§ Lord Moranasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in view of the threat to the genetic integrity of Atlantic salmon stocks in this country from escapes of farmed salmon, they will establish living gene banks for Atlantic salmon in order to preserve the genetic diversity of wild stocks, as is now being done in Norway.
§ The Minister for State, Scottish Office (Lord Sanderson of Bowden)I am aware of current concern in Norway about the effects on wild stocks of acidification of rivers, damage by the gyrodactalus parasite and escapes from its very large salmon industry.
Techniques of cryopreservation of fish sperm are now well-established particularly in aquaculture. Facilities for preservation and storage of genetic 252WA material are commercially available in the UK already. Studies are in progress on the nature and significance of genetic diversity of wild salmon stocks. Given limited resources, however, the best safeguard aginst unnatural genetic change is to ensure that wild fish remain numerous and therefore genetically diverse, in spawning rivers.
The possible use of gene banks to protect threatened stocks of wild salmon was discussed at the Sixth Annual Meeting of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) Council in June at a special session on the impact of aquaculture on wild stocks. The NASCO secretariat has been asked to consider possible draft guidelines for the establishment and, where these are established, the operation of gene banks and will also be obtaining more information on threatened stocks.
Details of current and planned research of genetic problems were given in my reply to the noble Lord, Lord Mason of Barnsley, on 29th June.
DAFS and MAFF will continue to contribute positively to international co-operation on the genetic impact of farmed salmon on wild stocks in the scientific work of ICES and in the European Communities' delegation to NASCO.