Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to secure the salmonoid and coarse fish stocks in England and Wales against predation by cormorants and goosanders; and what consideration they have given to amending the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 for this purpose.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Government recognises the impact that fish-eating birds, such as cormorants and goosanders, can have on fish populations. Currently, Natural England can grant licences to shoot a limited number of cormorants and goosanders to prevent serious damage to inland fisheries, where it can be shown that non-lethal measures are failing to manage predation. In the case of cormorants, up to 3000 birds may be licensed to be shot each year. To improve the effectiveness of both non-lethal and lethal measures, Natural England encourages fisheries within the same river-catchment area to cooperate as part of an area-based licensing scheme.

The Environment Agency also supports the employment of Fishery Management Advisers, who provide practical support to angling clubs and fisheries about protecting fish from cormorants and goosanders.

Working together, Natural England and the Environment Agency help fisheries effectively manage predation problems without irreversibly harming the conservation status of these species.

The Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) continues to be effective at providing licensing functions to permit the control of piscivorous birds to protect fisheries and in that regard the Government has no plans to amend the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975.