§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 13 February,Official Report, columns 480–81, if he will list each native oyster bed according to its size in (a) percentage terms, (b) tonnage terms and (c) square area in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) the EU ranked from largest to smallest. [15552]
§ Mr. BaldryI have been asked to reply.
In England and Wales areas which produce native oysters—O. edulis—and which will include in some cases more than one native oyster bed, are as follows:
Area Size in percentage terms Square area (km) Solent 38.00 93.00 North Kent Coast 30.50 75.00 Crouch 13.00 31.00 Poole 2.80 7.00 Portsmouth Harbour 2.50 6.00 West Mersea 1.60 4.00 Chichester Harbour 1.60 4.00 Langstone Harbour 1.50 4.00 Porthcawl 1.40 3.50 Percuil and Helford 1.30 3.00 Falmouth 1.00 2.50 Southampton Water 1.00 2.00 Roach 1.00 2.00 Swale 1.00 2.00 Milford Haven 0.70 2.00 Plymouth 0.70 2.00 Walton Backwaters 0.10 0.30 Butley 0.10 0.30 Medina 0.05 0.10 Truro 0.05 0.10 Information on tonnage of native oysters harvested from these areas is not available.
In Scotland the principal native oyster bed is situated in Loch Ryan and extends for some 9 sq km. In 1994, around 130 tonnes were harvested from this site. In Northern Ireland native oysters are cultivated at Strangford lough and Dundrum bay. The area of production is negligible and the quantity harvested is not available.
Information on oyster beds in other member states of the EU is not available