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Foreign Fishing Vessels, Moray Firth

Volume 641: debated on Tuesday 30 May 1961

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24.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number and nationalities of foreign fishing vessels which have fished in the Moray Firth during each of the last ten years, the amounts of their respective catches in crans landed in British ports; and the value of each catch.

I shall, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the number and nationality of foreign trawlers observed fishing in the Moray Firth in each of the last ten years. Such trawlers are not allowed to land fish in the United Kingdom for a period of two months after being so observed, and I have no information about their catches.

Can the Secretary of State say why the Government continue to neglect the British fishing industry in favour of invasions such as those set out in my Question and in the very long table which will be circulated, especially in view of the restrictions on territorial waters imposed by foreign Governments on British fishing vessels?

STATEMENT SHOWING NUMBER OF FOREIGN TRAWLERS OBSERVED IN MORAY FIFTH, 1950–61 (Year ending 19th October)
Nationality1950–511951–521952–531953–541954–55
TrawlersOccasionsTrawlersOccasionsTrawlersOccasionsTrawlersOccasionsTrawlersOccasions
Total3615930200321653217229148
Dutch255535
Belgian3415430200301612616323140
French1311
Swedish111422

Nationality1955–561956–571957–581958–591959–601960–61*
TrawlersOccasionsTrawlersOccasionsTrawlersOccasionsTrawlersOccasionsTrawlersOccasionsTrawlersOccasions
Total34119201041790237912351865
Dutch552211
Belgian26111181021689237912351764
French22
Swedish1111

* To 30th April, 1961.