§ Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent assessment he has made of the(a) age profile and (b) health of the stock of bass in (i) Area VII and (ii) all fishing zones applicable to the UK fishing industry. [144270]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 8 January 2001]: There has been no recent assessment of the age profile and health of the stocks of bass in Area VII or in other fishing zones applicable to the UK fishing industry. However, in the current year, CEFAS scientists will be contributing to the work of a new ICES Study Group on Seabass, under the chairmanship of Dr. Mike Pawson. In accordance with the terms of reference for this group, data from all 522W countries which catch bass in Area VII and in the Bay of Biscay and the North Sea, will be compiled in order to construct the age profile of bass stocks in these areas and, if possible, to carry out an assessment of their status in relation to safe biological limits. The first task will be to compile and inventory of the available data, which will be reviewed by the ICES Advisory Committee for Fisheries Management in May 2001.
§ Mr. Andrew GeorgeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the total UK sea bass landings were for each of the last five years. [144268]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 8 January 2001]: Fisheries Departments' statistics record landings of bass by the UK commercial fleet as follows:
Year Tonnes 1995 671 1996 579 1997 572 1998 501 1999 678 In addition, data from the CEFAS fishermen's voluntary logbook scheme, including some catches taken by angling charter vessels and private angling boats, but excluding catches taken by recreational anglers fishing from the shore, indicate the following further tonnages were landed.
Year Tonnes 1995 721 1996 918 1997 738 1998 576 1999 1,179 Comparable figures for 2000 are not yet available.