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 policy to bring forward legislative proposals to prevent the siting of seabed fishing equipment in any location within 300 metres of a navigational mark.

Fisheries management in the UK is devolved. Defra has no plans to bring forward legislation on locating fishing equipment near navigational marks.

In England, passive gear, such as creels, used out to 12 nautical miles must be marked with labels, or if used between 12 and 200 nautical miles they should have a marker buoy. However, existing guidance available online also recommends that passive gear is marked with buoys from 0-12 nautical miles in English waters. There may also be specific rules regarding the marking of passive gear within 0-6 nautical miles managed at a local level by the relevant Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority.