Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
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 19 January 2017 to Question 908267, if she will publish a list of the fish stocks of UK interest for which total allowable catches (TACs) are set with advice on maximum sustainable yield (MSY) provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea; and how many of those TACs she expects will be fished at or below MSY in 2017.
Answered by George Eustice
The information is in the table attached.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the economic costs to the UK of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (a) globally and (b) in the Western Indian Ocean.
Answered by George Eustice
The UK Government has made no specific assessment of the economic cost to the UK of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing either globally or in the West Indian Ocean. IUU poses a threat to the economic livelihood for many countries with consequences for the marine environment. The UK fulfils its IUU obligations to prevent trade in illegally caught fish by prohibiting the import of fish from countries, identified by the European Union, as not supporting sustainable fisheries.
In 2009, prior to the implementation of the regulation, the European Commission commissioned an evaluation report on the expected impacts of the EU IUU Regulation on third countries. This report aimed to help third countries and the EU access the training requirements to implement this measure successfully, and is available at
https://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/sites/fisheries/files/docs/body/iuu_consequences_2009_en.pdf.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether fishing policy will be national or regional after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
We want to deliver a Brexit that works for the whole of the UK. We will work very carefully to ensure the right powers are returned to Westminster and the right powers are passed to the devolved administrations. No decisions currently taken by the devolved administrations will be removed from them.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the archaeological survey for Sutton Harbour in Plymouth will be allowed to commence.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The marine licence application has yet to be determined, but archaeological interests, including the need for any survey, will be considered as part of the Marine Management Organisation’s decision making.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the reasons are for the time taken by the Marine Management Organisation to process the licence application for the boardwalk development at Sutton Harbour in Plymouth.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The application for the proposed boardwalk development is currently on hold until further information is provided by the applicant, which is necessary to continue assessing the application to make a determination. The Marine Management Organisation continues to work with the applicant to ensure issues can be resolved in a timely manner, in addition to having sufficient information to allow a full assessment of any impact on the environment prior to determining the licence.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding her Department is making available to replace trees that die of ash dieback disease.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Forestry Commission provides advice to woodland managers about how best to manage and adapt to ash dieback, for example by planting a variety of tree species as diversity brings resilience to pests and diseases.
Support is available for some landowners for the replacement of infected ash trees with alternative species in woodland situations under the Countryside Stewardship scheme, subject to grant conditions being met.
The Government is not encouraging felling of large infected ash trees as they can survive dieback for many years. They continue to provide recreational and biodiversity benefits as well as a vital role in protecting our environment through use in flood control measures.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the Government's 25-year plan for the natural environment.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government remains committed to developing a long term, 25-year plan for the environment. Following the decision to leave the EU, we now have a fresh opportunity to shape a long-term vision for the type of environment we want in this country.
Developing our approach to the environment will need to be informed by significant input from interested parties across many sectors. Further information on the next steps and timings will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department is making on developing effective management strategies for Marine Conservation Zones.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government is committed to delivering a ‘Blue Belt’ of well-managed Marine Protected Areas around our coasts. Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) are given legislative protection under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. Under this Act, a consent or licence can only be agreed where there is no significant risk to the conservation objectives of the MCZ, except in exceptional cases and subject to stringent conditions.
Where fishery management measures are required, Defra is working with the Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities and the Marine Management Organisation to identify appropriate fisheries management measures for all Tranche 1 MCZs by the end of this year and, as a result, those site features considered to be at “high risk” are already being protected. For Tranche 2 MCZ sites, appropriate fisheries management measures will be identified by the relevant authority within two years of designation.
Asked by: Oliver Colvile (Conservative - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department is making on research on the production of diverse forage mixtures to optimise animal production.
Answered by George Eustice
Innovate UK, Defra and BBSRC are co-funding the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Innovation Platform (SAFIP), worth £90 million over five years with match funding by industry. There are a number of projects funded under SAFIP on the development of alternative and diverse forages to optimise the sustainability of animal production in the UK.