Written question asked by Candy Atherton (Labour) on Thursday, 9 January 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 16 January 2003. It was answered by Elliot Morley (Labour) on Thursday, 16 January 2003 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the trials into the use of exclusion devices developed by the Sea Mammal Research Unit to reduce the bycatch of cetaceans in pelagic trawl fisheries.

Answer: Ms Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the trials into the use of exclusion devices developed by the Sea Mammal Research Unit to reduce the bycatch of cetaceans in pelagic trawl fisheries. [90777] Mr. Morley: During March and April last year the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St. Andrews University made encouraging progress in developing and testing separator grids during their monitoring work on the seasonal bass fishery off South West England. Some further work was carried out in December 2002 to refine the gear but planned trials at sea could not take place because of an accident involving one of the vessels chartered for the trial. The trial will now be resumed in spring once the commercial fishery restarts in order to further refine the system and assess its suitability for protecting dolphins in the fishery.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 90777; 397 c732W;397 c730-1W
Session: 2002-03
Subjects: Cetaceans Fisheries Fishing catches Fishing vessels Dolphins Research Drift nets Sea Mammal Research Unit
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk