§ Mr. Soamesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ban the netting of salmon off the coast of Northumberland.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe future of the English north-east coast salmon fishery was discussed in our 1981 consultation paper on the review of inland and coastal fisheries in England and Wales. In that paper we said that this fishery should neither be closed nor phased out and no evidence has since been produced to cause us to modify that view. However, last year officials were asked to carry out a further examination of the effects of the fishery and on the basis of that examination I and my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State at the Scottish Office are reviewing the management arrangements. We shall announce our conclusions when we have completed our review.