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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of fish caught in UK territorial waters was caught by (a) UK vessels and (b) EU vessels in each of the last three years for which data is available; what his Department's policy is on the application of the zonal attachment principle for determining fishing quotas after June 2026; and what estimate he has made of how catch percentages will change.

The UK does not collect data on catches of fish at a level of detail that allows us to determine the proportion of catch made by UK or EU vessels in UK territorial waters. However, under the TCA, 149, 152, and 152 EU vessels were licensed to fish in the UK 6-12 nautical mile zone at the start of 2023, 2024, and 2025 respectively. This compares to 5,418 registered UK fishing vessels in 2023.

The UK seeks to ensure sustainable exploitation of fisheries through the establishment of comprehensive total allowable catch sharing underpinned by the principle of zonal attachment. UK fishing quotas for shared stocks with the EU are set in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). UK shares will gradually increase until 2026, after which further changes are a matter for the TCA Partnership Council.