§ 64. Sir H. BRITTAINasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can inform the House as to the number of oyster fisheries in the United Kingdom; and what, if anything, is done by his Department to encourage the breeding of this article of food?
§ The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Edward Wood)As the answer is somewhat long, I propose, with the permission of my hon. Friend, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ The principal oyster fisheries around the coast of England and Wales are those of the Thames estuary and the Swale, near Faversham, Seasalter, Whitstable and Herne Bay; the grounds off Suffolk and Essex in the Orwell, Colne, Black-water, Crouch and Roach Rivers; the Chichester and Poole Harbour grounds, and the Yealm, Tamar, Fal and Helford River grounds.
§ Experiments in oyster breeding have been carried out for a number of years at the Ministry's Shellfish Research Station at Conway, and for shorter periods in the Menai Straits and the estuary of the Exe. The results of these experiments have been communicated to oyster merchants and planters. I am sending my hon. Friend copies of detailed reports on the Conway experiments, and would also refer him to pages 111 to 117 of the Report on Sea Fisheries for the years 1919–1923. Further details of these experiments will be given in the Annual Report on Sea Fisheries for 1924, which will shortly be published.
§ For similar information regarding Scotland and Northern Ireland, I would refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friends the Secretary for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Home Affairs, respectively.