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 publish the scientific (a) findings and (b) advice submitted by the Government to the International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas in respect of pollack in area VI(6) and area VII(7) in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

You asked if the Department will publish the scientific findings and advice submitted by the Government to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in respect of pollack in area 6 and area 7 in 2022 and 2023. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Department do not submit advice to ICES but rather collaborate with the ICES community to generate advice using the available evidence. ICES publish the information used in stock assessments on their website. Scientific findings from projects, such as the forthcoming pollack population size study in the western English Channel, are shared with ICES and published on the Department’s website.

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 Department's press release entitled Government announces next steps to support pollack fishermen, published on 23 February 2024, and the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science's invitation to commercial fishers to register an interest in the forthcoming pollack population size study in the western English Channel, published on 12 March 2024, what the (a) estimated cost and (b) planned timetable for the study is; and what plans he has to publish (i) analysis and (ii) a report of this work for the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

You asked for details (cost, timeline and publication plans) of the forthcoming pollack population size study in the western English Channel, published on 12 March 2024. The Department is not able to release the estimated cost of the study at this point in time. The indicative timeline of the study is as follows:

• 12 March 2024 – Opening date to register interest
• 26 March 2024 – Closing date to register interest
• 27-28 March 2024 – Application pack issued to those registered
• 10 April 2024 – Closing date for submitting applications
• End of April 2024 – Vessels selected and feedback provided to all applicants
• Mid-May (dates TBC) 2024 – Training for successful applicants
• Late May 2024 to February 2025 - Sampling programme duration

Once the data analysis is complete, the results will be shared with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and published on the Department’s website.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many studies the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science has (a) conducted and (b) completed using close-kin DNA analysis; and on what species those studies focused.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Close-kin DNA analysis is a relatively new scientific method for assessing the genetic profile and abundance of animal populations. While it has been used in fish populations elsewhere, including on thornback ray in the Bay of Biscay, the planned scientific study with pollack in the English Channel would be the first time Cefas have used it in the UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pollack otolith bones were analysed by his Department in International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas area (a) VI and (b) VII in 2021.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data is provided only for International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas Area VII. My department has not analysed pollack otolith bones from Area VI.

In 2021, 818 otolith bones were analysed by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pollack otolith bones were analysed by his Department in International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas area (a) VI and (b) VII in 2023.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data is provided only for International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas Area VII. My department has not analysed pollack otolith bones from Area VI.

In 2023, 643 otolith bones were analysed by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pollack otolith bones were analysed by his Department in International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas area (a) VI and (b) VII in 2022.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data is provided only for International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas Area VII. My department has not analysed pollack otolith bones from Area VI.

In 2022, 656 otolith bones were analysed by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pollack were sampled by his Department for (a) length and (b) sex in International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas area (i) VI and (ii) VII in 2019.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data is provided only for International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas Area VII. My department has not sampled pollack from Area VI.

a) In 2019, 6709 pollack length measurements were made by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.

b) It is not possible to provide data on sex as fish are gutted when sampled in markets and examination of gonads is required to accurately determine sex.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pollack otolith bones were collected by his Department in International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas area (a) VI and (b) VII in 2020.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data is provided only for International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas Area VII. My department has not collected pollack otolith bones from Area VI.

In 2020, 739 otolith bones were collected by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pollack otolith bones were collected by his Department in International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas area (a) VI and (b) VII in 2021.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data is provided only for International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas Area VII. My department has not collected pollack otolith bones from Area VI.

In 2021, 825 otolith bones were collected by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pollack otolith bones were collected by his Department in International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas area (a) VI and (b) VII in 2022.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data is provided only for International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas Area VII. My department has not collected pollack otolith bones from Area VI.

In 2022, 660 otolith bones were collected by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pollack otolith bones were analysed by his Department in International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas area (a) VI and (b) VII in 2019.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data is provided only for International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas Area VII. My department has not analysed pollack otolith bones from Area VI.

In 2023, 778 otolith bones were analysed by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pollack otolith bones were analysed by his Department in International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas area (a) VI and (b) VII in 2020.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data is provided only for International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas Area VII. My department has not analysed pollack otolith bones from Area VI.

In 2020, 732 otolith bones were analysed by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pollack were sampled by his Department for (a) length and (b) sex in International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas area (i) VI and (ii) VII in 2023.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data is provided only for International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas Area VII. My department has not sampled pollack from Area VI.

a) In 2023, 3726 pollack length measurements were made by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.

b) It is not possible to provide data on sex as fish are gutted when sampled in markets and examination of gonads is required to accurately determine sex.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pollack otolith bones were collected by his Department in International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas area (a) VI and (b) VII in 2019.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data is provided only for International Centre for the Exploration of the Seas Area VII. My department has not collected pollack otolith bones from Area VI.

In 2019, 781 otolith bones were collected by Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.