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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for how many stocks the UK has quota/fishing rights within (a) UK waters and (b) EU waters; for how many of those stocks ICES provides scientific advice; and how many of those stocks had catch limits set in line with ICES scientific advice in December 2016.

There are about 120 stock quotas of interest to the UK and which are determined at the December Fisheries Council. All of these extend to both UK and European Union waters except for Clyde herring. Last year ICES provided advice on maximum sustainable yield rates in relation to 45 stocks on which these quotas are based for 2017. The Council of Ministers was able to agree exploitation rates in line with the Maximum Sustainable Yield reference points for 29 of them. ICES provides advice for at least two non-quota stocks of which Bass and Red Mullet are of interest to the UK. For the remaining non-quota stocks, such as most shellfish, ICES does not provide advice.