§ Mr. Corrieasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if it is the policy of the Government that fish farming as a commercial activity should have an increasingly significant role to play in the production of a valuable source of food for consumption in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. BishopThe future development of fish farming as a commercial activity will depend largely on the interaction of market forces and on the solution of technical problems. In the view of the Government, however, while fish farming should be a worthwhile commercial activity, it is unlikely to make a significant contribution to our food supplies in the foreseeable future.
§ Mr. Corrieasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what increase there has been in the number of fish farms operating in the United Kingdom as commercial food producers between January 1970 and April 1975 and between April 1975 and May 1978;
(2) whether the fish farms that commenced operations between January 1970 and April 1975 and between April 1975 and May 1978 are principally or exclusively concerned with the production of fish for food.
36W(3) what proportion of the total output of farmed fish in the United Kingdom is accounted for by fish farms that started operation up to April 1975.
(4) if the growth of fish farming activity up to April 1975 has been reflected by a proportional increase in the demands for diagnostic services from the Government's veterinary and fish disease laboratories up to April 1975.
§ Mr. BishopThere is no central record of fish farms operating in the United Kingdom. It is clear that the number has increased substantially over the past few years, and current estimates put the total at about 400. Government work in connection with fish diseases, and particularly those associated with fish farms, has been increasing. Most of the new fish farms are believed to be producing fish for food.