§ Mr. Onslowasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking, following the recent judgment in the case of Champion v. Maughan and Groves, brought under section 6(1)(a) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975, to consult individual water 194W authorities in England and Wales about such modifications of the provisions of this Act as may be required to allow them to continue to take effective action to deal with illegal use of fixed engines to catch salmon and sea trout, without prejudicing the lawful use of these means of fishing for non-migratory species.
§ Mr. MacGregorMy officials are in touch with the water authorities about the implications of this case.
§ Mr. Onslowasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he has yet received and collated the salmon and migratory trout catch statistics for the 1983 season from the water authorities in England and Wales; and when he expects to publish these figures;
(2) if he will undertake, when he publishes the 1983 figures of salmon and migratory trout caught in rivers in England and Wales, to itemise the catches made by commercial netsmen on a river-by-river basis.
§ Mr. MacGregorI expect shortly to receive the final salmon and migratory trout catch statistics for 1983 from all the water authorities. I propose to include a summary of these statistics in the "Sea Fisheries Statistical Tables" which should be published during the summer. I propose to publish later in the year, in the "Fisheries Research Data Report" series, the statistics of catches for 1983 of salmon and migratory trout caught in England and Wales analysed on a monthly basis according to the method of capture of the fish and, where this can be identified, the river in which the fish were caught.
§ Mr. Onslowasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he takes to satisfy himself that water authorities in England and Wales are carrying out their statutory duty to maintain, improve and develop the salmon fisheries in their areas; and what recent evidence he has obtained on the subject from each of the authorities concerned.
§ Mr. MacGregorWater authorities report annually to Ministers on the discharge of their statutory functions and we consider their reports. In addition, we have inquiries made about any complaint that is received regarding the way they carry out their statutory fisheries duties. Generally, I am not aware of any failure on their part to carry out these duties.