PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
SPANISH FISHERMEN AND DAYS-AT-SEA REGULATIONS (21 July 1993)

That this House congratulates the Cook Report team for exposing, in the face of extreme violence, the illegal activities of Spanish pirate fishermen, some operating British-registered fishing vessels licensed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to fish in British waters on United Kingdom quota, activities which included landing undersized fish, using illegally small mesh nets and landing well in excess of quota; condemns the Spanish Government for its failure to enforce EC regulations; calls upon the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to revoke the fishing licences of those Spanish-owned but British-registered vessels which have flagrantly breached EC regulations designed to conserve fishing stocks and to demand effective enforcement action by the Spanish Government; and believes that until there is uniform, effective enforcement of conservation measures throughout the Community it would be totally discriminatory even to consider bringing in days at sea regulations for British fishermen.

Sponsored by:
Nick Ainger (Labour)