FISH FARMING (Hansard, 1 May 1974)

§ BARONESS EMMET OF AMBERLEY
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ LORD WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, the Government's fisheries laboratories undertake a considerable volume of basic research into fish cultivation, including shellfish. In addition, the White Fish Authority receive grant aid from central funds for their development work on marine fish farming. A measure of assistance is available for the farming of freshwater fish for food and to fish farms in certain areas.

§ BARONESS EMMET OF AMBERLEY
My Lords, while thanking the Minister for that reply and congratulating the White Fish Authority on what they have done up to the present, may I ask whether the Minister is aware that the production of fish on a fish farm has no entitlement to be derated as is the case with agricultural food production?

§ LORD WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, the noble Baroness is perfectly right. I think I ought to point out that the Department of the Environment has looked very carefully into this matter and, 104 rightly or wrongly, has decided against a derating. I think that I am bound to say, in view of the volume of fish involved, that fish farms are not regarded as part of the agricultural industry and are not in the mainstream of food production. As the noble Baroness will know, agricultural farm derating is a very contentious matter so far as the community as a whole is concerned, but the Department of the Environment has looked into this matter very carefully and, as I said, has decided against making a change.

§ LORD HARVEY OF PRESTBURY
My Lords, will the noble Lord say how much is being spent on research on these important matters, and to what extent cooperation is taking place with Canada, the United States and the Soviet Union?

§ LORD WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, I cannot give the noble Lord any information so far as co-operation with Canada, the Soviet Union, and other countries is concerned, but I should naturally be prepared to find out what I can and to write to the noble Lord. The total cost of research and development is in the region of £400,000 a year.

§ LORD HALE
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that he has told us about the structure and the expenditure but nothing about the fish? Is he also aware that in Japan many thousands of tons of fish are produced every year, and that the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations have conducted an immense number of assisted experiments all over the world with a view to increasing production? When the noble Lord talks about the mainstream of agriculture, does that include frozen beef in the E.E.C.? One would have thought, on the whole, that fish would have been the first thing to be in the mainstream of agriculture. Will the noble Lord look into this and realise that it is of importance both from the point of view of food production and of biological research?

§ LORD WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, naturally I will take the advice of my noble friend and look into the matter. However, I think I am bound to point out to your Lordships that production does not exceed more than about 700 tons a year, and when the fish have been gutted the actual net gain does not amount to more than 350 tons.

§ VISCOUNT THURSO
My Lords, is the Minister aware that the harvesting end of the production of migratory fish is in fact derated? Therefore, how can he justify not derating the end which produces the increase in fish to be harvested?

§ LORD WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, I am not presuming to justify anything at all. I am merely informing the House that this matter has been carefully looked into by the Department of the Environment, and it has decided against it.

§ THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE
My Lords, would not the noble Lord agree that it would accord with the Government's stated policy of encouraging home food production in this country if direct encouragement were given to fish farming? If he cannot tell us now, would he find out and tell us whether any discussions have yet started with the power generating industry, since the breeding of fish in the warm water effluent from a power station at various points around Scotland has proved to be very productive? Could he also take note of another question if he cannot answer it now; namely, what help are the Government giving to the Torry Research Station at Aberdeen, and how far is that station involved in research in this field?

§ LORD WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, I will look into the matters raised by the noble Earl, but I must point out to him that I have already said that the grant so far in terms of research and development reaches a figure of something like £400,000. I will look into these other matters and let him know the answer to them.

§ LORD ROBBINS
My Lords, would the noble Lord elucidate a little further on what to me is still a mystery; namely, the criteria on which the Department of the Environment distinguishes between one kind of protein and another in deciding whether aid is to be afforded to domestic production?

§ LORD WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, that is a matter which I shall have to look into. I will let the noble Lord know the answer.

§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY (LORD BESWICK)
My Lords, I wonder whether it could be agreed that we have one more 106 question? We have given the matter of fish a long enough run.

§ BARONESS EMMET OF AMBERLEY
My Lords, knowing that he is sympathetic to what I am trying to put over, may I ask the noble Lord, Lord Wells-Pestell, to listen carefully to the next debate, when I propose to say a good deal about fish? I need not do so now.

§ LORD WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, I have known the noble Baroness for a good many years, and I always listen with great interest to what she has to say.