Fish Farms (Pesticides) (Hansard, 27 June 1988)

§ Dr. Godman
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library a list of the pesticides used with the formal approval of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland on salmonid fish farms.

§ Mr. Michael Forsyth
[holding answer 16 June]: Pesticides require approval from six departmental Ministers acting jointly. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland is one of these. All pesticides approved for sale in the United Kingdom appear in the book "Pesticides 1988" copies of which are already in the Library of the House.
Records are not held centrally on the use of specific approved products on salmonid fish farms.

§ Dr. Godman
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library a copy of the regulations governing the use of the pesticide Nuvan 500 EC on salmonid fish farms.

§ Mr. Michael Forsyth
[holding answer 16 June]: Pesticides are controlled under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 made under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. Any product or substance used on fish farms and which is added to the water or given orally or otherwise for the treatment, control or prevention of ectoparasites however is regarded as an animal medicine and as such requires a product licence under the Medicines Act 1968. A copy of the Medicines Act is already in the Library of the House.

§ Dr. Godman
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research has been conducted, or commissioned by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland into the use of pesticides on fish farms; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Michael Forsyth
[holding answer 16 June]: No general research into the use of pesticides on fish farms has been commissioned. However, in addition to its work on the toxicity of Nuvan 500 EC to a number of marine organisms, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland marine laboratory, in conjunction with the university of Stirling, has studied the effect of Nuvan 500 EC on farmed salmon and the susceptibility of salmon lice to Nuvan 500 EC.