Salmon Fishing (Hansard, 17 July 1984)

§ Lord Gisborough
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Belstead)
My Lords, the examination by officials of salmon tagging, which I announced in reply to a Question from my noble friend Lord Ridley on 1st March, is being pursued in consultation with representatives of a number of interests, including salmon farmers and traders who would be significantly affected. A number of problems have been identified and are being investigated urgently.
The use of monofilament nets and drift nets for salmon fishing around the coast of England and Wales is strictly controlled by the water authorities. They have powers to make by-laws prescribing the type and construction of nets which may be used in their areas, depending on local circumstances.

§ Lord Gisborough
My Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister for that full reply. Would he agree that the maintenance of salmon stocks for anglers is vital for the rural economy in many parts of the country? Will he, in particular, look into the position of the Yorkshire Esk, where salmon have been virtually wiped out by armed and masked gangs of illegal netsmen?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I agree with my noble friend about the importance of preserving salmon stocks, which underlies his Question on the Order Paper. I do not think that I should give a reply to my 1333 noble friend's second supplementary question. I believe I am right in saying that a public inquiry opened on 9th July into the question of the Yorkshire Water Authority making a by-law on the Esk. My right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is in the position of having to give a final decision in the matter.

§ Lord Grimond
My Lords, can the Minister state the up-to-date position in Scotland? Will he tell the House what are the arguments for allowing monofilament nets to be used at all?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, so far as the first part of my noble friend's Question is concerned, which the noble Lord, Lord Grimond, asks me about, we feel strongly that the question of whether or not we can achieve a salmon tagging system is a Great Britain matter. I am happy to be able to report to the House that whereas, after I replied to my noble friend Lord Ridley on 1st March, working groups of interested parties were set up separately for Scotland and for England and Wales, those working groups have come together in a Great Britain working party. I am sure that this is the right way to proceed.
So far as the second part of my noble friend's Question is concerned, to which the noble Lord refers, I think I am right in saying that it is already unlawful in Scottish waters to fish for salmon with drift nets, of whatever material, set from a boat. It has proved difficult to enforce that ban, and my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland will be considering use of the enabling power in the Inshore Fishing (Scotland) Act 1984 to make an order prohibiting the carriage of monofilament nets in fishing vessels.

Lady Saltoun
My Lords, can the noble Lord say how many fishery protection vessels we now have patrolling our coasts?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I must apologise to the noble Lady; I do not have that answer with me. I wonder whether I may write to her on the point.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, the consultative paper on this subject was, I understand, published in July 1981—exactly three years ago. Can the noble Lord say when a definitive statement is to be made by his department on the question of tagging and on the nets, in view of the time that has passed since the report was published? Secondly, can he tell the House what would be the effect on fishing enterprises of banning these nets? I understand that there are complications here, and I should be grateful if he would enlighten us upon them.

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, if I may take the second point first, I have just replied to the noble Lord, Lord Grimond, about the situation in Scotland, which clearly falls to my right honourable friend the Secretary of State. As to the use of monofilament nets by those who are catching fish in England and Wales, this is really a matter for the water authorities. As the noble Lord will know, the Welsh Water Authority has seen fit, in parts of its area, to ban the use of monofilament nets in relation to salmon fishing.
1334 The noble Lord is, of course, absolutely right in saying that the Ministry of Agriculture reported on the matter of tagging in 1981. It is fair for me to say that it was not until last year that the salmon sales group of the former National Water Council came out with a definite recommendation for tagging. We really have tried to move as quickly as possible since then. I shall not go over the ground that I have explained in the last few minutes, but there is just one point that I should put to the noble Lord; I am sure that he is well seized of it. The really difficult point confronting us, and all the various salmon interests, is what on earth to do about imported fish, if one has tagging. It is this that we are very much hung up on at the present time.