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36 Clause 30, page 26, line 23, leave out from first "or" to second "the" in line 25 and insert "the inland water is one which consists exclusively of, or of part of, a fish farm and which, if it discharges into another inland water, does so only through a conduit constructed or adapted for the purpose.
In this section "fish farm" has the same meaning as in".
§ Lord BelsteadMy Lords, I beg to move that this House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 36. Section 30 of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 makes it an offence to introduce fish or spawn into any inland water without the consent of the relevant water authority. There is no right of appeal if the water authority says no. Although the Government recognise the need for Section 30, we consider that it represents a considerable and unnecessary burden for the general run of fish farms. We therefore have Clause 30 of this Bill.
However, we received representations that Clause 30 was a little more extensive in its scope than might be desirable for the protection of wild fisheries, especially when fish farms are in very close contact with wild fish, such as happens in sites using cages. The Government considered these representations very carefully and in their light decided to amend Clause 30 in another place. Amendment No. 36 narrows the exemption from Section 30 controls to those fish farms which are either not connected to another inland water or are only connected by a conduit (such as a pipe or a ditch) constructed or adapted for the purpose. This means that Section 30 controls will be retained on the introduction of fish or spawn into fish farms operating in cages or netted off sections of rivers or other waterways.
882 Moved, That this House do agree with the Commons in the said amendment.—(Lord Belstead.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ 8 p.m.