HC Deb 08 March 2001 vol 364 cc340-1W
20. Mr. Wilkinson

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the fish stock conservation measures required under the European Union's common fisheries policy. [151406]

Mr. Morley

Under the Common Fisheries Policy a range of measures are available to assist with fish stock conservation: the annual setting of Total Allowance Catches for the main commercial stocks based on the best available science; technical conservation measures on mesh sizes and gear selectivity to improve protection for juvenile fish; constraints on fleet capacity and effort; and, more recently, stock recovery plans, including closed areas at spawning time, for stocks at risk of collapse. Taken together these measures can, when properly enforced, make an effective contribution to stock conservation.