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Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Answer

Ms Ryan: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's objectives for the multi-annual guidance programme (MAGP IV) now adopted by the European Commission and announced on 17 December. [22478] Mr. Morley: The Commission announced on 17 December that it had adopted the objectives for all 13 maritime Member States, details of which are to be published shortly in a series of Commission Decisions addressed to the Member States concerned. The full table applying to the United Kingdom which we expect to appear in the Official Journal is reproduced as follows: United Kingdom: Decision on MAGP IV _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Situation 1 Objective 31 December 1996 Objective 31 December 2001 January 1997 Stocks Segmen Fisher Catch Pilot Weight GT{1} kW GT{1} kW GT{1} kW x t GT{1} kW GT{1} kW x t t y compos rate ed x t ({1}00 x t ({1}00 ition (per reduct ({1}00 0) ({1}00 0) (per cent.) ion 0) 0) cent.) (per cent.) Small -- -- -- -- 20,120 286,36 21,901 286,15 -- -- 21,901 286,15 -- -- scale 7 4 4 coasta l <10 metres Sub 20,120 286,36 21,901 286,15 -- -- 21,901 286,15 total 7 4 4 EU waters Palegic Palagi North DR: 69 30 21.8 -- -- -- -- 1,660 3,841 -- -- 1,301 3,009 c Sea OF: 3 trawl Herrin Others and g : 28 Purse IV,VII seines d Wester DR:0 20 13.0 -- -- -- -- 4,981 11,524 -- -- 4,334 10,028 n OF: 65 palagi Others c : 35 Vb,VI, VII ex VIId VIII Extern -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 0 0 -- -- {2}570 {2}1,0 al 36 waters (Atlan to- scandi an herrin g) Blue -- -- -- -- 0 0 -- {} {2}460 {2}644 whitin g IV, VI, VII,VI II Segment 37,453 71,876 34,876 82,168 6,641 15,365 34,876 82,168 6,665 14,717 totals{3} EU waters Flatfish Beam Flatfi DR: 63 30 19.2 -- -- -- 3,988 15,529 -- -- -- 3,221 12,542 trawl sh IV OF: 1 Others : 36 Flatfi DR: 11 30 8.0 -- -- -- -- 2,092 7,234 -- -- 1,917 6,631 sh OF: 17 VII, Others VI : 71 {} Segment 28,240 117,61 26,062 103,05 6,080 22,763 26,062 103,05 5,138 19,173 totals{4} 6 4 4 EU waters Demersal Demers Demers DR: 18 30 14.2 116,58 400,12 120,63 422,87 29,119 98,210 120,63 422,87 24,993 84,294 al al IV, OF: 29 1 7 0 6 0 6 trawls Vb, Others seines VI, : 53 , VII, Nephro VIII ps EU waters Demersal and Lines DR: 15 30 8.3 16,431 51,977 15,854 67,364 -- -- 14,538 61,744 -- -- pelagic and OF: 13 nets Others : 72 Shellfish Shellf DR: 1 25 0.4 6,413 44,463 6,267 35,895 -- -- 6,242 35,768 -- -- (and ish OF: 0 demersal) fixed Others : 99 EU waters Shellfish Shellf DR: 1 25 0.6 11,766 55,648 11,615 51,232 -- -- 11,552 50,958 -- -- (and ish OF: 1 demersal) mobile Other: 97 EU waters Demersal Distan EU DR: 5 30 7.9 11,980 19,721 11,296 18,062 2,899 4,510 11,296 18,062 2,670 4,154 t waters OF: 21 water {5} Others : 74 International waters {} Extern DR: 5 5,458 7,133 3,587 5,679 -- -- 3,587 5,679 -- -- al OF: 0 waters Others {6} : 100 Sub 234,32 768,56 230,18 786,33 -- -- 228,78 780,30 -- -- total 2 1 7 0 3 9 Total 254,44 1,054, 252,08 1,072, -- -- 250,68 1,066, -- -- 2 928 8 484 4 463 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. DR = Depletion risk. OF = Overfished. {1} Includes estimated GT values in accordance with article 4 of the present Decision. The objectives will be revised as real GT values become available. {2} The objectives for 2001 for these fisheries are based on the levels of effort in 1996 and 1997. These objectives are subject to review in the light of the development of the fisheries. {3} The capacity objectives for 1996 have been increased by 2,108 GT, representing 45 per cent. of the backlog from the MAGP III. {4} The capacity objectives for 1996 have been increased by 1,782 GT and 11,914 kW, representing 45 per cent. of the backlog from the MAGP III. {5} Vessels fishing at least half the time in external waters. The capacity objectives for 1996 have been increased by 560 GT and 1,357 kW, representing 45 per cent. of the backlog from the MAGP III. {6} Vessels fishing exclusively outside EU waters. The objectives for this fishery are provisional and may be revised within the provisions of Article 8 of Council Decision 97/413/EC. The above figures do not take account of the expected take up of decommissioning grants under the 1997 Scheme, nor of other changes in the fleet register since the end of 1996, notably in the pelagic segment. When allowance is made for these factors, the effective reductions now required to meet the MAGP IV objectives are currently estimated as follows: Estimated rates of reduction required to implement the UK's objectives for MAGP in the light of the current UK fleet position and projected take up of 1997 decommissioning scheme _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Segment Fishery Estimated capacity/activity reduction Pelagic trawls and purse seines North Sea herring Western pelagic 36 per cent. effort reduction 29 per cent. Atlanto-Scandian herring Blue whiting effort reduction Effort not to exceed 1996 level Effort not to exceed 1997 level Beam trawl North Sea Area VII 19 per cent. effort reduction 8 per cent. effort reduction Demersal and nephrop trawls and seines -- Monitor and maintain effort within recent levels Lines and nets -- Reduce fleet tonnage by 7 per cent. Shellfish mobile gears -- Tonnage objective already met. Shellfish fixed gears -- Tonnage objective already met. Distant water fleet Mixed External and EU waters (over 50 per Tonnage objective already met. Maintain cent. non-EU) Non-EU waters only capacity in line with fishing opportunities Small scale coastal under 10 metres -- Tonnage objective already met _________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

22478; 303 c493-7W

Session

1997-98

Subjects

Common fisheries policy Conservation Fishing catches EU action Fish Multiannual guidance programme

Contains statistics

Yes