The Sea Fish Industry Authority (SFIA) is funded by a parafiscal levy which is also counted as a state aid. Its activities in promoting UK and regional fish are therefore covered by the provisions of EC Regulation 2468/98 and the Commission's Guidelines on State Aid in the Fisheries Sector. These state that promotion measures receiving financial assistance from a Member State must not be based around commercial brands nor make reference to a particular country or region except in specific cases where official recognition of origin for a specified geographic zone, or product or process is granted under EC Regulation 2081/92.

  This does not however preclude funding for work on regional and national quality improvement schemes and other areas where direct promotion is not involved and the Government's Policy Review of SFIA, published last October, recommended that the Authority give consideration to regional fish promotion bearing in mind the EC State Aid rules. Taking this, and the industry's views, into account the Authority decided to provide assistance to regionally-based fish industry organisations in order to encourage the raising of quality standards, the development of markets and added value.

  SFIA therefore initiated a scheme offering a limited amount of financial support and assistance in kind to organisations which meet certain criteria. In order to qualify the organisation must have broadly-based cross-sector industry support. It must also have access to other sources of funding, but will need some measure of industry funding in order to draw down SFIA's aid. Obtaining this multiplier effect for any SFIA contribution is an important benefit of the scheme.

  The emphasis is on projects to effect and promote quality improvement in both wet fish and processed fish projects. An important incentive in getting industry to work to achieve quality improvements is of course the prospect of improving their competitiveness in the market place, and an essential part of the projects is therefore promotion of such products to the trade and to consumers. For this to be effective it is obvious that reference will need to be made to the basis of the differentiation, whether this be a quality mark or some other type of identification.

  The organisation is required to submit projects for Seafish approval. As part of this process, objectives and targets will be agreed. Appropriate Seafish staff will work closely with the organisation in the planning and execution of the projects and results will be monitored in order to ensure that value for money is obtained. A detailed list of conditions has been drawn up which will ensure that tight control is kept over the projects.

  In order to ensure that SFIA cannot be accused of advantaging or disadvantaging particular regions it is aware that it is important to be seen to be even-handed and is therefore actively encouraging participation in the scheme by organisations from all regions. SFIA say that these projects will complement, but not duplicate, its promotion work and enable the Authority to engage with the industry in more depth.

DESCRIPTION OF UK FLEET

  3.1  The UK fishing fleet currently consists of around 8,300 vessels based at over 450 ports all around the coastline. It is estimated to employ nearly 20,000 people directly, including self-employment, share fishing and part-time working. The catching industry also generates shore-based jobs and helps support a substantial fish processing industry.

  3.2  Total landings into the UK and abroad were worth over £630 million in 1998. 95 per cent of the catch is taken by the 2,400 or so vessels over 10 metres in length. Of this aroung 58 per cent by value is accounted for vessels based in Scotland, 38 per cent by vessels based in England and Wales and 4 per cent by vessels based in Northern Ireland.

TRADE IN FISH AND FISH PRODUCTS

  3.16  The UK has a significant trade and fish and fish products. In addition to the normal trade registered through the ports, there are direct landings abroad by UK vessels. There is also some transit trade from landings by foreign vessels in the UK whose products are then re-exported. The UK is a net importer of fish in value terms but a net exporter in terms of quantity. This is because some imports are of higher valued processed blocks whilst exports include lower valued pelagic species. (See Table 3) The UK's main foreign markets are France, Spain, the Netherlands and Russia.

		Imports		Exports
Demersal and palegic fish		tonnes	£'000	tonnes	£'000
Fresh, chilled, frozen		280,060	349,646	213,973	336,413
of which salmon		12,844	30,349	45,168	113,344
Direct landings abroad		—	—	316,195	162,129
	Total	280,060	349,646	575,168	498,542
	Processed fish	161,909	357,351	51,551	140,583
Shellfish	Total	89,195	358,533	79,454	258,998
Total including direct landings abroad		531,164	1,065,530	706,174	898,123

  4.5  In 1998 there were more than 170,000 landings by over 10 metre vessels into UK ports and an estimated 500,000 landings by vessels under 10 metres. A total of 280, 060 tonnes of fish was landed with a value of £471 million. A further 361,000 tonnes of fish was landed abroad by UK vessels with a value of £162 million.

  4.10  During 1998 the UK control authoritites carried out a total of 65,680 inspections on land, 4,136 inspections at sea and made 34,225 sightings by aerial surveillance. A total of 1,446 infringements of European Union fiushing regulations were detected in respect of 810 vessels. During 1998 the masters and/or owners of some 173 vessels were prosecuted in respect of 258 infringements detected in that or earlier years.

RESOURCES DEVOTED TO CONTROL AND ENFORCEMENT

  4.11  The number of inspectors, fisheries patrol vessels and aircraft deployed on fisheries control and enforcement work in 1998 are set out in the following table:

	No. Inspectors	No. of Patrol vessels	No. aircraft
England & Wales	69	10	3
Scotland	74	7	2
Northern Ireland	13	2	0
Total	156	19	5