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

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of the report of Oceana UK Deep Decline in October, what proportion of commercial fish stocks currently have catch limits set at or below levels recommended by scientific advice.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We strive to improve the sustainability of our fisheries and publish an annual independent assessment of the outcomes of our negotiations to set catch limits with other coastal States. The Government’s independent report for 2025 (copy attached) found that 46% of all assessed stocks had catch limits that were set at or below the recommended scientific advice.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of the report of Oceana UK Deep Decline in October, what steps they are taking to ensure that North Sea cod is fished at sustainable levels.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to restoring our stocks to sustainable levels and supporting the long-term viability of the UK fishing industry. This is in line with our domestic and international obligations, including those of the Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement. We work with the EU and Norway to set annual catch limits for shared North Sea cod stocks, informed by the best available scientific advice on the state of these stocks. This is principally advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. The UK continues to lead the trilateral (UK, EU and Norway) cod management working group to further our joint understanding and collaboration on existing management measures, and to consider improvements or modifications which could provide additional protection to cod substocks.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of the report of Oceana UK Deep Decline in October, what steps they are taking to ensure that all commercial fish stocks have catch limits set that do not exceed scientific advice.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to restoring our stocks to sustainable levels and supporting the long-term viability of the UK fishing industry. This is in line with our domestic and international obligations, including those of the Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement. We work with international partners to set annual catch limits for shared fish stocks, informed by the best available scientific advice on the state of those stocks. This is principally advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of the report of Oceana UK Deep Decline in October, what consideration they have given to setting a legally binding deadline to end overfishing.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Fisheries Act 2020 contains a commitment to recover stocks to sustainable levels through the development of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs). We are taking this approach having learned from the well-intentioned but ultimately unachievable single deadline set out in the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy for getting all fish stocks to “Maximum Sustainable Yield” (MSY). Our FMPs allow us to assess the state of the stocks and set out a series of tailored and evidence-based short-, medium- and long-term measures to maintain or restore stocks to MSY.

Found: Springbank No relevant interests declared Lord Jay of Ewelme No relevant interests declared Lord Krebs

This inquiry will focus on drought management practices and policies and consider whether these are sufficient for responding to current and future droughts. The inquiry will cover impacts, monitoring, engagement and changes in supply and demand, aiming to identify opportunities for improved drought preparedness and response in England.