HC Deb 01 April 1996 vol 275 c66W
Mr. Peter Robinson

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 29 January,Official Report, column 525, what assessment he has made of how many of the ponds comply with (a) the fishery protection measures of the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 and (b) the provisions governing the installation of grids, grills and lattices. [21807]

Mr. Ancram

All the ponds have been assessed for compliance with the fishery protection measures of the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966. Compliance with the requirement for the installation of grids, grills and lattices is monitored by staff of the Fisheries Conservancy Board for Northern Ireland during routine river patrols, but as this requirement applies only in situations where water is abstracted and returned to a river very few of the ponds would be subject to it. The Fisheries Conservancy Board does not require access to pond sites to undertake this monitoring nor does it have statutory responsibility for fish culture requiring such access.