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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the sea temperature bands required by each main species of fish in waters surrounding the British Isles. [130367] Mr. Bradshaw: The table shows the estimated temperature range associated with several important commercial species: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Common name Scientific name Temperature (oC) Range Cod Gadus morhua 0-20 Haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus 4-10 Saithe Pollachius virens Temperate Ling Molva molva Temperate Whiting Merlangius merlangus Temperate Monkfish Lophius piscatorius Temperate Salmon Salmo salar 2-9 Bass Dicentrarchus labrax 8-24 Dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula Sub-tropical Plaice Pleuronectes platessa 2-15 Lemon sole Microstomus kitt Temperate Sole Solea solea 8-24 Herring Clupea harengus 1-18 Mackerel Scomber scombrus 4-14 Sprat Sprattus sprattus Temperate Pilchard Sardina pilchardus Sub-tropical Sandeel Ammodytidae Temperate _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Note: References to temperate and sub-tropical in the table indicate that a specified range is not available in the scientific literature. While a change in sea temperature could affect stock distribution, spawning, migratory patterns and survival of very young fish, the effect of long term temperature trends on fish stocks is not easy to predict. Increased sea temperature has been linked to reduced recruitment (the numbers of young fish entering the population) in cold- water species such as cod, and improved recruitment in other species such as bass, but the factors influencing the survival of fish are complex and in many cases still poorly understood. For heavily fished species, fishing pressure remains the primary control on stock size but recruitment success also has a significant impact.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

130367; 410 c1193-4W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Fish Temperature Seas and oceans

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk