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Scottish Fisheries

EDM number 1097 in 1990-91, proposed by DN Campbell-Savours on 10/07/1991.

That this House notes the rampant level of misreporting in the Irish Sea by Scottish-based fishing vessels; notes that DAFS identified on the basis of witnessed activity in the North Sea four vessels which had misreported their operational area of activity; notes that the Minister informed the House that prosecutions were pending; notes that when prosecutions were finally brought 10 months later the offending parties were cleared due to a lack of corroborative evidence, one sighting being insufficient; notes that in English courts, unlike Scottish courts, one sighting would have been sufficient evidence for a successful prosecution; notes that the requests of English fishermen for prosecutions to be brought in the British court were never referred to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, despite his concerns over misreporting; records the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's admission that the 1990 track records were not a reliable basis for the allocation of entitlement; questions how, in the light of such a statement, the Scottish fishing industry is now able to challenge the United Kingdom fisheries department in respect of exclusion of the 1990 year from the sectoral track record, arguing that the failure to secure prosecutions demonstrates 1990 track records are valid as opposed to misreported; believes that for decades the English, Welsh and Scottish fishermen have worked harmoniously, respectful of each other's fishing traditions; believes that the actions of a small number of Scottish fishermen now endanger the livelihood of fishermen in the Workington constituency; and congratulates those fishermen who sit on the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's Area VII Advisory Committee for their patience.

This motion has been signed by a total of 1 MPs.

MPDateConstituencyPartyType
Dale Campbell-Savours10/07/1991WorkingtonProposed

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