§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) whether the use of nylon monofilament nets are permitted in the freshwater commercial fisheries of Northern Ireland;
(2) whether he has considered a ban on the sale of wild brown trout in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. HanleyNo.
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the minimum size of each species of coarse fish which can be taken by commercial fishing engines from the freshwater lakes and rivers of Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. HanleyThe coarse fish species for which a minimum takeable size has been prescribed are:
658W
- (a) Pollen 19.5 cm (7½in).
- (b) Pike: 60 cm (24in) only applicable in Lough Erne.
- (e) Eels: 40 cm in all waters controlled by the Fisheries Conservancy Board except Lough Neagh where the mimimum size is 30 cms.
There is no mimimum size for eels in the waters controlled by the Foyle Fisheries Commission.
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what number of(a) salmon and (b) sea trout have been taken by nets in the River Dun in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. HanleyCommercial fishing for salmon and sea trout is not permitted in the River Dun.
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has as to at what age and what size brown trout in Lough Neagh reach maturity.
§ Mr. HanleyLough Neagh brown trout mature between their third and sixth years, with most maturing by their fifth year. Within this range there are differences between the sexes (females tend to mature later than males) and between different sub-populations of trout. The size at maturity ranges from approximately 20 to 50 cms.
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) salmon and (b) sea trout redds have been counted in the River Dun in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. HanleyThe counting of redds is by visual observation and numbers observed can be distorted by water and weather conditions. Figures for the years concerned were:
Salmon redds Sea trout redds 1981 Nil Nil 1982 Nil Nil 1983 4 N/c 1984 N/c N/c 1985 Nil Nil 1986 Nil Nil 1987 N/c N/c 1988 N/c N/c 1989 6 Nil 1990 16 Nil N/c = No count undertaken.
§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the minimum size of brown trout which can be taken by commercial fishing engines from the freshwater lakes and rivers of Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. HanleyThere is no minimum size of brown trout which can be taken by commercial fishing engines, but commercial fishermen cannot have in their possession for sale any trout of less than 30 cm (12 inches).