§ Mr. Pardoeasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what instructions were issued by his Department to fishermen in the South-West during the last month concerning the likely effect of chemicals on fish catches, and whether an emergency fishing safety zone was declared.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartFishermen were warned of the risk of trawling up drums containing chemicals and were asked to examine their hauls before taking them aboard, and to avoid handling any drums found. In the event, no drums were trawled up. It was unnecessary for an emergency fishing safety zone to be declared.
As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment said in a 208W statement to the House on 24th January, the dangerous chemicals in the "Germania's" cargo were virtually certain to have been burned before the ship sank, and the fish caught by our vessels were completely safe for human consumption.—[Vol. 829, c. 990.]