HC Deb 26 April 1993 vol 223 cc283-4W
Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many grey herons were killed under licence in England and Wales in each year since 1988, to prevent serious damage to fisheries.

Mr. Soames

The information requested is as follows:

Number
1988 0
1989 0
1990 0
1991 5
1992 11
1993 11
1 Returns of action taken under licence still awaited, so figures may not be final totals.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice on non-lethal preventive measures is given to those applying for licences to kill grey herons under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, to prevent serious damage to fisheries.

Mr. Soames

All applicants receive a site visit carried out by the Agricultural Development Advisory Service which advises on the appropriate use of methods to prevent or deter herons from feeding at the site. These can include the use of physical proofing, such as netting over of small ponds, and the use of audible and visual bird scarers, including pyrotechnic devices.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many licences were(a) applied for and (b) issued under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to permit the killing of grey herons in England and Wales for each year since 1988, to prevent serious damage to fisheries.

Mr. Soames

The information requested is as follows:

Year Applications received Licences issued
1988 3 1
1989 3 1
1990 2 0
1991 1 1
1992 6 14
Totals 15 7
1 In two of these cases the applications were received in 1992 but the licences were not issued until January 1993.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence of serious damage to fisheries is required before a licence under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to permit killing of grey herons is issued.

Mr. Soames

Applicants are required to demonstrate that herons are causing serious economic damage to their fishery enterprise and that other methods of preventing or reducing that damage have been tried or are impractical.