§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures have been taken over the last five years to assess the stock size of the basking shark in United Kingdom waters; and what the stock size is currently estimated to be. [31329]
§ Mr. BaldryBetween 1987 and 1992, the basking shark was the subject of a survey programme carried out by the Marine Conservation Society. The Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department monitored the very limited Scottish basking shark fishery while it was in operation, and collated data from other nations. However, no estimates of basking shark stock size were made, due in part to their erratic and highly variable appearances off western European coasts.