§ Ms AthertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has received the results of this year's monitoring of cetacean by-catch; and if she will make a statement. [184227]
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§ Mr. BradshawAs I explained in the written statement that I made earlier today on this subject, I have concluded, in the light of results from this season's monitoring of the UK element of the offshore bass fishery, that current levels of bycatch in the fishery as a whole may constitute a threat to the common dolphin population. In the course of this research conducted by the Sea Mammal Research Unit on our behalf, 169 dolphin casualties were observed. It has also become clear from our research that exclusion devices which previously showed some potential in reducing bycatch are not currently sufficiently developed to reduce bycatch to more acceptable levels in the immediate future.
Community action to address this problem is needed. We will therefore be requesting that the European Commission introduce emergency measures to close the fishery while more permanent measures are developed. If the case for emergency action is not accepted then I will consider other options, including restricting the number of vessels allowed into the fishery and seeking a ban on pair trawling within 12 miles of the UK.