermen's Organisation; how he consulted the Northern Ireland Fish Producers' Organisation; what are the implications for the Northern Ireland fishing industry; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HanleyIt is not normal practice for quota swaps to be approved by Ministers. The Northern Ireland Fish Producers Organisation was not consulted as it was known that it did not have an allocation from which to offer the 500 tonnes of mackerel required to accommodate the needs of the mackerel handliners in the south west of England in return for hake. While the Northern Ireland industry would have benefited from an additional allocation of hake quota, the swap was approved in the overall interests of the non-sector fishery.