§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what work is being undertaken by his Department to assess the level of by-catch of small cetaceans in United Kingdom fisheries; and what measures are being taken to reduce this level.
§ Mr. GummerA national scheme to monitor accidental catches by fishermen of marine mammals will commence early next year. Fishermen will be asked to report details of such catches to fishery officers. The Fisheries Departments will be writing to all major fishery organisations, which have already been consulted about the scheme, to confirm the details. Special forms and identification booklets will be provided. The recent EC agreement to restrict the length of drift nets to 2.5 km should help to reduce the accidental catches of small cetaceans.