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 adequacy of the accessibility of the consultation entitled ICES area 7d and Lyme Bay king scallop dredge fishery closure 2025, published on 18 November 2024.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) works closely with the fishing industry and other stakeholders and understands the need for information to be put to them in a manner that allows them to contribute meaningfully to Government consultations. Management of the king scallop fishery in the English Channel is an annual consultation and MMO listens and responds to how the consultation was received and amends its processes for the consultation the following year.

To ensure that there is a balance between simple and technical language to meet the needs of the reader, The document has been developed with the essential information in straightforward language at the start of the document and the more technical information following for those that want the detail.

MMO will provide the consultation material in different formats on request, and it has been provided in person and in video format previously. We have included the invitation to utilise alternative formats in supporting communication material. The annual consultation is accompanied by a communications plan that sees officials engaging face to face with representative industry groups and individual fishers in relevant fishing ports.