§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made to maximise the effectiveness of measures to prevent the illegal taking of salmon at sea, in the estuaries and in the rivers in the light of the available resources; what progress is being made of his review of inland and coastal fisheries; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithOne of the principal objectives of our review of inland and coastal fisheries in England and Wales is to ensure that the fullest and most effective use is made of the resources available for the administration of the fisheries, including those concerned with preventing the illegal taking of salmon at sea, in the estuaries and in the rivers. The comments that we have received on our consultation paper have pointed to the complex factors that have to be taken into account in arriving at solutions. We are currently considering these matters and I hope that satisfactory answers will be found to these and to other questions that have emerged during the consultations.