HC Deb 19 April 1994 vol 241 cc442-3W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if she will outline the conservation and control regime for fisheries allowed to Norway under the entry agreement with the EEC in(a) northern waters and (b) the rest of Norwegian fishing grounds; and in which ways this departs from the common fisheries policy as applied in British waters;

(2) what proposals she has for extending the Norwegian management and control regime for fisheries permitted under the entry agreement with the EU to British waters; and what plans she has to urge that such a regime be extended to other national waters.

Mr. Jack

In waters north of 62 deg. north, for a transitional period of three years from accession, Norway is authorised to maintain:

  1. (a) national control measures which involve, for example, making rendezvous with inspectors at sea, and
  2. (b) the ban on discarding fish at sea and the system for opening and closing fisheries in biologically sensitive zones, neither of which policies is applied by the CFP.

Norway is also authorised to maintain the existing technical conservation measures—national mesh size rules, for example—applicable north of 62 deg. north for one year.

South of 62 deg. north, for a transitional period of one year from accession, Norway is authorised to maintain national control measures, the discard ban and the existing technical conservation measures applying in these waters.

Before the end of these transitional periods the Council will decide on future arrangements with the objective of incorporating Norwegian practices into the CFP where appropriate. The discussions in the Council will provide an opportunity to consider the applicability of these measures outside existing Norwegian waters.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when she last met members of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations to discuss the Norwegian accession.

European Community Foodstuffs held in Public Intervention Storage ('000 tonnes)
Commodity 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
Butter 271 128 9 100 692 841
Skimmed Milk Powder 227 230 286 567 990 617
Wheat 1,821 4,914 2,978 6,300 6,857 8,782
Barley 69 1,086 740 1,625 1,102 1,845
Rye 549 513 321 293 249 426
Durum 143 157 307 771 714 858
Total Cereals 2,582 6,670 4,346 8,989 8,922 11,911
Beef 275 302 181 203 372 610
Wine Alcohol (million litres) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 2

Note: n/a = not applicable (no Public Intervention Storage arrangements).