asked the Minister for Fisheries the unilateral action he intends to take to protect this country's fish stocks until such time as a permanent fisheries policy is finalised by member states of the EEC.

I am confident that a satisfactory conservation regime on an agreed Community basis will be maintained and that the need for unilateral action by me will not arise.

Surely the Minister cannot be serious. Is there not a great need for unilateral conservation action? Is the Minister aware that some of our fellow EEC members are using prawn nets for catching fish such as hake, plaice and whiting within six and certainly 12 miles of our coasts? How can the Minister justify this when he recalls that six months ago there was prohibition within 50 miles of our coast?

I said in my reply that a satisfactory conservation regime on an agreed Community basis will be maintained. The Community are being very progressive in this area. Regulations have been proposed by the Commission on mesh sizes which go even beyond what we would propose. We have no difficulties, therefore, about fitting into a Community regime and I hope to have such a regime in operation by mid-1978.

Is not the position in regard to white fish worse than it ever was?

It is a question of introducing very strict mesh size regulations.