§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will list those places on the coast of the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk from which commercial fishing from open boats under 7 metres takes place, indicating the number of such boats which are licensed to operate from each place, the estimated quantity of each main type of fish caught from each place and what restrictions have been imposed on such fishing in the last 24 months.
Lord LucasInformation about licensed fishing vessels is held by Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food fisheries districts rather than by individual locations. Some 230 vessels 7 metres and under in overall length have, as at 1 January 1996, been licensed to fish by the Ministry's fisheries office at Lowestoft, which covers the coast from Donna Nook to the Thames Estuary.
Details of landings from each place by the species of fish caught are not readily available. Information on fish landings at ports covering all vessels is set out in the Ministry's publication Statistics of Fish Landings in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by Port, Annual Figures for 1994 (copies available in the House Libraries).
Vessels 7 metres and under fish against quota allocations which are made to the 10 metre and under fleet as a whole. The following North Sea fisheries for 10 metre and under vessels were subject to closures in either 1994 or 1995:
Fish Closure dates Sole 19 August 1994–31 December 1994 17 November 1995–31 December 1995 Hake 15 December 1994–31 December 1994 Whiting Saithe 13 December 1995–31 December 1995 Saithe 14 December 1995–31 December 1995 Herring 10 December 1994–31 December 1994 1 January 1995–26 June 1995 Mackerel 21 January 1995–31 March 1995 4 May 1995–31 December 1995