§ Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the annual catches of mussels from the Wash during the last 10 years;
(2) if he will publish in the Official Report the annual catches of cockles from the Wash during the last 10 years;
(3) if he will publish in the Official Report the annual catches of pink shrimps from the Wash during the last 10 years.
(4) if he will publish in the Official Report the annual catches of brown shrimps from the Wash during the last 10 years.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithSeparate estimates of catches of pink and brown shrimps from the Wash would be available only at disproportionate cost.
Catches of mussels, cockles and total shrimps from the Wash during the last ten years are estimated from the landings of each of those fish at Boston, Fosdyke, Kings Lynn and Brancaster, and, in addition, from the landings of shrimps at Wells. These are as follows:
316W
Tonnes Cockles Mussels Shrimps 1972 3,502 2,454 658 1973 7,123 2,629 903 1974 10,501 3,362 905 1975 8,181 4,242 1,046 1976 9,728 5,493 709 1977 10,306 9,410 569 1978 2,681 5,370 686 1979 1,079 2,970 541 1980 1,903 7,381 367 1981 (January-November) 2,396 1,357 616
§ Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied that the current levels of pollution in the Wash will not adversely affect the development of the Wash shell fisheries; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithI am advised that the pollution levels in the Wash should not adversely affect the development of the Wash shell fisheries.
§ Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his latest estimate of the number of fishing vessels fishing the Wash for shell fish and shrimp on an annual basis; and how this compares with the number of vessels five and 10 years ago, respectively.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe number of vessels fishing the Wash for shell fish and shrimp on an annual basis five and ten years ago can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. About 90 vessels fished in the Wash for shell fish and shrimp during 1981.
§ Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek to obtain Community funding for the development of domestic markets and export markets for Wash shell fish.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThere is provision for grants from national and EEC funds for improving processing facilities in order to secure wider markets and to improve the chatchers' returns from the sale of fish, including shell fish. The promotion of markets for the fishing industry is a matter for the Sea Fish Industry Authority, which is well aware of the importance the Government attaches to its marketing work.
§ Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the adequacy of the definition of the boundary between the fishery for which he is responsible and the Lestrange private fishery in the Eastern Wash; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe definition of the boundary between the Hunstanton (le Strange) fishery and the adjacent public fisheries was the subject of a Judgment of the House of Lords in 1978. I am aware of no developments since then which would call for the issue to be reopened.