DOLPHIN AND PORPOISE BYCATCH

Early day motion 973, tabled 13 July 2000 by Austin Mitchell (Labour). Signed by 153 members.

That this House recognises that certain fisheries in European waters are killing, as a result of incidental bycatch, many thousands of dolphins and porpoises; acknowledges that EU legislation requires that bycatch of cetaceans be monitored and addressed; is concerned that despite clear evidence of the incidence of bycatch, particularly in pelagic trawls and gill net fisheries; there has been very little action on either a national or EU level to effectively reduce the mortality of cetaceans in fisheries; understands that bycatch of some species greatly exceeds levels that could be sustained by the populations; therefore calls upon the Government to take immediate action to address known bycatch problems, monitor and manage fisheries effectively to prevent dolphin and porpoise deaths occurring and close problem fisheries where bycatch is not being reduced; and urges the Government to press for the institutional and policy changes necessary to achieve these ends through the forthcoming meeting of the parties to ASCOBANS and the current review of EU Common Fisheries Policy.

Signatures by party: Labour 103, Liberal Democrat 22, Conservative 14, Labour/Co-operative 6, Plaid Cymru 3, UUP 3, DUP 1, UKUP 1.