HC Deb 30 April 2004 vol 420 cc1346-7W
Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the lease of sea bed for fish farming. [167201]

Mr. Bradshaw

The Government's policy on marine fish farming is to encourage the development of viable, competitive and sustainable fish farming enterprises providing this can be done within a framework which protects the health and welfare of farmed and wild stocks. Central to that policy is the sustainable use of the marine environment and the prosperity of the economies and communities in associated areas.

Policy responsibility on the lease of sea bed for fish farming is a matter for the Crown Estate.

Ms Atherton

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will request that the European Commission conduct as a matter of urgency a study to establish for each EU member state, under the provisions of the new Regulation concerning incidental catches of cetaceans in fisheries; and on the basis of current fishing data, the number of vessels that will be(a) required to use pingers and (b) required to carry observers; and what proportion of national fishing effort in relevant fleets will be exempt from each of the above requirements as a result of the exclusions of vessels (i) smaller than 12 metres, (ii) smaller than 15 metres and (iii) using pingers. [168241]

Mr. Bradshaw

The UK has been seeking Community action for some time to address the accidental deaths of dolphins and porpoises from fishing activity. I am pleased therefore that agreement was reached on a new Council Regulation to address this problem at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of Ministers Meeting on 22 and 23 March. The UK would have preferred the Regulation to have been stricter in certain areas but the agreed Regulation represented a package that was acceptable to the majority of member states, in the light of available scientific data. The review clause in the Regulation provides the opportunity to press for further action to refine and target measures at other sectors of the fleet if justified. In these circumstances, I do not believe a request at this stage to the Commission to conduct a further study in relation to cetacean bycatch would be justified or successful.

Ms Atherton

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what proportion of UK fishing effort in fisheries under the provisions of the new Regulation agreed at the Fisheries Council on 22 and 23 March will be exempt from the observer requirement on the basis of the exclusion of(a) vessels smaller than 15 metres and (b) vessels that are using pingers; [168242]

(2) how many UK fishing vessels will be required to use pingers in gillnet fisheries in areas IV and VII under the provisions of the new regulation agreed at the Fisheries Council on 22 and 23 M arch, on the basis of current fishing effort. [168244]

Mr. Bradshaw

The Council Regulation laying down measures concerning the incidental catches of cetaceans in fisheries will require member states to design and implement monitoring schemes to observe bycatch on vessels of 15 metres or over. Such schemes need to provide representative data for bycatch in a range of fisheries. For vessels under 15 metres, members states need of take steps to collect data on incidental catches by means of appropriate scientific studies or pilot projects. The Regulation is not expected to enter into force until 1 July 2004 and the start date for the monitoring requirements will be 1 January 2005. The UK monitoring scheme will be designed in the coming months and I am therefore not in a position at present to provide detailed data on the coverage or otherwise of the scheme.

Ms Atherton

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government will(a) publish and (b) implement their Cetacean Bycatch Response Strategy. [168245]

Mr. Bradshaw

I shall be assessing the best way in which to take forward the UK Small Cetacean Bycatch Response Strategy in light of the agreement reached at the March meeting of the EC Agriculture and Fisheries Council to proposals for a new EC Regulation on bycatch.

Ms Atherton

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many UK vessels were fishing in the pelagic trawl fishery in area VII for bass during(a) March and (b) April on the latest date for which figures are available; how many of these vessels are being monitored for cetacean bycatch by onboard observers; how many are engaged in trialling bycatch mitigation measures; and if she will introduce emergency restrictions on this fishery unless and until effective measures to prevent cetacean bycatch can be put in place. [168247]

Mr. Bradshaw

A maximum of seven pairs of UK vessels were in the pelagic trawl fishery in area VII fishing for bass in March and early April. This has since dropped to one pair of vessels. Defra-funded observers have been onboard two pairs of vessels to monitor bycatch and one pair of vessels has been engaged in trialling mitigation measures sine December 2003 as part of Defra-funded research.

I do not rule out action to restrict this fishery but, given the involvement of other member states, Community action would be most effective means of addressing bycatch in this fishery. Consideration of emergency restrictions would be premature before this season's trials of mitigation measures have been completed and the results considered.