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6 Dec 2006 : Column 422W—continued

6 Dec 2006 : Column 423W

Mr. Bradshaw: Total allowable catches (TACs) are set internationally for a wide range of fish species around the British Isles. The TAC areas vary by species. However, the following table gives figures for TACs in 2005 and 2006 for a selection of those stocks for which the level of discards are recorded internationally, together with the UK shares of the TACs.

	2005		2006
	TAC	UK	TAC	UK
Cod
North Sea	27,300	10,631	23,205	9,037
West of Scotland and Rockall	721	433	613	368
Irish Sea	2,150	619	1,828	527
Channel and Western approaches	6,200	493	5,580	439
Haddock
North Sea	66,000	39,832	51,850	34,574
West of Scotland	7,600	6,127	7,810	6,294
Rockall	702	566	597	481
Irish Sea, Channel and Western approaches	11,520	1,152	11,520	1,152
Whiting
North Sea	28,000	10,444	23,800	9,162
West of Scotland and Rockall	1,600	917	1,360	780
Irish Sea	514	199	437	169
Channel and Western approaches	21,600	2,318	19,940	2,140

UK fisheries laboratories send observers to sea to record the quantity of fish discarded and retained by fishing vessels. Systematic data for a representative sample of the UK fleet is only available for some fisheries.

The following tables show estimates for the proportion of catch discarded for cod, haddock and whiting by the UK fleet in the North Sea during 2005. Corresponding figures for 2006 are not yet available as the fishing season has yet to be completed.

England—2005
Species	Percentage of catch discarded by weight
Cod	11
Haddock	6
Whiting	25

Scotland—2005
Species	Percentage of catch discarded by weight
Cod	15
Haddock	15
Whiting	49

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the (a) number, (b) total tonnage and (c) total allowable catch of vessels in each national fishing fleet in the EU in each year since 1985. [106777]

6 Dec 2006 : Column 424W

Mr. Bradshaw: Information on the number, total tonnage and total allowable catch of each national fishing fleet in the EU between 1994 and 2005 can be obtained from chapter 6 of the annual publication, “UK Sea Fisheries Statistics,” available in the Library of the House or online at:

http://www.mfa.gov.uk/statistics/ukseafish.htm.

Information prior to 1994 is not readily available and could only be produced at a disproportionate cost.

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of fish stocks of the main North Sea species in each year since 1985. [106747]

Mr. Bradshaw: Fish stocks in EU waters are assessed by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Scientists from the UK’s fisheries laboratories contribute to the undertaking of these assessments which provide estimates of the total weight of mature adult fish, that is, the spawning stock biomass (SSB). This is used as a measure of the overall abundance of a stock.

Estimates are available for cod, haddock, saithe, plaice and sole in the North Sea. The most recent estimates of SSB for these stocks are given in the following table:

SSB
Thousand tonnes
	Cod	Haddock	Saithe	Plaice	Sole
1985	118	239	160	344	41
1986	109	223	150	368	34
1987	102	151	150	446	30
1988	93	152	145	392	39
1989	87	122	111	415	34
1990	76	76	97	379	89
1991	72	59	93	341	77
1992	72	97	95	273	77
1993	75	130	103	239	55
1994	71	152	112	208	74
1995	91	148	135	186	59
1996	98	179	155	180	38
1997	85	193	197	186	28
1998	72	165	197	206	21
1999	69	118	207	155	42
2000	46	94	195	229	39
2001	36	235	216	277	30
2002	43	363	207	243	31
2003	40	356	241	246	26
2004	37	298	281	183	40
2005	36	256	288	193	38
2006	32	231	290	194	30

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