§ Lord Hughes of Woodsideasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are the United Kingdom's objectives for the multi-annual guidance programme (MAGP IV) now adopted by the European Commission and announced on 17 December 1997. [HL64]
§ Lord DonoughueThe Commission announced on 17 December that it had adopted the objectives for all 13 maritime member states, details of which are to be published shortly in a series of commission decisions addressed to the member states concerned.
The full table applying to the United Kingdom which we expect to appear in the Official Journal is reproduced below:
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United Kingdom: Decision on MAGP IV Situation 1 January 1997 Objective 31 December 1996 Objective 31 December 2001 Catch composition Pilot rate Weighted reduction> Area/Stocks Segment Fishery (per cent.) (per cent.) (per cent.) GT kW GT kW GT x t1('000) kW x t1('000) GT kW GT1 x t ('000) kW x t ('000) EU waters Demersal and Pelagic Lines and nets DR: 15 OF: 13 Others:72 30 8.3 16,431 51,977 15,854 67,364 — — 14,538 61,744 — — Shellfish (and demersal) Shellfish fixed DR: 1 OF:0 Others:99 25 0.4 6,413 44,463 6,267 35,895 — — 6,242 35,768 — — EU waters Shellfish (and demersal) Shellfish mobile DR: 1 OF: 1 Other: 97 25 0.6 11,766 55,648 11,615 51,232 — — 11,552 50,958 — — EU waters Demersal Distant water EU waters5 DR: 5 OF: 21 Others: 74 30 7.9 11,980 19,721 11,296 18,062 2,899 4,510 11,296 18,062 2,670 4,154 International waters External waters6 DR: 0 OF: 0 Others: 100 5,458 7,133 3,587 5,679 — — 3,587 5,679 — — Sub total 234,322 768,561 230,187 786,330 — — 228,783 780,309 — — Total 254,442 1,054,928 252,088 1,072,484 — — 250,684 1,066,463 — — DR = Depletion risk. OF = Overfished. 1Includes estimated GT values in accordance with article 4 of the present decision. The objectives will be revised as real GT values becone available. 2The objectives for 2001 for these fisheries are based on the levels of efort in 1996 and 1997. These objectives are subject to review in the light of the development of the fisheries. 3The capacity objectives for 1996 have been increased by 2, 108 GT, representing 45 per cent. of the backlog from the MAGP III. 4The capacity objectives for 1996 have been increased by 1,782 GT and 11,914 kW, representing 45 per cent. of the backlog from the MAGP III. 5Vessels fishing at least half the time in external waters. The capacity objectives for 1996 have been increased by 560 GT and 1,357 kW, representing 45 per cent. of the backlog from the MAGP III. 6Vessles fishing exclusively outside EU waters. The objectives for this fishery are provisional and may be revised within the provisions of Article 8 of Council Decision 97/413/EC. The above figures do not be take account of the expected take up of decommissioning grants under the 1997 Scheme, nor of other changes in the fleet register since the end of 1996, notably in the pelagic segment.
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Estimated rates of reduction required to implement the UK's objectives for MAGP IV in the light of the current UK fleet position and projected take up of 1997 decommissioning scheme Segment Fishery Estimated capacity/activity reduction Pelagic trawls and purse seines North Sea herring 36 per cent. effort reduction Western pelagic 29 per cent. effort reduction Atlanto-Scandian herring Effort not to exceed 1996 level Blue whiting Effort not to exceed 1997 level Beam trawl North Sea 19 per cent. effort reduction Area VII 8 per cent. effort reduction Demersal and nephrop trawls and seines Monitor and maintain effort within recent levels Lines and nets Reduce fleet tonnage by 7 per cent. Shellfish mobile gears Tonnage objective already met Shellfish fixed gears Tonnage objective already met Distant water fleet Mixed External and EU waters Tonnage objective already met (over 50 per cent. non-EU) Non-EU waters only Maintain capacity in line with fishing oppournities Small scale coastal under 10 metres Tonnage objective already met When allowance is made for these factors, the effective reductions now required to meet the MAGP IV objectives are currently estimated as follows: