§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy during the United Kingdom presidency of the Council of Ministers to seek a ban on whaling within EC waters and by EC nations; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CurryWhaling, in any form, is already banned within United Kingdom fishery limits. No whaling for commercial or scientific purposes is believed to take place within other member states' fishery limits. The United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain, as members of the International Whaling Commission, are bound by the IWC's moratorium. The Community prohibits trade in whale products through its implementation of the convention on trade in endangered species.
§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to support the French Government proposal for an Antarctic whale sanctuary; if he will encourage other International Whaling Commission member states to support the proposal; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CurryThe proposal by the Government of France for a sanctuary in the southern hemisphere is due to be discussed at the forthcoming meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Glasgow at the end of June. Details of the French proposals have only just been received and will receive careful study. The proposals address a number of questions to the commission's scientific committee, whose advice we shall also need to evaluate.