HC Deb 27 July 1993 vol 229 cc887-8W
Mr. Morley

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action she will take to further the conservation of flora and fauna, under section 16 of the Wales about 485, Northern Ireland about 80, Scotland about 175. The remaining applications are being dealt with as quickly as possible.

Licences have been issued to those who were able to meet one of the eligibility criteria set out above. Rejections may have been for a number of reasons, but the main ones relate to applicants being unable to meet the principal criteria because either the vessel was not registered on 27 February 1992 under part II of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 or the applicant had not fished for profit in the reference period 28 February 1991 to 27 February 1992.

Registration and licensing of fishing vessels are two separate matters. It has long been a requirement that vessels used for fishing for profit have to be registered under the merchant shipping legislation. Anyone who has been fishing for profit when the vessel was not registered has therefore been operating illegally. The question of refunds of registration fees does not therefore arise.