§ Mr. MacCormickasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for each year of the past decade, the estimated total catch of salmon on Scottish rivers by rod and line.
§ Mr. Hugh D. BrownThe rod and line catches for the most up-to-date period available in the returns supplied to my Department are as follows:
Salmon Grilse Total 1966 … … 64,208 8,474 72,682 1967 … … 62,898 14,450 77,348 1968 … … 45,675 6,701 52,376 1969 … … 42,754 8,090 50,844 1970 … … 46,247 11,548 57,795 1971 … … 40,220 7,875 48,095 1972 … … 49,165 6,285 55,450 1973 … … 52,500 9,433 61,933 1974 … … 49,767 9,042 58,809 1975 … … 63,118 9,866 72,984
§ Mr. MacCormickasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for each year of the past decade, the estimated total catch of salmon in the Atlantic Ocean by: (a) British and (b) foreign vessels.
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§ Mr. Hugh D. BrownThere is no evidence of British participation in Atlantic Ocean high seas fishing for salmon. The taking of salmon in the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean is the subject of international agreement so far as fishermen of the participating States of the International Commission for North-West Atlantic Fisheries and the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission are concerned. Catches reported by participating States, including in some cases salmon caught in coastal and inland waters, are recorded by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
For the most up-to-date period available they are as follows:
Year Tonnes 1966 … … … … 2,608 1967 … … … … 3,141 1968 … … … … 2,948 1969 … … … … 4,858 1970 … … … … 4,884 1971 … … … … 4,816 1972 … … … … 4,359 1973 … … … … 4,847 1974 … … … … 4,475 1975 … … … … 4,761 The international agreement prohibiting or limiting fishing for salmon on the high seas of the ocean came into effect on 1st January 1976.
§ Mr. MacCormickasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for each year of the past decade, the estimated total catch of salmon by net on Scottish river estuaries.
§ Mr. Hugh D. BrownIt is not possible except at disproportionate cost to differentiate between the net catches in estuaries and those in the rivers themselves. Information is, however, readily available, in the returns supplied to my Department, on net and coble catches of salmon in Scottish rivers including their estuaries. Details for the most up-to-date period are as follows:
Salmon Grilse Total 1966 … … 87,077 95,202 182,279 1967 … … 123,168 161,227 284,395 1968 … … 103,079 98,861 201,940 1969 … … 107,675 169,559 277,234 1970 … … 87,320 121,347 208,667 1971 … … 67,798 117,998 185,796 1972 … … 96,140 102,247 198,387 1973 … … 102,956 109,923 212,879 1974 … … 72,238 103,350 175,588 1975 … … 86,169 101,018 187,187