HL Deb 16 March 2001 vol 623 cc113-4WA
Baroness Thornton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have any plans to change the capacity penalty arrangements applying to the transfer and aggregation of fishing vessel licences. [HL1234]

The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Hayman)

The operation of fishing vessel licensing arrangements has been recently reviewed by a joint industry/departmental working group and a copy of the group's report is being placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The working group has recommended that the existing capacity penalty arrangements should be maintained for the time being but that the penalty relating to the uprating of an existing engine, or to an increase in power following its replacement, should be based on the increase in the vessel's capacity rather than its overall capacity. The Fisheries Departments in the UK agree and arrangements are being made to notify the owners of licensed fishing vessels.

As of today a 20 per cent capacity penalty will operate for the uprating or replacement of an existing vessel engine provided the resulting increase in engine power does not exceed 35 per cent. This penalty will be reduced to 10 per cent where an engine is uprated or replaced before 31 December 2001. However, except in the case of pelagic vessels, where vessel capacity units (VCUs) are taken from vessels under 18 metres in overall length and aggregated on to licensed vessels measuring 18 metres or more in overall length, the capacity penalty will be 30 per cent. Provision will also be made for the splitting of fishing vessel licences for the purpose of engine power adjustments.

The Fisheries departments, in conjunction with the European Commission, are also prepared to consider, on a case by case basis, waiving capacity penalties and compliance with tonnage rules for vessel improvements which relate exclusively to improved safety and which will not result in an increase in a vessel's fishing effort. Under EU legislation, member states may apply for an increase in tonnage objectives under their relevant Multi Annual Guidance Programme to take account of increases in vessel capacity resulting exclusively from safety improvements. Advantage is now being taken of that facility.

In the longer term the Fisheries departments in the UK wish to simplify the present capacity regime and, with the exception of engine power adjustments, plan to return to a situation where a single penalty applies. The present capacity penalties will therefore end on 31 March 2003 and be replaced on 1 April 2003 by a single penalty which will also apply to tonnage and engine power as well as vessel capacity units. Since two years' notice of these changes is being given, no provision will be made for so-called pipeline cases. The views of the fishing industry and other interests are being sought on the level at which the capacity penalty should be fixed and whether this should apply to both licence transfers and aggregations or to aggregations alone.