§ Sir J. Langford-Holtasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the development and prospects of the fish farming industry.
§ Mr. BishopFish farming in the United Kingdom consist mainly of the production of rainbow trout in fresh water. The rapid growth of this industry over the past few years has demonstrated its commercial viability, and further expansion can be expected.
Salmon rearing in the sea has presented more difficulties, but is being undertaken commercially in Scotland on a small scale and some increase seems possible.
There are still serious technical problems in rearing turbot and sole, and considerable research effort is being devoted to them.
Production of other species such as carp and eels is negligible at present but, with exports particularly in mind, there may be scope for development.
The cultivation of oysters and other mollusces is, of course, an ancient industry, but new and improved methods are now available, thanks largely to the work of our scientists.
The overall picture is of an expanding and worthwhile industry, although it is unlikely to contribute more than a very 258W small share of our total supplies of fish in the foreseeable future. My Department continues to undertake a major programme of scientific work on fish farming and maintains close contact with those involved in the industry to assist them with their specific problems.