§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent action she has taken to prevent quota hopping. [7867]
§ Margaret Beckett[holding answer 15 October 2001]: From 1 January 1999 all British registered fishing vessels over 10m catching more than 2 tonnes of quota stocks have had to demonstrate an economic link with coastal communities in the UK. A full report on the first year of operation was published in November 2000 and placed in the Library of the House. There was almost total compliance; foreign-owned UK vessels increased their landings and expenditure in the UK, and additional quota was made available to inshore fishermen in the under 10m fleet and the non-sector. A report on compliance in 2000 will be published later this year.