§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he proposes to take for the long-term management of the bass fishery.
§ Mr. GummerOn 24 July 1986 I announced, in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Ives (Mr. Harris) at474W column 500 that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I were undertaking consultations on measures recommended by the Ministry's directorate of fisheries research for the management of the bass fishery in England and Wales. Those consultations produced a full and detailed response from both commercial and recreational fishermen.
Following careful evaluation of this response and further investigation by our scientists, my right hon. Friend and I have reached conclusions about the sort of measures needed to protect young bass, safeguard recruitment to the spawning stock and maximise yields to the fishery. Although alternative options have been considered, we are of the view that the general line of the approach recommended by our scientists is the correct one, with an increase in the minimum landing size for bass, together with the introduction of mesh size controls for gill and other specified nets and the closure of nursery areas.
Our conclusions are therefore that the following measures would be appropriate:
(i) minimum landing size
to increase from 1 January 1989 the national mimimum landing size for bass from 32 to 36 cmto prohibit from the same date the carriage of bass under 36 cm by British vesselsto ask the EC Commission to propose a corresponding increase in the Community minimum landing size(ii) mesh size controls
to prohibit from 1 January 1990 the use of gill and other specified nets with mesh sizes of between 60 and 99 mm by British fishing vessels within British fishery limits, south of lines of latitude drawn through Donna Nook in Lincolnshire and Havering Point, Cumbria, subject to an exception for certain types of net between 60 and 99 mm used to catch grey mullet in specified fisheries(iii) nursery areas
to establish from 1 January 1990 24 nursery areas to protect juvenile bass stocks, in which only fishing activities which are not considered detrimental to juvenile bass stocks would be permitted.The intention would be to apply the minimum landing size throughout Great Britain. The prohibition on the carriage of under-size bass would apply to all British fishing vessels. The mesh size controls would not be applied to waters off Scotland, north east England, Cumbria and Northern Ireland, where the numbers of bass taken are negligible. Within the area in which the mesh size controls would apply there would also be a ban on the carriage of gill and other specified nets with mesh sizes of between 60 and 99 mm unless properly lashed and stowed in such a way that they could not be readily used.
Full details of these proposals are being sent to organisations representative of the commercial and recreational fisheries and other interests and copies are also being placed in the Library of the House. Written comments are being invited by 31 May. My officials will be looking to discuss the local implications of the proposed measures, and in particular the proposals for individual nursery areas, in detail with representatives of local fishing interests before final decisions are taken.