HC Deb 20 January 1995 vol 252 cc737-9W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the impact of the increase in Spanish vessels authorised by the Fisheries Councils on the existing balance stocks of fishing fleets to fish as required by section 1 sub-paragraph (ii) of the Fisheries Council statement.

Mr. Jack

Under the agreement reached at the December Fisheries Council, it is for each member state to inform the Commission, by the end of March this year, of the reference list of its named vessels which may have access to the various fisheries covered by the agreement, of the fishing effort assessed by the member state to he necessary to enable it to take up fully its fishing possibilities for total allowable catch and non-TAC species and, where the potential effort corresponding to free access for vessels in the reference list exceeds the assessed effort, the arrangements envisaged by the member state to regulate fishing effort. The Commission will make this information available to the other member states, and will then make a report and proposal to the Council, by 1 May, for the regulation of fishing effort. The Council shall decide on that proposal by 30 June. The agreement makes it clear that existing balances in exploitation by fishery and by zone are not to be disturbed.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the effect of the swaps of haddock and cod agreed in the Fisheries Board agreement in Spain between(a) Spain and Belgium and (b) Spain and France on (i) establishing a Spanish track record and entitlement for areas where Spain has not fished before and (ii) the principle of relative stability in those areas.

Mr. Jack

Article 9 of the basic Council Regulation of the Common Fisheries Policy, 3760/92 provides that member states may, after notifying the Commission, exchange all or part of the fishing availabilities allocated to them. Such quota swaps are a regular part of the management of the CFP and are valuable in permitting the best use of fishing opportunities. The United Kingdom makes such swaps in the interest of and with the support of our fishing industry. Such swaps do not affect the relative stability shares on which the Council agrees quotas each year.

The swaps of haddock and cod apply in areas where Spain already fishes. Thus, they have no impact on track record or entitlement for areas where Spain has not fished before.

Mr. Salmond

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the consequences for the fishing industry of the United Kingdom failing to meet its commitment to reduce catching capacity by 1996 under the multi-annual guidance plan; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jack

The targets for UK fleet reduction set out in Commission decision 92/593/EEC have since been made mandatory by Council decision 94/15/EEC. Council regulation (EEC) 3699/93 also provides that progress against targets may be taken into account in determining eligibility for certain types of structural assistance. It would be for the Commission in the first instance to consider what action might be appropriate in the event of the United Kingdom targets not being met.

Mr. Salmond

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what commitments the British Government have made under the current multi-annual guidance plan for reducing United Kingdom catching capacity by 1996.

Mr. Jack

Commission decision 92/593 of 21 December 1992 on a multi-annual guidance programme for the fishing fleet of the United Kingdom for the period 1993 to 1996 pursuant to Council regulation (EEC) No. 4028/86 sets out the reductions required in the United Kingdom's fleet capacity. A copy is available in the House Library.

Mr. Salmond

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what action has already been taken to ensure that the United Kingdom meets catching capacity targets for 1996 set under the multi-annual guidance plan;

(2) what measures the Government intend imposing on the fishing industry for 1995 to ensure that the United Kingdom meets catching capacity targets for 1996 set under the multi-annual guidance plan.

Mr. Jack

The 1993 and 1994 decommissioning schemes should reduce fleet capacity by about 4.8 per cent. at a cost of £16.7 million. My right hon. Friend the Minister announced on 18 January that a further £28 million will be made available for decommissioning increasing the amount for 1995–96 to £12 million and continuing the scheme at this rate for a further two years.

Capacity penalties on licence transfers and aggregations also contribute to the achievement of the MAGP target by requiring a reduction in aggregate capacity on each occasion.

We shall be monitoring the progress of the reduction in our fleet but I do not expect that it will be necessary to impose further measures in 1995 unless it becomes evident that fishing effort of the remaining fleet is rising.

Mr. Steen

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action the Commission has taken to condemn the landing of undersize fish in Spanish waters.

Mr. Jack

[holding answer 19 January 1995]It has not been the procedure of the Commission to publish details of reports made by the inspectors of member states enforcement of, and adherence to, the rules of the common fisheries policy. The United Kingdom was however, successful at the December Fisheries Council in securing a commitment from the Commission that it would report annually on inspections it carried out in member states, together with an assessment of the results of those inspections and details of any improvements in national enforcement arrangements which it had recommended.