§ Mr. Beithasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to monitor the effect on the livelihood of fishermen on Northumberland of the recent increase and proposed further increase in the minimum length of lobsters.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithMy Department will continue to collect statistical information from the lobster fisheries in England and Wales which will enable us to monitor any changes in catch and effort, following the increase in lobster minimum size which will come into effect on 1 May 1981. As I said on 24 March, in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough (Mr. Shaw), we shall be looking particularly carefully at the economic situation of the industry before the proposed further increase in minimum size is implemented.
§ Mr. Beithasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effect of the 406W herring ban on the Longstone herring stock and of the effect of the fishing of immature herring in the Skagerrak on this stock.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithPreliminary indications are that the state of the herring stocks in the central North Sea, which includes the Longstone area, would not justify a resumption of directed herring fishing in 1981. A further scientific assessment of the North Sea herring stocks, including the possible effects on them of the Skagerrak fishery, is being undertaken shortly.