Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
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 Pollack compensation scheme, whether he made an assessment of the potential merits of compensating for shore-based supply chain losses as part of that scheme.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The direction given was to support those vessel owners that have been most impacted by the bycatch only TAC this year. As there is finite funding available, the pollack compensation scheme is focused on providing funding to vessel owners whose income is mainly derived from pollack and who made at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023 from pollack.
Shore based businesses, though not eligible for compensation, are still able to apply for grant funding from the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme, which provides funding on a first come first served basis.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which ports will be included in the Pollack Compensation Scheme; and how many vessels will be eligible in each port.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It is estimated that approximately 50 vessels will be eligible for the compensation scheme. The home ports of eligible vessels are being verified by MMO, and the majority are expected to be registered in Newlyn, Plymouth and Brixham. MMO will be reaching out to eligible vessel owners in the coming days, when we will be able to confirm the home ports of those eligible for the scheme.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he made an assessment of the potential merits of providing support to small scale fleets that follow a seasonal fishery and will not achieve the 30 per cent of landings value required by the Pollack compensation scheme.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The direction given was to support those businesses that have been most impacted by the bycatch-only TAC this year. As there is finite funding available, the pollack compensation scheme is focused on providing funding to vessel owners whose income is mainly derived from pollack and who made at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023 from pollack.
Pollack fishers who are not eligible for compensation are still able to apply for grant funding from the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme, which provides funding on a first come first served basis.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
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 his Ministerial Direction in relation to a pollack compensation scheme, published on 10 April 2024, whether he received legal advice on the potential for this scheme to set a precedent.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Legal advice was sought ahead of the Direction to provide support to commercially registered vessel owners who were reliant on pollack for at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023.
This is a unique situation; unlike other zero TAC stocks, there are some vessels that only target pollack, for whom a bycatch-only TAC could not help and whom are in some cases, highly dependent on pollack for their living.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the cost of the Pollack compensation scheme; and how his Department plans to fund this scheme.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Using MMO landings data from 2023, approximately 50 vessels would be eligible for the scheme. In 2023 these vessels landed around 220 tonnes of pollack, with a value of around £800,000. Compensating for 50% of the 2023 value would cost around £400,000. This data is being verified by MMO.
Funding for the compensation will be found from Defra’s existing budget.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels under eight metres in length are eligible for the pollack compensation scheme.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
According to the most up to date MMO landings data for 2023, there are 34 vessels under eight metres in length eligible for the compensation scheme. As there is finite funding available, the pollack compensation scheme is focused on providing funding to vessel owners whose income is mainly derived from pollack and who made at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023 from pollack. The MMO are currently verifying data and will reach out to eligible vessel owners in the coming days. Fishers who believe they meet the requirements of this scheme but have not heard from MMO by Monday 29th April 2024 should contact MMO by sending an email to UKFisheriesSupport@marinemanagement.org.uk.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels between 10 and 15 metres in length are eligible for the pollack compensation scheme.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
According to the most up to date Marine Management Organisation (MMO) landings data for 2023, there are three vessels between 10 and 15 metres in length eligible for the compensation scheme. As there is finite funding available, the pollack compensation scheme is focused on providing funding to vessel owners whose income is mainly derived from pollack and who made at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023 from pollack. The MMO are currently verifying data and will reach out to eligible vessel owners in the coming days. Fishers who believe they meet the requirements of this scheme but have not heard from MMO by Monday 29th April 2024 should contact MMO by sending an email to UKFisheriesSupport@marinemanagement.org.uk.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels over 15 metres in length are eligible for the pollack compensation scheme.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
According to the most up to date Marine Management Organisation (MMO) landings data for 2023, there are no vessels over 15 metres in length eligible for the compensation scheme. As there is finite funding available, the pollack compensation scheme is focused on providing funding to vessel owners whose income is mainly derived from pollack and who made at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023 from pollack. The MMO are currently verifying data and will reach out to eligible vessel owners in the coming days. Fishers who believe they meet the requirements of this scheme but have not heard from MMO by Monday 29th April 2024 should contact MMO by sending an email to UKFisheriesSupport@marinemanagement.org.uk.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels between eight and ten metres in length are eligible for the pollack compensation scheme.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
According to the most up to date MMO landings data for 2023, there are 11 vessels between eight and ten metres in length eligible for the compensation scheme. As there is finite funding available, the pollack compensation scheme is focused on providing funding to vessel owners whose income is mainly derived from pollack and who made at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023 from pollack. The MMO are currently verifying data and will reach out to eligible vessel owners in the coming days. Fishers who believe they meet the requirements of this scheme but have not heard from MMO by Monday 29th April 2024 should contact MMO by sending an email to UKFisheriesSupport@marinemanagement.org.uk.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will open a consultation into allowing insect based protein to be fed to poultry and pigs.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is committed to launching a consultation this summer on proposed changes to the livestock feed controls. These will include a proposal to allow insect processed protein in poultry and pig feed.