COASTAL STATES AND THE COMMON FISHERIES POLICY

Early day motion 747, tabled 5 February 1998 by Austin Mitchell (Labour). Signed by 45 members.

That this House, concerned at the failures of the Common Fisheries Policy, welcomes the Joint Position Paper developed by the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations and the Scottish Fishermen's Federation and endorsed by the All Party Fisheries Group; considers that its proposals for coastal state management and zonal management committees offer the best way to change fundamentally the over-centralised, lowest common denominator approach of a common fisheries policy which damages conservation and puts fishermen in intensifying competition with each other, rather than working together to protect and build stocks; urges that fishing policy be based on relative stability, sensible international co-operation and national conservation measures developed and enforced by the coastal states, on all vessels in their waters so as to reward those who co-operate to rebuild stocks by increased catches; considers that a system which involves fishermen in management and gives them a stake in their own fishing future is the best way forward to develop a fisheries policy to work for fishermen, protect the stocks and eliminate the follies of overfishing and dumping born of inflexible rules which bear no relation to local circumstances; and requests that fisheries ministers should meet urgently the two federations to make this strategy the centrepiece of the British EU presidency and of the negotiations beyond it, since reform of the cumbersome Common Fisheries Policy is essential and can only be achieved with the strongest possible backing from Her Majesty's Government.

Signatures by party: Labour 18, Liberal Democrat 16, Conservative 5, Scottish National Party 5, UUP 1.