§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what research the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science has undertaken to evaluate the success of fish deterrent systems, with particular reference to bubble screens and acoustic devices in reducing entrapment; [5632]
- (2) What action the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science has taken to enforce juvenile protection zones for bass in UK estuaries; [5628]
- (3) what estimate the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science has made of the number of (a) juvenile and (b) protected fish killed each year by cooling water intakes at power stations; [5630]
- (4) how much money the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science has spent over the last 10 years on research into fish deterrent systems to reduce the loss of fish in power plant cooling systems; [5633]
- (5) what research projects the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science has undertaken into the loss of fish in power plant cooling systems; [5629]
- (6) what meetings she has held with (a) her French counterparts and (b) the US Environmental Protection Agency to discuss juvenile fish killed by cooling water intakes at power stations; [5627]
1084W - (7) what information the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science has collected on the number of coastal or estuarine power stations that (a) reduce their pumping rates to avoid killing fish and (b) use fish deterrent systems or acoustic devices. [5631]
§ Mr. MorleyThe development and testing of fish deterrent systems has been carried out by those interested in the operational side of power station cooling plants. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science has not therefore been directly involved. Neither are we aware of the extent to which mitigation measures are applied around the country. This is a matter for the power station operators themselves.
The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science has worked with staff of the former CEGB and the Environment Agency in monitoring fish impingement in a number of coastal power stations since the early 1970s. In general, this monitoring has indicated that the mortality caused in marine fish by power stations is small by comparison with the widespread distribution of these species and the overriding impact of natural mortality and additional fishing mortality.
In 1983, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science conducted an investigation to estimate the losses of commercial fish species (sprat, herring, cod, whiting, dab, sole and plaice) at Sizewell 'A' power station. These fish kills were calculated to the between 0.01 and 0.08 per cent. of commercial catches in the southern North Sea. A further study of the mortality of juvenile bass at Kingsnorth power station in the Medway Estuary in 1987–88 concluded that the mortality of first year bass during peak impingement in autumn and winter was around 15 per cent. of the population in the immediate vicinity of the power station. This is significantly less than the percentage of juveniles which die as a result of predation, disease and even starvation in their first winter. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science has since withdrawn from such monitoring.
To date, the Secretary of State has not held any meetings with her international counterparts about this particular problem.
The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science is not responsible for enforcement of the legislation relating to bass nursery areas. This is conducted by the Sea Fisheries Inspectorate, Sea Fisheries Committees and the Environment Agency.