THE POLITICAL DEBATE IN LONDON, EDINBURGH AND BRUSSELS

House of Commons

Hansard Written Answers for 10 May 2002 (pt 2)

Dolphins

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the results of her Department's surveys on board UK pair trawlers to establish how many dolphins were killed per 100 net hauls; and if she will make a statement. [49282]

Mr. Morley [holding answer 15 April 2002]: Observations by the Sea Mammal Research Unit during 2000 and 2001 were as follows:—

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD LINKED STATISTICS FILE - UNZIPPED FORMAT

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD LINKED STATISTICS FILE - ZIPPED FORMAT (Winzip8)

These figures indicate a significant problem in the bass fishery off south west England but not in other fisheries sampled. Those pair trawling teams monitored in the bass fishery caught dolphins at a rate a little in excess of one every two hauls. This is a cause for serious concern, and we have drawn the attention of the EU Commissioner and the French Fisheries Minister to it.

SMRU have also completed an initial trial in the bass fishery of special gear designed to allow dolphins to escape. Information on this will be published as soon as it is available.

WINZIP 8 © is available as a free download from http://www.winzip.com