§ Mr. WilkinsonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the expected duration of MAGP V and the forecast reduction of EU marine resources available in that period, together with the forecast reduction in vessel capacity. [24685]
§ Mr. MorleyCouncil Decision 97/413/EC concerning objectives and detailed rules for MAGP IV covers the period from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2001. Article 9 provides for the European Commission to present a report by 30 March 1999 at the latest on the state and evolution of fish stocks and an assessment of the effects of structural, conservation, control and other policy measures on the state of the resources and on the sector. In the light of this the Council has until 30 December 1999 to decide on any necessary adjustments to the targets for fishing effort in the period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2001. Consideration of the position after 31 December 2001 has not yet been provided for.
§ Mr. WilkinsonTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of fishing already conducted in EU waters by boats of applicant nations for EU membership listed in phases one and two of projected EU enlargement, as based on the 1983 97W principle of relative stability; and what percentage per species catch is accounted for by each of these potential new EU members. [24684]
§ Mr. MorleyThe only applicant countries which have current fishing quotas in EU waters are Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Under the terms of bilateral fisheries agreements with the EU, access by these countries to EU waters is limited to the Baltic Sea where the UK fleet does not fish.
The fishing opportunities available to each of the applicant countries in EU Baltic waters in 1998 are summarised in the table:
Quota Quota as percentage of EU share of TAC1 Estonia Cod 1,100 tonnes 1.29 Herring 4,000 tonnes 1.30 Sprat 4,000 tonnes 2.00 Latvia Cod 2,500 tonnes 2.93 Herring 2,500 tonnes 0.81 Sprat 6,000 tonnes 3.01 Salmon 2,000 fish 0.50 Lithuania Cod 1,350 tonnes 1.58 Herring 500 tonnes 0.16 Sprat 4,000 tonnes 2.00 Salmon 500 fish 0.13 Poland Cod 400 tonnes 0.47 Herring 5,000 tonnes 1.62 Sprat 5,000 tonnes 2.51 Flounder 400 tonnes n/a 1 Total allowable catches are fixed by the International Baltic Sea Fisheries Commission.