§ Mr. Onslowasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from water authorities in England and Wales about river pollution caused by fish farming.
§ Mr. GummerTwo water authorities have made representations to my Department about river pollution from fish farms.
The Wessex water authority has expressed concern about the development of fish farming in its area and in 1983 called for all fish farm to be made subject to planning controls and water abstraction licensing and for controls to be introduced on the use of biologically active chemicals. In 1984 the authority sent my Department a report "An appraisal of the effect of fish farming on river quality in Wessex".
The Yorkshire water authority, in its 1985 annual report to Parliament, referred to pollution difficulties caused by the development of fish farming on one river in its area.
These concerns were also expressed to the long-term water research requirements committee, on which my Department was represented, by those water authorities and the scope for further research was reflected in its report "Water Research in the Longer Term" which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment published on 15 July.