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 25 July 2017 to Question 5217, how the Government plans for bycatch fish species identified in the European Council of Ministers' General Approach to the North Sea Multi Annual Plan to be restored to and maintained above biomass levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield in the event that fishing limits are not set in accordance with the Common Fisheries Policy objective to achieve the maximum sustainable yield exploitation rate by 2020 at the latest.

Where Maximum Sustainable Yield targets cannot be determined, due to lack of data, multiannual plans must provide for measures to be based on the precautionary approach. The Government’s view is that the precautionary approach should be strictly evidence-based, with such data-limited bycatch stocks managed on a case-by-case basis and in line with the plans’ objectives. For stocks with a presumption of stability we have supported maintaining TACs at current levels, unless scientific advice suggests otherwise. Where possible we support moving to a full analytical assessment that would enable TACs to be based on the MSY approach.