Fishing Vessel Licensing (Hansard, 31 March 1999)

§ Lord Donoughue

We have now received the report of the working group, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. We are most grateful for the valuable contribution made by industry representatives in the preparation of this report. They have had a difficult task to perform, balancing the complexities of the existing licensing arrangements against the wide ranging interests of fishermen throughout the UK.

We are also pleased to note that the primary recommendation of the working group is that the overall structure of the present licensing regime should be retained. However, having weighed the arguments carefully, we have concluded that there are grounds for two small changes to the current structure, to upgrade moratorium licences and those Category B licences to which are attached individual species licences to full Category A status. These changes will take effect from 1 May 1999.

Industry members of the working group have made a further 10 recommendations relating to various aspects of the licensing regime. These will be followed up by Fisheries Departments with one exception. The group has recommended that there should be no further linkage between fishing licences and vessel safety certificates. This is a sensitive issue, and one which is the subject of ongoing talks between Fisheries Departments and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions following the publication last autumn of the MAIB report into the sinking of the "Pescado". We attach great importance to the safety of fishing vessels, and believe that it is essential that all ways of improving vessel safety are fully explored.

As a result of recommendations from the group, three further changes to the present licensing rules will take effect from 1 April 1999. First, we are amending the provision whereby the capacity penalty may be waived where a vessel being replaced has been destroyed or permanently disabled as a result of fire, sinking or other accidental cause, so that it is no longer necessary for 68WA the age difference between the replaced and replacement vessel to be no more than seven years. The requirement for the capacity of the replacement vessel to be no greater than that of the replaced vessel (measured in VCUs) will remain.

Second, with regard to licence entitlements, the deadline for submitting a valid licence application to Fisheries Departments is extended from two years to three years from the date that the entitlement first arose. This will apply to all existing licence entitlements as well as to entitlements created after 1 April 1999.

Third, a new licence will be made available to owners of vessels fishing exclusively in external waters who have taken advantage of the arrangements announced on 31 March 1998 to replace the vessel with a vessel of larger capacity, without acquiring additional domestic water licences to cover the increase in capacity. This licence will allow them to continue to fish for non-TAC stocks in those parts of ICES Sub Areas VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII and XIV which lie outside Community waters. All other conditions relating to the licensing of the replacement vessel remain in force.

Finally, we have noted the group's offer to give further consideration to measures to improve the present capacity penalty arrangements, and to act as a forum for the discussion of licensing issues in the future. We welcome this recognition of the value of constructive engagement of the industry in developing policy and envisage that this forum will be used in future. We shall be reconvening the group later this year to look at the scope for improving the capacity penalty arrangements.