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Draft Sea Fisheries (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) (Amendment) Regulations 2024

Motion to consider. Agreed to on question.

Lead member

Mark Spencer

Answering member

Daniel Zeichner

Department

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Debates on delegated legislation; Delegated Legislation Committee proceedings

Committee

Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee

Date

12 March 2024

House

House of Commons

Donoughue, Lord

Statement on the outcome of the Fisheries Council held in Luxembourg on 8 June. [HL 2236] - Includes figures.

Asked by

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

15 June 1998

Reference

590 c120WA; HL 2236

House

House of Lords

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Statement on what was the outcome of the Fisheries Council held in Luxembourg on 8th June.

Asked by

Anne Begg (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

9 June 1998

For answer on

11 June 1998

Answered on

11 June 1998

Miss Begg: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Fisheries Council held in Luxembourg on 8 June; and if he will make a statement. [45615] Dr. John Cunningham: I chaired the meeting of the Fisheries Council in Luxembourg on 8 June. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, represented the United Kingdom together with my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State at the Scottish Office, Lord Sewel. The Council agreed by qualified majority, with France and Ireland voting against and Italy abstaining, a ban on high seas drift nets. The use of drift nets to catch tuna and swordfish will be phased out by 31 December 2001. The UK favoured a shorter phase out but several delegations were sympathetic to arguments for a longer one. The compromise of 3 1/2 years secured the necessary qualified majority and was accompanied by a commitment that in 1998 the number of vessels licensed to fish with drift nets in each Member State will be at least 40% below the number that fished in 1995, 1996 or 1997 in that Member State. In a joint statement the Council and Commission agreed to decide before the end of 1998 on compensatory measures to help fishermen adapt to the ending of the drift net fishery. The Commission proposal on drift nets has been on the Council's table since 1994. The UK Presidency made it a priority to reach an agreement in order to protect dolphins in particular and I am delighted that, after a long and hard negotiation, this has now been achieved. The European Commission introduced a proposal to strengthen fisheries monitoring, inspection and surveillance, together with an action plan for further improving enforcement under the Common Fisheries Policy over the next 2-3 years. In an orientation debate, the UK welcomed the prospect of more effective and consistent enforcement and called for an annual report from the Commission to enable the Council to review progress. As chairman, I concluded that there was agreement that the Commission's proposal addressed key areas where enforcement can be enhanced and a decision should be taken at the Council's next meeting in October. The action plan will be used as a framework for improving control standards. There was also an orientation debate on a communication from the Commission on options for the future of the Community's fisheries market regime. In a wide ranging discussion delegations, including the UK, generally shared the Commission's view that it is important to maximise the value of scarce fish resources, maintain competitive catching and processing industries in an increasingly global market and take account of consumers' concerns. Many delegations agreed that changes to both the internal and international aspects of the current market organisations are called for. The Commission will now take account of the points made in drawing up detailed proposals for consideration by the Council. The Council considered a communication from the Commission reporting on steps taken to follow up discussions by North Sea Ministers at a meeting in Bergen in 1997. The Council unanimously agreed conclusions stressing the importance of integrating fisheries and environmental policies and of making further progress in implementing the Bergen commitments. It also invited the Commission to provide a full report on further progress next year. The European Commission reported on preparations being made for the review of the Common Fisheries Policy in 2002. The Council had a preliminary discussion of the implications for fisheries of the reform of the Structural Funds under Agenda 2000. The Council also adopted a decision providing for ratification by Member States and the Community of the UN Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Species. This will in due course add the 15 EU member states to the list of countries which have ratified the Agreement. It will become law when 30 countries have ratified.

Date

11 June 1998

Reference

45615; 313 c658-9W

House

House of Commons

Donoughue, Lord

Statement on the outcome of the Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 18 and 19 December 1997. [HL 66]. - Includes figures.

Asked by

Lord Hughes of Woodside (Labour)

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

19 January 1998

Reference

HL 66; 584 c219-22WA

House

House of Lords

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Statement on the outcome of the Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 18th and 19th December. - Inc figures.

Asked by

Joan Humble (Labour)

Answering body

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

18 December 1997

For answer on

22 December 1997

Answered on

22 December 1997

Mrs. Humble: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 18 and 19 December; and if he will make a statement. [22179] Mr. Morley: I represented the United Kingdom at the meeting of the Fisheries Council in Brussels on 18-19 December, together with my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland. The Council agreed by qualified majority, with Ireland voting against, the total allowable catches and quotas to apply in 1998 in Community waters. Throughout the negotiations I stressed the need to be guided by the advice of the scientists and to be cautious in our management of fish stocks while at the same time taking account of the practical realities and economic needs of fishermen. I believe that the final package struck that balance. In order to conserve stocks, TACs were reduced where necessary. In other cases, where the state of stocks justified it, TACs were increased. At the end of the negotiations, the total UK quotas agreed for the stocks of most importance to our fishermen were some 26,000 tonnes higher in cod equivalent terms than the quotas being discussed at the start of the negotiations. This increase is worth approximately £11 million to the industry and means our total quotas in cod equivalent terms for these stocks are five per cent. above the 1997 level. Higher quotas for some stocks combined with the fleet reductions which have been taking place should increase the profitability of our fishermen. I invoked the Hague Preference on all stocks where it was necessary to do so. I am very pleased to say that the agreement included a new TAC for sandeels and new allocations for five other North Sea stocks. These new controls will limit uptake in some sensitive fisheries and their establishment represents a significant advance in conservation. Moreover, I secured changes which greatly improved the UK's share of the TACs for North Sea sprat and herring by-catches. As well as for the first time introducing a catch limit on sandeels in the North Sea, the Council agreed further restrictions on industrial fisheries by reducing the TAC set for herring by-catches in industrial fisheries. The Council did not agree the new North Sea TACs proposed for anglerfish, megrim, turbot, mixed flatfish, and skates and rays. It did, however, make a commitment to reach agreement on these TACs by 30 March 1998 and, in order to avoid irresponsible fishing, the Council and Commission agreed our suggestion that no fish caught after 1 January 1998 will count towards track records under the new TACs. Within the package there was agreement to the allocation of the Western waters horse mackerel TAC in which I secured an increase in the UK's share from 8.28 per cent. to 9.81 per cent. I also succeeded in securing an increase to 22.9 per cent. as the United Kingdom's share of the TAC for Atlanto-Scandian herring. This will replace the 19,85 per cent. share imposed on the UK at the April Fisheries Council. The Council agreed unanimously to access and quota arrangements for 1998 with neighbouring non-Member States. Declines in the stocks managed by Norway mean that Community and UK fishing opportunities have been reduced at North Norway. We have, however, retained our quotas in Faroese, Greenland and Iceland waters at the same levels as in 1997. The Council also agreed unanimously to the allocation of the Community's 1998 quotas in the waters covered by the North-West Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, together with technical conservation and control measures applicable to those waters, and to the allocation of the Community's redfish quota in the waters covered by the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission, together with management measures for those waters. In order to implement commitments made in the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, the Council agreed unanimously to the introduction of TACs for bluefin tuna and swordfish. The Commission presented a paper reviewing the marketing of fisheries products which will be discussed during the UK Presidency next year.

Date

22 December 1997

Reference

22179; 303 c493-4W

House

House of Commons

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