§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the potential fish catches and stocks in the 60,000 sq miles of ocean around Rockall; and what funding the Government have made available in the last 20 years to research and develop the potential of these waters. [11581]
§ Mr. ChisholmI have been asked to reply.
I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and arrange for a copy of the letter to be placed in the House Library.
§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what licensing arrangements currently apply to fishing operators in the 60,000 sq miles of Atlantic ocean around Rockall; how many(a) British and (b) Spanish fishing vessels operate there; and what estimate he has made of the number of British vessels with the capacity to fish waters of these depths. [11577]
§ Mr. ChisholmI have been asked to reply.
United Kingdom vessels fishing within the current Rockall fisheries zone must be in possession of a UK fishing licence, while vessels from other EC member states are subject to their own national licensing and management arrangements. All such vessels are subject to quota restrictions and western waters effort ceilings where appropriate. This will remain the case following the redrawing of British fisheries limits.
Landings information held by the fisheries departments shows that, in 1996, 46 British vessels operated in the waters affected by the change. Comparable information for Spanish vessels is not held by the fisheries departments.
Information on the number of vessels capable of fishing in deep waters around Rockall is not held centrally.