HC Deb 19 December 1988 vol 144 cc81-2W
Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the dumping of diseased salmon in the Highlands and Islands area.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

My right hon. and learned Friend is aware of current concern about possible environmental damage from dumping of diseased salmon.

Fishermen and fish farmers are responsible for the safe and environmentally appropriate disposal of any dead fish

Mr. Andrew Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list(a) the number of set-aside scheme applications received to date, (b) the number of farms affected in each region expressed as a percentage of the total and, (c) the number of hectares in each region affected, expressed as a percentage of the total.

Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many farmers in Scotland have applied for the set-aside scheme; how many hectares of land are involved; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

The information is as follows.

in consultation, as necessary, with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, river purification board or waste disposal authority.

Dead fish from fish farms or areas which have been the subject of an order made under section 2 of the Diseases of Fish Act 1937, in respect of a notifiable disease, must be disposed of within 48 hours by incineration or, if this is no possible, buried with quicklime. The current guidance of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, in its code of practice for notifiable diseases, is kept under review, in consultation with the industry and other interests, in the light of experience to date.