HL Deb 25 October 1993 vol 549 cc71-2WA
Lord Gainford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the outcome of the Fisheries Council held in Luxembourg on 20th October.

The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Earl Howe)

My honourable friend the Minister of State represented the UK at the Council of EC Fisheries Ministers on 20th October, together with my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland.

Since accession, fishing by Spanish and Portuguese vessels in Community waters has been under arrangements which limit their numbers and the waters to which they have access. Under the Fisheries Section of the Act of Accession for Spain and Portugal, any decisions to change the arrangements for these countries would have to be made by the end of 1993.

At the Council, the Commission put forward a proposal for a Council Regulation. In substance, the proposal would give all EC member countries access to Community waters within the confines—endorsed at the June Council—of no change to the requirements of no increase in fishing effort and the preservation of relative stability. The document did not deal with the constraints which would be applied to Spain and Portugal under these proposals. Effectively, we were being asked to sign a blank cheque.

My honourable friend said this was unacceptable and requested that Council should deal with all aspects of this matter together. My honourable friend would need to be satisfied on the arrangements to apply in the Irish "Box" and the North Sea; on how fishing effort would be capped at the present level; and on how member states' shares of available quotas ("relative stability") would be respected. Other member states made similar points.

The Commission presented a proposal which specifies the minimum information needed in fishing vessel licences throughout the Community. This should prove a useful tool in ensuring common standards of enforcement but it must not encroach on existing national licensing rules.

The Council discussed the market situation for fish and asked the Commission to review the existing minimum import price arrangements for each fish species and, as appropriate, to use its powers to continue these temporary measures until the end of the year or to adjust them. The Council will return to the question of the market situation at its December meeting.

My honourable friend raised the question of industrial fishing. Currently there is considerable concern about its possibly harmful effects on the marine environment and the marine food chain and the consequences for fish stocks and sea birds. I am pleased to say that the Commissioner endorsed the importance of this issue and agreed that the Council should discuss it further.

No matter on the agenda was listed for a vote and no vote was taken.