Fish Farms (Hansard, 10 March 1994)

§ Mr. Beggs
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether all commercial fish farms have a consent to discharge.
349W

§ Mr. Tim Smith
All fish farms known to the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland hold current discharge consents.

§ Mr. Beggs
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how frequently river bed sampling for residues of chemicals in use on commercial fish farms is carried out.

§ Mr. Tim Smith
Discharge consents granted under the Water Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 for fish farms specify concentration limits for chemicals used in the industry. On the basis of the scientific data available on the chemicals used, there is no evidence to indicate that these compounds would accumulate in river bed sediments. The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland regularly undertakes biological monitoring of invertebrates at locations downstream of fish farms. To date there is no evidence from this monitoring to indicate any accumulation in sediments giving rise to stress in invertebrate populations. For these reasons it is considered that there is no need for river bed chemical sampling.

§ Mr. Beggs
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether inspections are carried out to ensure the safe storage and minimum use of chemicals, anti-bactericides and disinfectants regularly used on fish farms.

§ Mr. Ancram
Department of Agriculture officials carry out regular inspections to ensure the safe storage of chemicals and to monitor the use of chemical substances on fish. Fish farmers are also required to keep a record of chemical usage. Water discharge consents issued under the Water Act (NI) 1972 lay down the maximum discharge concentration of chemicals which may be discharged into watercourses. As there are no major fish diseases present in Northern Ireland, the use of chemicals, anti-bactericides and disinfectants is generally well below the maximum levels permitted by the discharge consents.

§ Mr. Beggs
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what evidence he has of a build-up of copper derivatives in river bed soils downstream from commercial fish farms.

§ Mr. Tim Smith
The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland is not aware of any use of chemicals containing copper in the fish farm industry in Northern Ireland. Monitoring of river bed soils for such substances downstream of fish farms is not, therefore, considered necessary.

§ Mr. Beggs
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how frequently samples of discharge into rivers/watercourses from commercial fish farms are taken.

§ Mr. Tim Smith
The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has a rolling programme for monitoring fish farms for compliance with consents granted under the Water Act (Northern Ireland) 1972. Composite sampling is carried out over a continuous period of up to seven days. In addition, discharges from fish farms are monitored annually on a selective basis employing spot sampling.
As part of the river monitoring programme undertaken by the Department in Northern Ireland, monitoring stations are located downstream of the vast majority of consented discharges. These stations are monitored on between four and 24 occasions annually.
350W