HC Deb 17 March 1994 vol 239 cc815-6W
Mr. Wallace

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and food in respect of how many licensing applications for marine dredging of aggregates her Department has commissioned research into the implication for fisheries of such applications in each year since 1989.

Mr. Jack

Applications for dredging licences are made to the Crown Estate, but the Department is consulted under the Government view procedure because of our concerns about the impact of dredging operations on the marine environment and fisheries. We look to licence applicants to produce a properly researched and comprehensive environmental statement in support of their applications and the Ministry's directorate of fisheries research has recently issued guidelines to indicate the range of issues which need to be considered. Copies of these guidelines have been placed in the Library of the House. In addition from time to time the Department's scientists carry out specific research of their own. Since 1989 they have initiated the following studies relating to marine aggregate extraction:

  • Migration of sole across Hastings Shingle Bank;
  • overwintering of crabs;
  • recolonisation of benthos in dredged areas;
  • the importance of Race Bank to the North Sea crab population;
  • physical effects on the seabed.

Some of the work is still in progress.

Mr. Wallace

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research her Department has commissioned into the implication for fisheries of the production application by the National Rivers Authority, Anglia, for a licence to extract aggregate from North Race bank—area 405; and when the results of the research are expected to be finalised.

Mr. Jack

To enable the Department to make its contribution under the Government view procedure on an application from the NRA to dredge sand from Race bank the Department has required a series of studies to be undertaken. These include a one-year programme of work being carried out by the Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies of Hull university under contract to NRA, in conjuction with MAFF scientists. Studies of the turbidity of the area to be dredged, the benthos and epibenthos and plankton surveys are all included. A series of potting surveys will be undertaken and two have already been carried out. Longer-term work will be undertaken on crab migration using tags and survey trawls will be undertaken of demersal and pelagic fish species.

Additionally MAFF undertook its own study of crab larval distribution in the southern North sea in July 1993 with particular emphasis on the Race bank and north Norfolk areas. Further physical studies by MAFF are continuing. These include current measurements, sidescan sonar, and underwater TV surveys of the benthos and epibenthos. We shall also be undertaking work on the particle size of sediments in the area.

Much of the work has already been completed and most of the outstanding results will be available later this year. In addition some of the longer-term work, such as the crab migration study, will continue to generate information over the next few years.