§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the wild bird species affected by the Sea Empress disaster in south-west Wales indicating(a) total populations estimated in the area in 1995, (b) his latest estimate of casualties caused by the spillage and (c) the number of estimated casualties as a percentage of the 1995 populations; and if he will make a statement. [25767]
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesThe latest estimated figures of wild bird species affected are shown in the following table. Only the largest colonies have been counted annually, and most of the breeding total figures were collated during the period 1987–95. The Countryside Council for Wales will be conducting surveys of breeding colonies this summer in order to assess the level of mortalities caused by the spill.
Species Breeding total Number affected (individuals) Per cent. Black-h-gull n/k 16 — Black-t-diver n/k 2 — Cormorant 254 pairs 21 4 Common scoter n/k (10,000) 4,704 47 Common gull n/k 2 — Curlew n/k 2 — Eider n/k 9 — Fulmar 957 pairs 2 <1 Gannet 26,277 pairs 3 <1 Great B-B gull 229 pairs 0 0 Great-c grebe n/k 3 — Great n diver n/k 7 — Grey heron n/k 3 — Guillemot 22,270 pairs 1,484 3 Herring gull 3,473 pairs 42 <1 L B-B gull 19,378 pairs 0 0 Kittiwake 3,647 pairs 8 <1 Mallard n/k 1 — Manx shearwater 155,000 pairs 0 0 Mute swan n/k 25 — Oystercatcher n/k 32 — Puffin 13,393 pairs 0 0 Razorbill 6,841 pairs 340 3 Red-b merganser n/k 1 — Red-n grebe n/k 3 — Red-t diver n/k 62 — Scaup n/k 2 — Shag 84 pairs 21 13 Shelduck n/k 2 — Storm petrel 3,500 pairs 0 0 Turnstone n/k 1 — Velvet scoter n/k 3 — Unidentified — 130 — n/k = not known (migratory).