Scottish Questions - Fishing

Scottish Affairs

04-Jun-2008

Mr. Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (LD): Does the Minister believe that the moratorium is legal? What steps are he and his colleagues taking to tackle that issue? More broadly on quotas, he will be aware that as a result of the climate conditions in the North Sea and of boats not leaving the harbour because of the fuel crisis, the east coast nephrops fishery in the Farne deeps is down 50 per cent. this year. Given those circumstances, will he give an assurance that there will be no reduction in quota next year?

David Cairns: Issues to do with next year’s quota have to be decided at the Fisheries Council. On the first point, the Marine and Fisheries Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Jonathan Shaw), has been in long discussions with Richard Lochhead and the Scottish Executive about ways in which these quota exchanges can be managed and carried out more professionally, but the reality is that to circumvent all of that with no warning and to impose a moratorium that is not universally welcomed in Scotland, let alone elsewhere, is deeply irresponsible.

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