HL Deb 11 March 1985 vol 461 c108WA
Lord Melchett

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will ensure that people applying for a licence to kill cormorants to protect fisheries receive advice on the deterrence of cormorants as well.

Lord Skelmersdale

In England and Wales, the position is that deterrent advice is, and will continue to be, offered to applicants for licences to kill cormorants. In Scotland the situation is different. The cormorant problem occurs on river systems, and the use of deterrents would only serve to move the birds on to another part of that system. Normally, therefore, deterrent advice would not be offered and any application to kill cormorants would be considered on that basis alone.