§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will define the word "loosely" as used in the December fisheries agreement in respect of the basing of control of fishing effort in western waters on member state quota entitlements.
§ Mr. JackI cannot identify the reference to which the hon. Member refers. The agreement reached at the December Fisheries Council provides for effort levels to allow each member state, for each fishery, to take up fully its fishing possibilities for species subject to TACs. whether allocated or not, as well as species not subject to TACs.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why he assures United Kingdom fishermen, in his letter after the December Fisheries Council, that no new measures to control effort will need to be imposed on the United Kingdom industry; and whether his assurance is given in the light of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1992 being brought into force or dropped.
§ Mr. JackThe agreement reached at December Fisheries Council states that effort levels will be set to allow member states to take up fully their fishing possibilities for TAC and non-TAC species and that an acceptable way for a member state to regulate fishing effort will be for it to monitor the activity of its fleet and to take appropriate action if, on this basis, the effort reaches—or is about to reach—the permitted effort level. So long as present effort levels do not increase, it should not be necessary to impose new measures to control effort.
§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many French, Spanish and Dutch fisherman have been prosecuted in the last year by the Commission in relation to fishing offences; what were the offences; and what penalties were imposed.
§ Mr. JackNone. Responsibility for enforcement of the common fisheries policy, including action to prosecute fishermen for fishing offences, rests with member states.