11 March 1997
By the Select Committee appointed
to consider Science and Technology.
ORDERED TO REPORT
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT
OF NORTH SEA FISHERIES
1. This Committee reported
a year ago on Fish Stock Conservation and Management (2nd Report 1995-96,
HL Paper 25), and on the failure of fisheries management
at UK, EU and global levels to be informed by scientific advice.
The Government responded in April 1996; as we said in our
4th Report 1995-96 (HL Paper 75), their response
failed "to convey the sense of urgency which the Committee
attaches to the problem of over-fishing".
2. We have revisited
this topic at a time of both heightened urgency and imminent opportunity.
On the one hand, a letter to Nature submitted in September 1996
and published on 6 February concludes, "Without a substantial
reduction in the rate of fishing, the North Sea cod stock may
well collapse" (Potential collapse of North Sea cod stocks,
by R M Cook, A Sinclair and G Stefansson).
On the other hand, fisheries and environment Ministers of the
member states of the North Sea Conference are to meet together
for the first time at an Intermediate Ministerial Meeting in Bergen
on 13-14 March, providing a golden opportunity for political action.
We hope sincerely that the Ministers will find the will to tackle
this increasingly urgent regional problem.
3. Sub-Committee I
took evidence at a single hearing from the Fisheries Secretaries
at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Scottish
Office, and from scientists from Imperial College. On the basis
of that evidence, the Committee authorised its Chairman to write
a letter to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and
the Secretary of State for Scotland. The evidence and the letter
are printed with this report.
