§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the conservation measures and effort limitation measures which have been applied by him and which affect British fishermen only.
§ Mr. CurryAfter consultation with the fishing industry the United Kingdom introduced on 1 June 1992 a package of conservation measures which complemented EC measures brought into force on the same day. The United Kingdom measures included a one-net rule, the use of square mesh panels in all nephrops fisheries and for whitefish in the area west of Scotland south of 56oN southwards to the southern edge of the Irish sea, and an anti-ballooning provision for all whitefish fisheries. We also, along with the Irish Republic, retained the 27 cm minimum landing size for whiting. A ban on the use of twin and multi-rig trawls in certain nephrops fisheries as requested by the industry will come into operation early next year. Also, while the EC limit in relation to cod and haddock fisheries of 135 days at sea, set for 1992, applied mainly to United Kingdom vessels, we were able to negotiate a gear option for vessels prepared to use 110 mm and 120 mm mesh nets.
§ Mr. MaclennanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information his Department has about prevailing limitation of fishing effort by curtailment of days at sea operated by each member country of the European Community.
§ Mr. CurryEC regulation 3882/91 requires certain vessels of over 10 m length, fishing for cod and haddock in the North sea and to the west of Scotland, to be tied up for 135 days during the period 1 February 1992 to 31 December 1992. Member states affected by this have been able to obtain full or partial exemptions from this requirement on the basis that they would not catch quotas, or the use of alternative arrangements.
The available information for each member state is summarised as follows:
The United Kingdom is operating limited tie-up regime under EC Reg. 3882/91, such that vessels may opt to use certain technical measures instead of tying up for the full 135 days (partial exemption from Reg 3882/91).Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Ireland have also obtained exemptions from Reg. 3882/91.172WFrance, Spain and Portugal have no regime of days at sea limitation as far as we are aware.Greece and Italy have national regimes.Netherlands—most Dutch vessels are limited to 150.165 days at sea under national legislation.