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Fisheries

I should love to believe the Under-Secretary and I am sure that he means well. However, we heard all that last time, and when the then Minister came back, he had arrived at a position somewhere between ICES advice and what the fishermen asked him to deliver. It is no good saying that one group is right or one group is wrong and landing somewhere in the middle. That has always happened in the past. The Government have compromised and delivered neither the scientific advice nor what the fishermen request. Let us see how the Under-Secretary gets on at the December conference. I wish him luck, but until the gap is closed, things will be difficult for him. At the December Fisheries Council meeting, we hope that the Under-Secretary will impress on his European counterparts the importance of reform and change. Moreover, if the Government are serious about making a long-term difference, the Minister and his EU counterparts must get to grips with the problem of discards. The EU has estimated that 40 to 60 per cent. of fish that trawlers in the North sea catch are discarded. In the last quarter of 2006, the discard rate for North sea cod caught by English and Welsh vessels in the North sea was 43.8 per cent. The discard rate by Scottish vessels for west of Scotland haddock was 42.2 per cent., and that for west of Scotland saithe was 62.7 per cent. in the third quarter of 2006. A staggering 83.5 per cent. of west of Scotland whiting was discarded in the third quarter of 2006. That means that 246.3 tonnes were discarded but only 48.6 tonnes were landed. That is the scale of the problem and the harsh reality faced by our fishermen, bound by the rigidity of the quota system and some of the unsustainable management measures currently in place. The Minister is reported as saying:"““Throwing back…fish is heart-breaking””" and ““immoral””. However, unless he and his European counterparts have the political will to grasp the nettle, they will be the heartbreakers. During last year's fisheries debate, I called on the Government to make 2007"““the year that discards are tackled.””—[Official Report, 14 December 2006; Vol. 454, c. 1059.]" So far, however, the progress needed to end this wasteful and environmentally damaging practice has not been made. The EU discard atlas, due to be completed by next year, has not even been put out to tender, and the Minister has admitted that it is"““not yet clear when it will commence.””—[Official Report, 28 November 2007; Vol. 468, c. 513W.]" According to the European Commission's 2002 community action plan, discard pilot schemes were to be set up. There are two in the UK—one in the North sea and a joint scheme with Ireland in the Irish sea, which started only recently. However, as Ministers have admitted:"““Details of pilot projects undertaken by other member states are not available.””—[Official Report, 18 June 2007; Vol. 461, c. 1431-32W.]" One is left wondering why there appears to be such an appalling lack of commitment and joint working on the matter. The community action plan also indicated that the EU was planning to eliminate discards by 2006. That date has passed, but despite the Government's holding the presidency of the EU in the latter half of 2005, the best excuse that they could give was:"““There hasn't been the detailed analysis at Community level of the various options identified in the report that was anticipated.””—[Official Report, 15 June 2007; Vol. 461, c. 1365W.]" Now the Minister's answer to the discard problem is to argue for an increase in quota. Of course we should argue for an increase in quota to support our fishermen when the stocks are available, but that is not a long-term solution to the problem of discards, and if the Minister thinks that increasing total allowable catches is the answer to discarding, he should apply that logic universally to all stocks, such as whiting and haddock, on which there will be further cuts this year. When are we going to get a coherent policy on discards from DEFRA? We believe that as long as Labour is in government, discarding will continue. We also recognise that part of the solution to discarding and by-catch is to prevent the active 10 m and under vessels from running out of quota so early in the year. One of the most important challenges that the Minister faces is to ensure that they get a fair deal; but we have already had the ““Net Benefits”” report—almost four years ago—which advocated long-term strategic planning for the inshore sector. In ““Charting a New Course”” in 2005, DEFRA boasted of how it had already taken the advice of ““Net Benefits”” and"““set up a policy team responsible for coastal waters…including inshore management””." There is also the inshore fisheries working group, with which the Minister has admitted he has not discussed quota management. However, between 1998 and 2004, the number of 10 m and under vessels registered in England and Wales fell from 3,342 to 3,004, while the total number in the UK has fallen from 5,474 to 4,979—a drop of 9 per cent. We have had all the talk from Labour, but no action and no long-term strategic management plan.