§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out the arrangements which his Agriculture and Fisheries Department makes for the provision of maritime fishery protection services; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Hector MonroMaritime fishery protection services in Scottish waters are provided by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency—an executive agency of the Secretary of State for Scotland—to provide intelligence on fishing patterns and to deter and detect illegal fishing activity.
The agency has four offshore patrol vessels which can operate out to the 200-mile limit; two fast launches for patrolling inshore waters and sea lochs; and a small launch used for seasonal patrol of estuarial waters. The agency also contracts with the Ministry of Defence for the supply of Royal Navy vessels to undertake fishery protection patrols in Scottish waters. The total budget of the agency for marine surveillance is £9.2 million in the current financial year.
The agency deploys two fisheries surveillance aircraft in Scottish waters and charters helicopter services as required for inshore patrol duties. The budget for aerial surveillance in the current financial year is £2.4 million.