§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies he has carried out on the effect of the decline in krill on the world's whale population. [2590]
§ Mr. Ian TaylorI have been asked to reply.
The UK continues to play a leading role in research into krill populations and the likely impact of developing krill fisheries in the Southern ocean on the whole of the ecosystem, including whale populations, through the research programme of the British Antarctic Survey.
The two BAS programmes concerned with the question of population fluctuations in krill are:
- (i) Pelagic ecosystem studies, dealing with the question of sea-ice formation and the effect of surface sea-current systems; average annual expenditure amounts to £100,000 per annum, exclusive of infrastructure costs; and
- (ii) Higher predator, studies, dealing with the breeding success and diet and feeding habits of mammals and birds whose food chains depend to varying degrees on the krill population; average annual expenditure in this programme amounts to £100,000 per annum, exclusive of infrastructure costs.
Largely as a result of this UK research, fluctuations in the availability of krill to certain predators are now known to be related to two main causes. These are:
- (i) the extent of sea-ice formation in certain years, which impacts on the ability area to survive; and
- (ii) the effects of climate phenomena, such as the El Nino southern oscillation.
A further related impact is that of the breeding success of those species which depend on krill.