§ Mr. Monroasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken so far in 1976 to prevent the illegal drift netting for salmon off the Scottish coast; how many prosecutions have been undertaken; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Hugh D. BrownThe deployment of my right hon. Friend's Department's fishery protection vessels has been adjusted throughout the season to include surveillance of areas where drift netting for salmon might occur. For part of the season a fast launch was allocated exclusively to this work. The Department's Sea Fisheries Inspectorate inspects as large a proportion as possible of landings of fish at recognised fishing ports. The Department's staff have not themselves witnessed any fishermen using a drift net to catch salmon or landing salmon illegally, but there has been one346W recent prosecution instigated by other authorities.
During the coming months the Department will he reviewing arrangements for the enforcement of the relevant legislation in collaboration with the other authorities concerned.