§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if his attention has been drawn to the indiscriminate use of the nylon monofilament gill net on the inshore fish stocks of the United Kingdom; if he will now introduce legislative and regulated control over its use; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will introduce a research programme into the use of the nylon monofilament gill net to establish the effects upon fish stocks in United Kingdom home waters;
(3) if he will seek to rectify the anomaly whereby nylon monofilament gill nets with a mesh size of 26 cm are still being used despite his requirement for a minimum landing size of 32 cm for sea bass;
(4) if he will consider advancing his timetable of legislation to establish a minimum landing size of 38 cm for sea bass and alter the mesh size of nylon monofilament gill nets accordingly; and if he will make a statement;
(5) what consideration he has given to a complete bar on the use of nylon monofilament gill nets; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithWe have received many representations suggesting that the use of nylon monofilament gill nets should be banned or statutorily 211W restricted in United Kingdom inshore waters. The available scientific evidence does not show that the use of gill nets constitutes a risk to the stocks of bass or other fish. We do not, therefore, have any immediate plans to introduce legislation banning or otherwise controlling the use of gill nets.
However, Government scientists are carrying out further studies into the use of these nets in inshore waters and we will consider whether action is appropriate when their reports are available. The first report is expected next month. This further work may demonstrate, among other things, whether statutory controls on the mesh size of gill nets are required. In deciding whether controls will be needed, we shall also have regard to the effects on the commercial fishermen who fish by this method.
We introduced an order last year which increased the minimum size of bass from 26 to 32 cm from 1 May 1981, with a further increase to 38 cm from 1 May 1983, in order to protect young bass in inshore waters and to help the stock to withstand any increase in fishing pressure. Our scientist are currently engaged on a programme of work designed to show the overall fishing pressure on the bass stock and to indicate whether further measures, or any modification of the minimum size provisions, are necessary to allow exploitation of the stock without endangering its future viability.