HC Deb 14 May 2003 vol 405 cc264-6W
Mr. Hayes

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many UK fishing vessels there were(a) under 10 metres and (b) over 10 metres, in each year since 1973; what proportion were blue water vessels; and what proportion were foreign-owned. [112498]

Mr. Morley

The information requested, where readily available, is given in the following tables. The blue water fleet has been taken as those UK fishing vessels greater than 10 metres overall length.

Vessel data for 1 January 1973 to 1 January 1990 are available only in terms of under and over 40 foot in length (12.2 metres) and relate to the active rather than the registered UK fishing fleet. The statistics for these years also understate the overall size of the fleet: the registered fleet exceeded the active fleet by about 3,000 vessels in 1991 when the earlier statistical series was replaced.

The Department does not collect statistics on foreign ownership of fishing vessels. The table includes estimates from 1997 onwards of the number of vessels that are considered to be partly or wholly owned by foreign interests, based on advice from local port offices of the Fisheries Departments in the UK.

Number of active UK fishing vessels Proportion of over 10 m vessels that were foreign owned
Details as at 1 January 40 ft and under Over 40ft Total Number Percentage over 10 m
1973 3,961 2,366 6,327 n/a n/a
1974 4,073 2,505 6,578 n/a n/a
1975 4,356 2,560 6,916 n/a n/a
1976 4,158 2,533 6,691 n/a n/a
1977 4,307 2,433 6,740 n/a n/a
1978 4,601 2,352 6,953 n/a n/a
1979 4,732 2,335 7,067 n/a n/a
1980 4,878 2,364 7,242 n/a n/a
1981 4,512 2,383 6,895 n/a n/a
1982 4,970 2,381 7,351 n/a n/a
1983 4,485 2,312 6,797 n/a n/a
1984 4,767 2,207 6,974 n/a n/a
1985 5,433 2,151 7,584 n/a n/a
1986 5,868 2,052 7,920 n/a n/a
1987 6,305 1,861 8,166 n/a n/a
1988 6,251 1,953 8,204 n/a n/a
1989 6,128 2,004 8,132 n/a n/a
1990 6,326 1,957 8,283 n/a n/a
Number of registered UK fishing vessels Proportion of over 10 m vessels that were foreign owned1
Details as at 1 January 10 m and under Over 10 m Total Number Percentage over 10 m
1991 7,364 3,825 11,189 n/a n/a
1992 7,538 3,873 11,411 n/a n/a
1993 7,831 3,730 11,561 n/a n/a
1994 8,128 3,564 11,692 n/a n/a
1995 7,607 3,220 10,827 n/a n/a
1996 6,757 2,963 9,720 n/a n/a
1997 6,091 2,576 8,667 162 6.3
1998 6,022 2,436 8,458 152 6.2
1999 6,027 2,244 8,271 141 6.3
2000 5,916 2,123 8,039 124 5.8
2001 5,769 2,049 7,818 116 5.7
2002 5,713 2,008 7,721 119 5.9
2003 (provisional) 5,847 1,808 7,655 121 6.7

1 The distribution of ownership at 1 January was as follows:

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Anglo Spanish 107 107 97 84 73 76 74
Anglo Dutch 40 35 36 33 37 37 38
Other 15 10 8 7 6 6 9

Mr. Hayes

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on areas of linkage made during the CFP derogation negotiations between obtaining the support of other member states and the United Kingdom supporting measures in other areas. [112502]

Mr. Morley

The outcome on the package of fishery measures at the Council of Ministers in December 2002 was negotiated by the UK with reference only to the fisheries matters that were under consideration.