§ Mrs. Ray MichieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made towards introducing a weekend ban on prawn and scallop fishing off the west coast of Scotland; what measures are being taken to preserve stocks; and if he will make a statement. [41640]
§ Mrs. Macdonald[holding answer 19 May 1998]: The Government are keen to ensure that the scallop fishery continues to be conducted on a sustainable basis. With this in mind, a range of possible options for scallop conservation are being looked at. Conservation measures for the west coast prawn (nephrops) stock are already in place in the form of a total allowable catch set on the basis of independent scientific advice from the Advisory Committee on Fishery Management. The Scottish Fishermen's Federation and the Clyde Fishermen's Association have urged the Government not to introduce any sea-time restrictions on the nephrops fleet and we have no plans at present to do so.