Written question asked by Paul Beresford (Conservative) on Tuesday, 26 October 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 4 November 2004. It was answered by Ben Bradshaw (Labour) on Thursday, 4 November 2004 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, pursuant to the Answer of 20th October, 425 c695-96W, on cormorants, what advice her Department has received from the Moran Committee regarding deterrents to predation by cormorants of fish stocks. - Inc ref to 'Cormorants - The Facts' and 'Protecting your Fisheries from Cormorants' on www.cormorants.info. (Holding answer 1 November 2004).

Answer: Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2004, Official Report, columns 695-96W, on cormorants, what advice her Department has received from the Moran Committee regarding deterrents to predation by cormorants of fish stocks. [194812] Mr. Bradshaw :[holding answer 1 November 2004]: The Moran Committee was set up in 1997 to provide a co-ordinated platform of organisations to address angling and fisheries issues. The Committee has recently forged links with other nature conservation groups such as the Environment Agency, English Nature and the RSPB in order to identify common ground on the bird predation issue and to ensure that a reasonable balance is struck between the need to conserve both fish and birds. The Group has also established a useful dialogue with Defra and CEFAS. The Committee has provided advice through producing leaflets such as "Cormorants--The Facts" and "Protecting your Fisheries from Cormorants". Further information may be found on www. cormorants.info

Secondary information