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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect sandeel populations in the North Sea in advance of the 2022 sea bird breeding season.

The UK’s seabirds are an important part of our natural heritage, and their protection is a high priority for this Government. Forage fish such as sandeels play a crucial role in the health of the wider marine ecosystem.

Defra and the UK Fisheries Administrations recently published a call for evidence on sandeels and Norway pout to help inform decision making and to consider possible measures to manage these stocks more sustainably in the future. The responses are currently being analysed.

ICES releases its annual scientific advice about the condition of sandeel stocks in the North Sea on 25 February. We will carefully consider this advice, as well as the advice given in response to the call for evidence, in developing a UK position ahead of the negotiation with the European Union of a total allowable catch for North Sea sandeel in 2022.

Defra is also working with Natural England to develop a comprehensive and ambitious English Seabird Conservation Strategy. The Strategy will aim to assess the vulnerability of each seabird species in light of the pressures they are facing and propose actions to address them.