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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential socio-economic impact of proposed quota adjustments on the (a) South West fishing industry and (b) English Channel fisheries.

Consultations with the EU to agree fishing opportunities for 2025 began in November and are expected to conclude in December 2024. A final assessment of quota changes, as a result of these consultations, will be published in spring next year.

As per requirements of the Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS), the UK uses the best available scientific advice in fisheries management and negotiations, this includes the annual advice from the International Council of the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) on fishing opportunities. Accepting the ICES advised headline advice in full, would lead to a reduction in UK quota in the South-West of England and English Channel compared to 2024.

However, in seeking to appropriately balance all the fisheries objectives set out in the Fisheries Act 2020 and the JFS, the UK will in some cases seek to agree an allocation with the EU, above that advised by ICES, for example for a 0 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) stock where a bycatch-only TAC may be required to prevent adverse impacts on the fishing industry, within sustainable limits.