§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how long Spain has been fishing off Sptizbergen; and what considerations underlie the different allocations for Spain and the United Kingdom. [29207]
§ Mr. JackSpain, like the United Kingdom, is a signatory to the Treaty of Paris 1920, which determined the status of Spitzbergen and Bear Island—Svalbard—and has been fishing at Svalbard since before her accession to the European Community in 1986. The relative stability keys for cod at Svalbard were laid down in 1987 and reflects historic track records in the fishery.