HL Deb 19 July 1994 vol 557 cc24-6WA
Lord Mason of Barnsley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many Licensed Netters are operating in the North Sea drift netting operations this year; what are the prospects of a reduction in 1995; and whether fresh consideration has been given to the abolition of this practice.

Earl Howe

The table below shows the number of licences issued to date in 1994 specifically for drift netting in the North Sea.

Drift net Fishery Licensing Authority Number of Licences issued
North Sea Mackerel MAFF 117
North Sea Herring MAFF 6
Thames Estuary/Blackwater Herring MAFF 169
North East Coast Salmonid NRA 110
Anglian Salmonid NRA 41
1 1993–94 season.

In addition to the above, any vessel licensed by UK Fisheries Departments under the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967 to fish for sea fish in the North Sea may use drift nets to catch whatever species are authorised by the licence. Salmon and migratory trout are specifically excluded from the authority of such licences.

Measures to phase out the north-east coast salmonid drift net fishery were introduced by the National Rivers Authority (NRA) at the beginning of 1993. Ministers have also approved recently the statutory publication by the NRA of an order which, if confirmed, would phase out the Anglian salmonid drift net fishery.

The number of licences issued for fishing for salmon and sea trout with drift nets in the north east coast and Anglian fisheries has declined in both 1993 and 1994. We would expect to see a further reduction in 1995. We have no reason to believe that there will be any significant change in the number of licences issued which entitle vessels to drift net for species of sea fish other than salmon and migratory trout.

The Government have reconsidered their policy towards drift netting in the context of proposals from the European Commission on the subject. They do not support the abolition of this practice, but favour retention of the EU's 2.5 km upper limit on the length of drift nets and appropriate management rules for the various fisheries concerned.

Lord Mason of Barnsley

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have been notified of draft resolutions emanating from the European Commission to ban drift netting (including in the North Sea) throughout the Community: and what is their view of these resolutions.

Earl Howe

On 12 April the Commission tabled a report and a proposal for new legislation on drift netting. The proposal would:

  1. (i) reintroduce a derogation allowing French tuna fishermen who had benefited from the previous derogation which expired at the end of 1993 to use drift nets longer than 2.5 kilometres but with an upper limit of 5 kilometres, and for this summer's fishing season only;
  2. (ii) continue to allow the use of drift nets up to 2.5 kilometres in length until 31 December 1997
  3. (iii) require member states to reduce drift net catch and effort levels by 25 per cent. annually for species listed in the annexes attached to the proposal (which include some pelagic species, sharks, trout and salmon) until 1997;
  4. (iv) prohibit the use of drift nets for these species in all waters under member states' sovereignty or jurisdiction after 31 December 1997;
  5. (v) establish strict conditions with which masters of all vessels fishing with drift nets must comply;
  6. (vi) introduce detailed and specific inspection programmes for vessels fishing with drift nets over 2.5 kilometres in length in 1994, to include observers on board vessels;
  7. (vii) allow Community vessels which used very long drift nets to fish for salmon in the Baltic Sea during 1992 and 1993 to continue so doing only until 31 December 1994, whether or not any parallel action were taken by the International Baltic Sea Commission (IBSC), which regulates this fishery. Member states would thereafter be excluded from this fishery.

The Government's view is that drift nets up to 25 kilometres long remain acceptable both in coastal waters and elsewhere in the absence of any scientific evidence: that demonstrates otherwise; but that there is no justification for drift nets to be used which are more than 25 km long. The Government also favour cost effective enforcement procedures but believe that matters affecting Baltic Sea fisheries should be considered by the IBSFC.