§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the number of licences issued under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to permit the killing of(a) cormorant, (b) goosander and (c) red-breasted merganser in (i) Scotland and (ii) the Tweed catchment, for each year between 1985 and 1991, to date, to prevent serious damage to fisheries.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe details are as follows for the period 1985–91:
467W1. The number of licences granted for one or more species in Scotland were:
Number 1985 (January-December) 59 1986 (April-June) 49 1987 (April-June) 44 1988 (February-April) 41 1989 (February-April) 37 1990 (February-April) 42 1991 (February-April) 50 2. The licences granted for one or more species in the River Tweed catchment were:
Number 1985 2 1986 2 1987 2 1988 2 1989 1 1990 1 1991 1 The Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) has been consulted in advance of each shooting season. It was agreed with them and fishery interests in 1986 that any shooting under licence of these species should be restricted to April-June which coincided with the peak period of the smolt run on which the birds predated. In 1988 relevant interests agreed that shooting under licence should be restricted to the months of February-April on the ground that it would be less cruel to shoot birds outwith their breeding and nesting season.
It was decided in 1989 with the agreement of the NCC that the number of licences issued for the Tweed area should be restricted each year to one. This policy gives the licensees, the River Tweed Commissioners, overall responsibility for the control of birds causing damage to fisheries in the area.
§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the number of(a) cormorants, (b) goosander and (c) red-breasted merganser killed under licence in (i) Scotland and (ii) the Tweed catchment for each year between 1985 and 1991, to date, to prevent serious damage to fisheries.
468W
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe details are as follows for the period 1985–91:
1. Birds reported killed under licence in Scotland.
Cormorants Goosanders Mergansers 1985 (January-December) 500 224 451 1986 (April-June) 134 194 263 1987 (April-June) 195 175 274 1988 (February-April) 221 429 204 1989 (February-April) 112 383 247 1990 (February-April) 335 673 421 1991 (February-April) 381 504 235 2. Birds reported killed under licence in the River Tweed catchment
Cormorants Goosanders 1985 19 — 1986 36 — 1987 29 28 1988 50 258 1989 5 30 1990 17 264 1991 26 164 No application has been received to shoot mergansers in the Tweed catchment during this period.