– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 17 July 1972.
I beg leave to introduce a Petition from the fishermen of Portsmouth and district and others. In this timely Petition, they state that there will be a speedy and ultimate depletion of the inshore fishing grounds of Great Britain causing hardship and ruin to her inshore fishermen and people as a result of joining the European Economic Community on 1st January, 1973, and through Her Majesty's Government's proposed abrogation of their responsibilities under the Fishery Limits Act, 1964, given to them for the precise purpose of their future protection.
There will also be a most inadequate naval patrol system for the protection of the six to twelve mile zone, the proposed six patrol vessels being a nonsense for so vast an area around Great Britain's whole coast comprising our rich outer fishing grounds and inadequate to control and supervise the Continental fishermen, anticipated because of their own barren fishing grounds caused by devastating fishing methods. Immediate action is essential for the continued supply of high protein food for our own nation and for the most vital preservation and maintenance of our own fishing industry.