§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on why the common dog whelk has not re-established itself around the Isle of Wight since the banning of tributyl and the reasons for the differential between the island and other areas.
§ Mr. BaldryThe dog whelk is the most sensitive species to TBT contamination. Use of TBT-based paints on yachts until the ban in 1987 caused many populations to decline, especially in areas, such as the south coast, of intense yachting activity. Since the ban, there have been gradual improvements in water quality. However, the dog whelk has only limited ability to disperse and recolonise areas which were heavily impacted. Thus, it is likely to be some time before the Government's monitoring programme is able to demonstrate recovery of this species. There are surviving populations along the south coast of the Isle of Wight, but these have not contributed to any significant extent to the recolonisation of grossly affected areas. This is no different from the situation in other parts of the country where similar conditions prevail.