Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
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 28 September 2022 to Question 49115 on Fisheries: Quotas, if he will take steps to ensure that his Department does not set Total Allowable Catches limits which are in excess of those founded on available scientific advice.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The United Kingdom advocates an approach towards setting Total Allowable Catches (TACs) which is founded on the best available scientific advice and that will maintain or rebuild sustainable fish stocks and fisheries. For a number of target stocks a further key consideration when setting the TACs is their interaction with other stocks caught in the same mixed fishery. Therefore, we recognise the need to minimise unwanted bycatch and maintain stocks at sustainable levels.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will commit to setting fishing quotas for target stocks at a level which prevents accidental catches of bycatch species exceeding sustainable limits.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The United Kingdom advocates an approach towards setting Total Allowable Catches (TACs) which is founded on the best available scientific advice and that will maintain or rebuild sustainable fish stocks and fisheries. For a number of target stocks, a further key consideration when setting the TACs is their interaction with other stocks caught in the same mixed fishery. Consequently, we recognise the need to minimise unwanted bycatch and maintain stocks at sustainable levels.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in light of recent scientific advice published by ICES, whether the Government will (a) support a position of zero catch of blackspot seabream, (b) introduce additional unilateral measures for their conservation in UK waters and (c) introduce closures to protect spawning sites.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
Blackspot seabream (western red seabream) is recognised as seriously depleted by the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The recent catch advice issued by ICES, for zero catches of blackspot seabream, will form a central part of the UK position for this stock for the forthcoming consultations. This approach is consistent with the UK’s commitments to make the best use of scientific advice for the management of fishing activities. Blackspot seabream is a shared stock with the EU. The UK and EU are developing improved management measures to support its long-term recovery through the Specialised Committee on Fisheries.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which species the UK considers to be forage fish; and whether the Government will adopt a more precautionary approach to the management of the species based on their wider ecological importance.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
Forage fish are important to the ecosystem as they provide food for predator fish and sea birds. We are reviewing our policy on forage fish that are caught for industrial purposes. In the context of the Northeast Atlantic, there are specific fleet segments that specialise in this type of fishing, and their effort within UK waters is targeted on particular species, principally sandeel and Norway pout.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government has plans to replace combined turbot and brill and witch and lemon sole total allowable catches (TACs) with single species TACs in the context of recent scientific advice published by ICES that multi-species TACs prevent effective management.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
We have asked ICES to update its advice from 2018 on the effectiveness of management arrangements for these stocks which are managed by joint TACs. ICES have indicated their advice will be available during the autumn and we expect to make it our policy for the annual fisheries negotiation with the EU to manage these stocks based on the updated advice provided by ICES. This request to ICES is an example of the work we are doing through the Specialised Committee for Fisheries to address challenges where we think new or different advice is needed.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
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 ICES Advice 2022 on UK cod stocks, if he will establish catch limits for cod at sustainable levels.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
The UK advocates an approach towards setting total allowable catches (TACs) for cod stocks and other species that is founded on the best available scientific advice, which seeks to maintain or rebuild sustainable fish stocks and fisheries in the long term. For many whitefish stocks, such as cod, a further key consideration when setting the TAC is their interaction with other stocks caught in the same mixed fishery.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
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 make an assessment of the effectiveness of his policies on the protection of deep sea species from overexploitation.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
Each year, the UK publishes the sustainability outcomes of the annual fisheries negotiations. This sets out the number of Total Allowable Catches (TACs) that have been set in line with the International Council for the Exploration Sea (ICES) advice. The UK is committed to promoting the sustainability for all fisheries stocks including deep sea species.