§ Lord Mason of Barnsleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has estimated how many cormorants are wintering on United Kingdom fisheries; and what percentage are of European or foreign origin. [HL1640]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)We are aware that the numbers of cormorants breeding in Britain have risen over the past 25 years, particularly inland, albeit from a very low base. The number of cormorants wintering in Great Britain shows recent signs of stabilisation, following increases during the 1980s.
Defra (then Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) carried out a three-year programme of research to ascertain the impact of fish-eating birds on fisheries. The research covered the population and movement of cormorants, their feeding ecology, case studies of the impact of cormorants on fisheries and management methods. Among other things, this work concluded that cormorants were a problem for specific fisheries rather than a general problem. The results were disseminated to the angling and conservation community through a seminar in 1999. Copies of the research reports are in the Libraries of the House.
104WADefra's Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science is currently researching the potential use of fish refuges to reduce damage to inland fisheries by cormorants. The results should be known in September 2005.
In addition to the research reports the department produces an annual report on the number of licence applications under Section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 received and dealt with by Defra. This report can be viewed at http://defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countrysideivertebrates/Reports.htm