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Fishery Protection Vessels

Volume 228: debated on Monday 12 July 1993

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To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many (a) oral and (b) written warnings were given by Her Majesty's fishery protection vessels to (b) British and (b) foreign vessels in each year since 1982 and in the first three months of 1993.

Full details of warnings issued before 1988 are not available. Formal oral warnings which have been issued and recorded in Scotland are being replaced by written warnings. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland informal oral warnings are given for extremely minor offences and not recorded. Details of warnings issued to United Kingdom and foreign registered vessels from 1988 are as follows:

YearUnited KingdomForeign
oral Scotlandwrittenoral Scotlandwritten
198830991624
198930161848
19905483834
199190159361
1992481612248
199310158110

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many foreign fishing vessels were prosecuted as a result of actions by the United Kingdom's fishery protection force in each year from 1982 and in the first three months of 1993.

The number of foreign fishing vessels prosecuted as a result of actions by the United Kingdom's fishery protection force in each year from 1983 and in the first three months of 1993 is as follows. Complete figures are not available for 1982.

Prosecutions of foreign vessels
Number
198314
198426
198529
198638
198743
198855
198953
199035
199145
199228
19937

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are taken to check for secret fish holds when foreign fishing vessels are boarded by Her Majesty's fishery protection vessels; in what circumstances the ships' plans are inspected on boarding; and how many vessels in each year since 1990 and in 1993 to date have been unable to provide these plans.

Fishery protection officers check for any indications of secret fish holds as a matter of routine. Fish room plans are checked against actual dimensions where there is any suspicion of irregularities. At present records of vessels unable to produce fish room plans are not maintained.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what record is kept of oral and written warnings given by Her Majesty's fishery protection vessels to foreign vessels; whether such warnings are cited in subsequent prosecutions; and how many vessels and skippers given written warnings have subsequently been prosecuted for other fishing offences.

In the United Kingdom full records are kept of all written warnings and records of oral warnings are also kept in Scotland. Such warnings are cited in subsequent prosecutions wherever it is relevant and legally permissible to do so. Since 1991 after receiving a written warning one skipper of a foreign vessel has been prosecuted for a different offence.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what notification is given to (a) the EC Commission, (b) home Government and (c) EC fishing enforcement forces when foreign vessels have been successfully prosecuted for fishing offences in British waters; what control register of offenders is kept; and what report is made to the Department of Transport registration authorities when United Kingdom-registered foreign vessels are involved.

Upon completion of a court case against a foreign vessel the Commission and the home Government are notified by telex of the details of the case including the offence and the penalties imposed. This information is available to the EC inspectorate. Records are held of both offences and prosecutions.No report is given to the Department of Transport in respect of fisheries offences.