§ 52. Mr. IngramTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has recently received research reports concerning the effects of pollution on the stocks of fish in the fishing grounds off the west coast of Great Britain; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerThis Department has extensive continuing programmes of research into the aquatic environment and fish stocks in British waters. Reports of this work are published on a regular basis by the directorate of fisheries research at Lowestoft. The biennial report of the director of fisheries research and reports in the "Aquatic Environment Monitoring" series are available in the Library of the House. A recent report is aquatic environment monitoring report number 17, "Irish Sea Status Report of the Marine Pollution Monitoring Management Group".
The results of this work do not indicate that pollution has any significant effects on fish stocks in the fishing grounds off the west coast of Great Britain or, indeed, any British waters.