§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from marine heritage organisations concerning EU regulations and consequential United Kingdom legislation requiring owners of sound, seaworthy and hand built traditional wooden vessels used for fishing to be destroyed, or rendered incapable of use on water or being disposed of to any private person or body for uses other than fishing, under any scheme of registration as a condition of receiving de-commissioning grant; and what replies he has sent. [8216]
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§ Mr. BaldryI have recently received representations from the following organisations with regard to the decommissioning of traditional wooden fishing vessels:
- The 4+ Fishing Boat Association of the British Isles
- The Colne Smack Preservation Society
- The Historic Warship Preservation Society
In replying to all these bodies, I have made it clear that it is a requirement of Council regulation 3699/93 that decommissioned vessels are permanently excluded from fishing in Community waters. Experience has shown that it is only by requiring vessels to be made permanently unseaworthy that we can guarantee meeting our obligations. It is also a requirement that vessels of less than 25 gross registered tonnes have to be scrapped to qualify for Community aid. Nevertheless, I am always willing to consider any suggestions an applicant may make for alternatives to scrapping which provide the same degree of certainty in protecting public expenditure.