HC Deb 28 January 1980 vol 977 cc492-3W
Mr. Beith

asked the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (1) why his Department has denied that inter-departmental discussions designed to lead to new legislation on coastal salmon fishing are taking place when these discussions were referred to by the Minister of State, Scottish Office in another place on 23 January;

  1. (2) whether he has any plans to alter the present provisions for licensed drift-net fishing of salmon off the Northumberland coast;
  2. (3) what is the scope of the interdepartmental discussions on English salmon fisheries, to which the Minister of State, Scottish office, referred in another place on 23 January.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

Coastal salmon fishing has been the subject of discussions between my Department and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland in the recent past, and these discussions are likely to be resumed in due course. They relate to the prevention of illegal fishing for salmon, and to the scientific assessment of salmon stocks and conservation needs. They are not designed to lead to new legislation, but may point to a need for it. The occurrence of these discussions has not been denied by my Department.

All methods of catching salmon, including drift netting, are under consideration within my Department in the context of a general review of salmon protection policy.