§ Mr. OlnerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make available the recent report, "Cetacean bycatch in the UK tuna driftnet fishery in 1995", to the Council of Fisheries Ministers meeting in April; and if he will be making recommendations to the Ministers on driftnetting. [24841]
§ Mr. BaldryThe report has already been made available to the Council of Fisheries Ministers and I intend to urge the Council to seek further ways of reducing by-catches of cetaceans in high seas driftnet fisheries while taking account of the effect of fishermen's livelihoods.
§ Mr. OlnerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he intends to review the current maximum lengths of driftnets in respect of the finding of the recent report, "Cetacean bycatch in the UK tuna driftnet fishery in 1995"; and what proposals he has to ban the use of driftnets; [24842]
(2) what response he has made to the proposals for a ban on the use of driftnets from the European Parliament and the European Commission; and if he will make it his policy to support an EU-imposed ban on driftnetting; [24580]
(3) what asssessment he has made of the scientific evidence for a ban on high seas driftnets. [24581]
§ Mr. BaldryThe current maximum length of driftnets permitted on UK and other Community fishing vessels is set at 2.5 km, in line with the precautionary approach and in response to United Nations resolutions. I am not aware of scientific evidence that justifies a different maximum length or a ban on the use of driftnets. I do not therefore 465W support the European Commission's proposal, but I do not think that means should be sought to reduce by-catches of cetaceans in high seas driftnet fisheries.