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 an assessment of the effects on fishermen of the EU discard ban coming into full force in 2019.

The UK Government continuously works with the fishing industry, and other interested parties, in assessing the impacts of the landing obligation on the industry, as well as on fish stocks.

We continue to participate actively in the regional groups that are currently preparing the discard plans for 2019, and are working closely with Member States and the Commission in preparing for the full implementation of the landing obligation in 2019. This will enable us to end wasteful discarding, while providing the industry with the support it needs to operate effectively.

The UK Government is committed to implementing EU regulations while it remains a member. We will continue to work with the industry to develop a landing obligation that reflects the UK’s mixed fisheries once we leave the EU.