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 it his Department’s position at the December Fisheries Council to set fishing limits for certain fish stocks above the scientific level advised by ICES; and whether his department will publish a list of those stocks and a justification for each stock level.
The Government supports setting fishing opportunities for 2018 in line with the maximum sustainable yield and based on the advice from ICES, wherever possible. However, we recognise the need for certain exceptions, such as the need for flexibility in mixed fisheries.
The setting of limits for individual fish stocks is determined by agreements at the December Agriculture and Fisheries Council. A list of stocks of relevance to the UK, and their agreed respective fishing limits, will be published in January.