HC Deb 23 January 1984 vol 52 cc633-4 3.30 pm
Mr. A. J. Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed) (by Private Notice)

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the threat to fish stocks and marine life in the North sea from the loss of 80 barrels of toxic weedkiller from a Danish vessel.

The Minister of State Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. John MacGregor)

The information available to me is that a Danish vessel lost her deck cargo in rough weather on 13 January while steaming over a 30-mile stretch due east of Berwick-upon-Tweed and roughly half-way between the United Kingdom and Danish coasts. The cargo consisted of 80 barrels containing 200 litres each of an agricultural chemical known as "dinoseb". The barrels will almost certainly have sunk to the seabed. They are yellow and are clearly marked as a class 6/1 poison.

I understand that the Danish authorities are mounting a recovery operation but that the vessel equipped with the necessary detecting and lifting gear will not be able to reach the area until Tuesday evening or Wednesday at the earliest.

At this time of the year it is unusual for British fishing vessels to fish in the area. However, purely as a precaution, my Department is advising fishermen to avoid fishing in the immediate locality and to report to my district inspectors immediately if they have taken fish catches in the vicinity of the incident since 13 January.

It is hoped that all 80 barrels will still be intact, but even if every one of them has released its contents the chemical will almost certainly have dispersed rapidly and fish are likely to be seriously affected only in the immediate vicinity. The chemical is not bioaccumulative in fish flesh and it is extremely unlikely that any supplies of fish to the British market from the North sea would have been affected.

At this stage, I am not able to say why there was such a long delay between the incident and the information being made available to the international community.

Mr. Beith

I thank the Minister for his statement. Is he aware of suggestions that the owners did not report the nature of the cargo that they had lost, and will he look into that? Are the British Government helping in the attempts to locate the barrels? Are there any regulations that limit the carrying as deck cargo of dangerous commodities such as these?

Mr. MacGregor

The first point is a matter that we are investigating at the moment, and as it happens my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will be in Denmark later this afternoon and will be discussing the matter personally with his opposite number in the Danish Government. On the second point, we have not been asked to provide any assistance, but we should consider it if we were asked to do so. On the third point, there is a code laying down the rules for the carriage of dangerous goods under the International Maritime Organisation regulations.

Mr. Robert Hughes (Aberdeen, North)

I thank the Minister for the statement and for the assurances that the chemicals are not bioaccumulative in fish flesh. Will he make sure that the position is monitored carefully, on that score in particular? Can the owners or the skipper of the Danish vessel be prosecuted under the maritime regulations of which the Minister spoke? Instead of waiting for a request for assistance from the Danish Government, will the Minister make an offer of such fishery protection vessels as are available to assist? Has he considered discussing with the North sea oil companies what expertise they might have in sub-sea exploration to see whether they can help to locate the barrels? Eighty barrels represent a huge amount of chemicals, and that must be of grave concern to every one of us.

Mr. MacGregor

I understand and appreciate the anxiety. The advice that I have given is advice that was given to me by my scientific advisers about the chemical aspects of the matter. Prosecution is obviously a matter for the Danish authorities, because the incident involves a Danish vessel. It will, therefore, in the first instance be for the Danish Government to examine the incident and consider what should be done, but we shall keep closely in touch on the matter. The suggestion that we should make available facilities, including North sea diving facilities, will be discussed by my right hon. Friend the Minister later this afternoon with his Danish opposite number.

Mr. Robert Hughes

Was not the vessel loaded in the United Kingdom and, therefore, do we not have the power of prosecution?

Mr. MacGregor

We are considering that aspect. In answer to one of the hon. Gentleman's first questions, may I say that my officials are doing everything they can within our responsibilities about the incident, including keeping British fishermen fully informed of developments.