HC Deb 26 July 1993 vol 229 cc731-2W
Mr. Dafis

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many reports of by-caught marine mammals have been received by his Department under the voluntary reporting scheme since its introduction; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Jack

Since the scheme for voluntary reporting was introduced on 1 January 1992, there has been only one report for England and Wales which recorded the incidental catch of three common porpoises. Officials are at present considering how to encourage fishermen to report as many incidents as possible under this scheme.

Mr. Dafis

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what measures her Department will be taking to monitor the incidental capture and killing of small cetaceans in fisheries and to ensure that this capture does not have a significant negative impact on the species, as required under the EC directive on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora;

(2) what measures are being taken to fulfil the commitment made under the agreement on the conservation of small cetaceans of the Baltic and North seas to reduce by-catches of small cetaceans in fisheries and to prevent fishing gear being lost or discarded at sea.

(3) what measures her Department will be taking to meet the requirements of the resolution on harbour porpoises in the north Atlantic and Baltic seas, which was co-sponsored by the United Kingdom Government and adopted at the recent meeting of the International Whaling Commission, to (a) collect data on the by-catch mortality level of harbour porpoises and (b) to give high priority to reducing by-catches of harbour porpoises.

Mr. Jack

On 1 January 1992, United Kingdom fisheries departments introduced a reporting scheme seeking information from fishermen on incidental by-catches of marine mammals including the gear involved. The information from this scheme together with data from the 1994 project funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Department of the Environment, other North sea states and the EC to assess small cetacean populations in the Baltic sea, North sea and channel will help to enable us to make an informed judgment of the extent of fisheries by-catches of small cetaceans and the impact they might have on the species.

MAFF and DOE are also funding work into the use of sonar reflectors to warn cetaceans away from fishing nets. Discarding of fishing gear at sea is an offence unless undertaken in accordance with a licence under part II of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985.