Common Fisheries Policy

Peter Aldous Excerpts

Thursday 14th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Richard Benyon]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right and that is one of the problems with the cod recovery plan. We want to see a much more localised management of the long-term management plans. I like long-term management plans because to an extent, although not totally, they take power away from politicians. The frankly ridiculous process we go through every December will become less of a horse-trading event if plans are written into a solid long-term process. That is why I am pleased to see this development in the document and that the Government’s firm views on this matter have been listened to.

[Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)]

I commend the commissioner for her statement and the Minister for his hard work on this subject. There are two scandals with how fisheries are managed in Europe: discards, which are now out in the open; and slipper skippers, that is, people who hold and trade quota and have no connection with the industry. What is he doing to address that elephant in the room?

[Richard Benyon]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that issue. I share his concern and with many issues relating to fisheries I always start by thinking, “I would not have started from here.” We have these so-called slipper skippers—although we do not have quite as many as are sometimes declared—because many of the trades of fishing opportunity were done privately. We have never created a clear right; we have created a deemed right of access to a national resource. That is why I hope that a rights-based management scheme, as I have outlined, will offer the opportunity for clarity. I believe the work we are doing in DEFRA and through the Marine Management Organisation to identify who owns quota will go a long way towards dealing with the urban—or aqua—myths about quota being held by football clubs and celebrities.