§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effect on the marine environment off the South Devon coast caused by scallop dredging. [41141]
§ Mr. MorleyPreliminary results from work conducted in 1997 off Start Bay and Salcombe indicate that in areas open to scallop dredging or other bottom fishing the seabed has a relatively uniform topography inhabited by animals able to withstand bottom fishing disturbance. Areas where that type of fishing does not take place have a wide diversity of habitats supporting animals sensitive to fishing disturbance.
It is not possible to infer that scallop dredging is the cause of the observed difference because we do not know the original state of the survey areas which are, in any event, subject to tidal effects, storm damage and other natural events.