HL Deb 29 April 1970 vol 309 cc1036-7

2.38 p.m.

LORD WAKEFIELD OF KENDAL

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps are being taken to use old tyres to create artificial reefs in estuaries and other suitable offshore places in order to encourage feeding and breeding of marine life, as is being done in Australia, America, Japan and elsewhere to assist inshore fishermen to increase food production, and provide facilities for research.]

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, we are aware of the work done overseas, and we are doing some ourselves. Artificial reefs have been shown to attract fish, and old car tyres are a promising material for constructing them. However, the advantages have accrued mainly to sports fishermen. Such reefs have the disadvantage that they tend to obstruct commercial fishing by trawl. Artificial reefs could help the commercial fishery for lobsters, and it is with this possibility in view that Ministry of Agriculture scientists are setting up an experiment at Conway, using old car tyres.

LORD WAKEFIELD OF KENDAL

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that reply. May as much information as possible be given to this House, and to the public in general, about what is happening in connection with this kind of activity? Is it not fairly clear that if old tyres can be used for this purpose (and the British Isles would seem to be an ideally situated place for experiments and work of this kind) information about progress would be interesting?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, I am not absolutely sure that the timetable allows for extended debates on the use of old car tyres, and there are other ways of improving the fishing around these islands. Commercial fish farming is, I think, a much better way of considering this problem.

LORD MERRIVALE

My Lords, from the amenity angle, can the noble Lord say how attractive old tyres are as artificial reefs.

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, I gather that they rank fairly well with old buses and old cars.