§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the number of angler-caught(a) salmon, (b) grilse and (c) sea trout caught in Wales in each of the last five years; and what his estimate is of the number of each of these categories of fish taken by seals in Welsh waters in each of these years. [128855]
§ Mr. Paul Murphy[holding answer 3 July 2000]: In Wales in the last five years the number of angler-caught (a) salmon, (b) grilse and (c) sea trout were:
Declared rod catch of sea trout from Welsh rivers, 1995–99 Number 1995 10,754 1996 13,123 1997 13,914 1998 24,401 1999 24,629
Estimated number of grilse and MSW (multi sea wintering) salmon (corrected for under-reporting at a 10 per cent. increase) in Welsh rod catch, 1995–99 Salmon (MSW) Grilse 1995 1,491 3,070 1996 2,287 3,728 1997 1,119 2,865 1998 895 3,863 1999 1,065 2,339 An estimated 40 per cent. of salmon and 50 per cent. of sea trout are returned (1999 figures) by Welsh anglers. Official statistics and estimates of fish taken by seals are not maintained.
Responsibility for fisheries was transferred to the National Assembly for Wales from 1 July 1999 within the 12 nautical miles of fishing water surrounding the coast, as defined by the Government of Wales Act 1998.