§ Mr. Wolrige-Gordonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action has been taken by his Department in the past year with reference to researching into the sprat fisheries round Scotland; and what further information is now available as a result.
§ Mr. RossResearch has been largely concerned with collecting data on catch, fishing effort and age structure of the fished stocks to provide a basis on which to assess the sustainable yield. Available data does not suggest that the stocks in the Scottish East Coast fisheries are at present being over exploited. My Department has also collaborated with the White Fish Authority in surveys of unexploited resources on the Scottish West Coast.