HC Deb 15 January 1996 vol 269 cc455-7W
Mr. David Porter

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will undertake research into franchising areas of sea to fishermen as an alternative to licensing boats; and if he will make a statement. [8403]

Mr. Baldry

I have no plans to undertake such research. Under Council regulation (EC) No. 3690/93 of 20 December 1993 establishing a Community system laying down rules for the minimum information to be contained in fishing licences, member states are required to operate a licensing system for fishing vessels.

Mr. Porter

To ask the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to replace decommissioning as a tool of effort reduction, with closure of specified areas of seas during relevant spawning seasons; if he will make it his policy to allocate money set aside for decommissioning of fishing vessels to compensate all sectors of the fishing industry during such close seasons; and if he will make a statement. [8407]

Mr. Baldry

I have no such plans.

Mr. Porter

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will undertake feasibility studies on effective policing of fisheries regulations by a system of closed sea areas during spawning seasons to replace the present licensing system; and if he will make a statement. [8387]

Mr. Baldry

There are a number of areas where fishing is controlled to protect young fish and to allow them to grow to maturity. The merits of any particular closed area have to be carefully evaluated, bearing in mind the mixed nature of our fisheries and the fact that fish will move in and out of areas. Nevertheless, protected areas are generally regarded as making a useful contribution to conservation. They are not, however, an alternative to the present licensing and TAC system because uncontrolled fishing effort outside such areas could outweigh the benefits achieved from closed spawning grounds.

Mr. Porter

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what methods of control, management and conservation of the fish stocks of the United Kingdom he proposes to assess(a) in addition to and (b) instead of the current regime of the common fisheries policy; and if he will make a statement. [8375]

Mr. Baldry

Key elements in the common fisheries policy are the structural regime and the fisheries management regime.

The structural measures under the multi-annual guidance programmes are directed towards reducing the fishing effort of the fleets of member states to bring it better into line with fishing opportunities. The UK is spending £53 million on decommissioning fishing vessels to this end. We will be consulting the fishing industry prior to discussions on the changes needed for the next round of programmes starting in 1997. The fisheries management regime under the CFP is, like the regimes applied by many countries around the world, based on establishing total allowable catches which are administered as fishing quotas.

The quota management system applied by the UK is discussed with our industry each autumn to see whether changes should be made. At the most recent discussions there were no suggestions that any substantial changes would be helpful. However, the industry has been invited to see whether there are any changes which could usefully be made which would be acceptable to the industry collectively. I am awaiting its response, which I shall consider carefully.

The management regime is also supported by technical conservation measures which deal with matters such as mesh sizes, minimum landing sizes and closed areas. The fisheries conservation group, which I have announced, will be examining ideas from fishermen to agree which are the most promising to seek to have introduced as improvements to the existing CFP conservation regime. Again, the fishing industry's constructive views will be vital.

Finally, the management regime includes the monitoring of fishing effort in western waters from January this year so that all member states comply with limits laid down last year. These will ensure that full Spanish integration into the CFP does not result in fishing effort rising above the specified levels. We shall be assessing the effectiveness and enforcement of these arrangements and, if necessary, seeking improvements to them. I shall welcome the views of the fishing industry.