§ Sir Hector Monroasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice is being given to those fishing in the area where 80 drums of the agricultural chemical dinoseb were lost in the North sea from the Danish vessel Dana Optima on 13 January; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacGregorI have been informed by the Danish authorities that their search for the drums of dinoseb will continue during a five-week period beginning 4 April. They will be searching in an area bounded by two nautical miles either side of a line between positions 55° 33/' North 3° 03/' East and 55° 52/' North 3° 25/' East. I understand that two drums of dinoseb have recently been trawled up by the Dutch close to this area.
Meanwhile, marine scientists at my fisheries laboratory at Burnham-on-Crouch have calculated the likely impact of the dinoseb on the marine environment. Their calculations show that even if all the drums corrode and leak their contents in close proximity to one another, the concentration of dinoseb is likely to exhibit a toxic effect to marine life in only a limited area. Any toxic effects would be further mitigated by the relatively rapid dispersion likely to take place given the depth of water.
Furthermore, an assessment of the risk to consumers following consumption of fish from the area shows that, even under the worst assumptions, it is inconceivable that there could be any hazard to human health. The only direct risk to human health would arise if drums were landed on to the deck of a fishing vessel and then burst open, allowing deck-hands to come into direct skin contact with dinoseb.
As regards to fishermen, the Danish authorities say that they will be using equipment moving close to the seabed and have therefore requested fishermen not to use stationary gear in the area during the period mentioned. Apart from this, I have concluded that there is no longer a need to continue to recommend fishermen not to fish in the area. However, my Department's district inspectors of fisheries are issuing a notice to fishermen advising them that any drums of dinoseb recovered during trawling operations should not be taken on board fishing vessels or handled in any way, but should be returned to the sea immediately. Fishermen finding and discarding drums are being asked to contact the Flag Officer, Denmark, or the United Kingdom Coastguard by radio immediately and, on their return to port, the district inspector of fisheries giving details of their exact position.