Written question asked by Andrew Rosindell (Conservative) on Monday, 5 December 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 7 December 2005. It was answered by Douglas Alexander (Labour) on Monday, 19 December 2005 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Albatrosses

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what penalties can be imposed on people who are found to be responsible for deaths to albatrosses in the waters around (a) South Georgia, (b) the South Sandwich Islands and (c) the British Antarctic Territory; and whether there are plans to change these penalties.

Answer: The incidental mortality of albatrosses and petrels in the waters of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) is now virtually zero, following a very successful campaign to employ effective mitigating measures on fishing vessels.Penalties do exist under the SGSSI Fisheries (Conservation and Management) Ordinance 2000, as amended, and the Falkland Islands Dependencies Conservation Ordinance 1975. These include a maximum fine of £250,000 for fishing vessels which breach fishing licence conditions, and a fine of £150 for those who kill, wound, capture, molest or export any native bird (including albatrosses or petrels). The latter penalty will be increased as part of the current revision of South Georgia legislation.Within the British Antarctic Territory, whose territorial sea lies within the Antarctic treaty area, penalties could only be imposed on UK nationals or those operating British-registered vessels. However, longlining vessels, which pose the greatest risk to albatrosses and petrels, are not permitted to fish in British Antarctic Territory waters. Penalties exist under the British Antarctic Territory Fauna and Flora (Conservation) Ordinance 1990. The maximum statutory penalty is £5,000. There are no plans to change this figure.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 440 c2468-9W; 36085
Session: 2005-06
Subjects: Conservation British Antarctic Territory South Sandwich Islands South Georgia Albatrosses
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk