Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to facilitate the employment of non-EU nationals on inshore fishing vessels based in Northern Ireland.

The UK has ratified the International Labour Organisation’s Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188), which sets minimum global standards for living and working conditions for fishermen. Regardless of employment status or nationality, all those working on UK fishing vessels, including fishing vessels in Northern Ireland, are therefore protected by the UK legislation implementing that Convention.