Calshot Oyster Fisheries (Hansard, 10 February 1998)

§ Mr. Hancock
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his Department received the second application from Calshot Oyster Fishermen Ltd for extension of the Calshot Oyster Fishery Order submitted on 7 September 1996; and when his Department authorised newspaper advertising of it. [27377]

§ Mr. Morley
The application was received by the Department on 11 September 1996. Following preparation of the draft Order and map and consultation with interested parties, including other public bodies, my officials wrote to Calshot Oyster Fishermen Ltd. on 6 June 1997 requesting that it should be advertised.

§ Mr. Hancock
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what factors underlay his Department's decision to remove a discretionary area from the Variation Order for the Calshot Oyster Fisheries notified to Calshot Oyster Fisherman Ltd on 16 December 1994; and what representations he received in support of the removal. [27361]

§ Mr. Morley
The Department of Transport and the Deputy Harbour Master, Associated British Ports in Southampton, advised that the Calshot Oyster Fishery should not be extended into the Thorn Channel, a narrow navigation channel for large vessels entering the port of Southampton, because of the risk of small fishing boats interfering with safe navigation.

§ Mr. Hancock
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what correspondence his Department has had with objectors to the extension of the Calshot Oyster Fisheries since 1 June; what was the nature of the correspondence; what are the bases for the objections; and if he will make the correspondence available to the Calshot Oyster Fishermen Ltd. [27388]

§ Mr. Morley
The objections to the proposed Calshot Oyster Fishery (Variation) Order are primarily concerned with the potential loss of earnings, although there were also objections on the grounds that it would make enforcement more difficult and also to the principle of such fishery Orders.
My officials wrote to the 7 objectors requesting further information. Three replies were received, one of which was considered irrelevant. The two other letters contained a more exact figure of the potential loss of earnings as a result of the extension of the fishery. The author of one of these letters expressed the wish for it to be kept confidential whilst the other letter will be made available to Calshot Oyster Fishermen Ltd.