Asked by: Alison Seabeck (Labour - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2014 to Question 214438, when she plans to publish the triennial review of the Maritime Management Organisation.
Answered by George Eustice
The Triennial Review of the Marine Management Organisation is now in the final stages of the clearance process.
Asked by: Alison Seabeck (Labour - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the announcement by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) on 7 January 2015, on January 2015 catch limits, from which industry bodies the MMO received feedback; which fisheries representatives contacted the MMO; and how many members each such organisation represents.
Answered by George Eustice
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has discussed catch limits with representatives of the New Under Ten Fishermen's Association, the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, the North Devon Fishermen’s Association and many individual fishermen. The Government does not hold detailed information on the membership of these organisations.
Asked by: Alison Seabeck (Labour - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which fish species have been overfished in 2013-14.
Answered by George Eustice
In 2013, four stocks from over 100 were overfished as follows:
Stock Landings as percentage of quota
North Sea herring 100.2%
Celtic Sea sole 105.2%
Celtic Sea plaice 112.1%
Western Approaches plaice 118.7%
Data for 2014 are not yet available as international quota trading, which may be used to cover initial overfishing, is permitted until the end of January 2015.
Asked by: Alison Seabeck (Labour - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the UK's annual quota for skate and rays was in each ICES area in each year since 2000; and what the annual take up of the annual allocations by the UK was in each ICES area.
Answered by George Eustice
The UK’s uptake of Skates and Rays stocks is shown in the tables below. Information is based on figures held by the Marine Management Organisation, and all quota and catch figures are given in tonnes. Closing quota may be different from the UK’s opening quota allocation due to the effect of in year swaps or quota banked or borrowed during the previous year. Skates and Rays quota in the areas shown in Tables 2 and 3 were only introduced in 2009.
Table 1: Skates and Rays, North Sea (Areas IV and IIa EU waters) | |||
Year | Opening quota | Closing quota | Catch |
2000 | 3920.0 | 3920.0 | 1371.0 |
2001 | 3128.0 | 3128.0 | 1299.0 |
2002 | 3136.0 | 2331.0 | 1256.0 |
2003 | 2665.0 | 2655.0 | 1270.0 |
2004 | 2266.0 | 2266.0 | 1115.0 |
2005 | 2083.0 | 2080.0 | 824.5 |
2006 | 1770.0 | 1695.0 | 726.3 |
2007 | 1417.0 | 1019.9 | 706.1 |
2008 | 1062.0 | 766.0 | 763.4 |
2009 | 1096.9 | 756.7 | 662.4 |
2010 | 925.7 | 676.7 | 657.8 |
2011 | 945.0 | 870.0 | 772.9 |
2012 | 989.0 | 774.0 | 662.1 |
2013 | 891.4 | 807.8 | 800.0 |
Table 2: Skates and Rays, West Coast (Areas VI EU waters and VII EU waters, excluding VIId) | |||
Year | Opening quota | Closing quota | Catch |
2009 | 4070.0 | 4070.0 | 1924.7 |
2010 | 3460.0 | 3460.0 | 2260.2 |
2011 | 3287.0 | 3114.0 | 2028.8 |
2012 | 2873.0 | 2808.0 | 1999.6 |
2013 | 2587.4 | 2527.4 | 2105.7 |
Table 3: Skates and Rays (Area VIId) | |||
Year | Opening quota | Closing quota | Catch |
2009 | 157.0 | 157.0 | 161.9 |
2010 | 133.0 | 136.0 | 107.0 |
2011 | 147.0 | 162.0 | 149.3 |
2012 | 149.0 | 180.0 | 173.5 |
2013 | 135.9 | 127.9 | 109.8 |
Asked by: Alison Seabeck (Labour - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what international swaps were conducted by the Marine Management Organisation on behalf of the UK for (a) rays and skate and (b) plaice; and what reasons were given for the level and type of each swap.
Answered by George Eustice
During 2014, the Marine Management Organisation approved 26 international swaps of ray quota. A total of 326.5 tonnes of rays were swapped out for other species, and 75.6 tonnes of ray quota were gained through international swaps.
Some 220 tonnes of plaice were swapped out during 2014, across a total of eight transactions.
These international quota swaps were discussed with the fishing industry and approved in order to acquire stocks that UK fishermen wish to catch.
Each proposed swap is considered on its merits.
Asked by: Alison Seabeck (Labour - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the early year closure of skate, rays and plaice on the (a) economic position of and (b) effect on health and safety risks to English fishermen.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government is aware of the impact that closures have had on the local fishing industry. It is important that quota limits are not exceeded, in order to protect the long term future of the industry. Early closure is used only as a last resort.
Fishermen should not risk their safety, or that of their crew and vessel at any time. Safety must always be a vessel master’s priority, whether fishing, transiting or in port.
Asked by: Alison Seabeck (Labour - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to publish the Triennial Review of the Marine Management Organisation.
Answered by George Eustice
We plan to publish the Review by the end of the year.
Asked by: Alison Seabeck (Labour - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she was first made aware of the intention of the Marine Management Organisation to close the fisheries of (a) rays and skate and (b) plaice to under 10 metre boats.
Answered by George Eustice
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Farming, Food and Marine Environment was informed of the closure of the skate and ray fishery in areas VI and VII (excluding area VIId) on 17 October 2014. The closure of the North Sea skates and rays and English Channel plaice fisheries to under 10 metre boats was notified to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Farming, Food and the Marine environment on 27 October 2014.
Asked by: Alison Seabeck (Labour - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the level of funding needs for marine protected areas (MPAs) in British waters in respect of (a) appropriate habitat and condition monitoring and (b) enforcement of bylaw-protected components of MPAs.
Answered by George Eustice
Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee are responsible for advising and reporting, as appropriate, on the condition of features designated in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in waters for which the Secretary of State is responsible. Monitoring of MPAs is carried out as part of their statutory duty. The budgets provided by Government to Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee are allocated across a number of key work priorities, including MPA reporting and assessment. Responsibility for MPA enforcement rests with the appropriate regulatory bodies. Allocations of funding to enforcement activities are set out in respective corporate plans. The level of funding in future years will be finalised once budgets are confirmed.
Asked by: Alison Seabeck (Labour - Plymouth, Moor View)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects the condition report on the Plymouth Sound Special Area of Conversation to be completed; and what guidance her Department issues on how frequently such condition reports should be completed.
Answered by George Eustice
The last site specific assessment of the Plymouth Sound and Estuaries SAC took place in 2012. Natural England is currently revising its Condition Assessment methodology for Marine Protected Areas and plans to commence feature based assessments from the next financial year on a six yearly cycle.