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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of freezing EU fishing quotas at current levels beyond 2026 on the (a) the economy, (b) UK seafood exports and (c) seafood processing facilities in North East Scotland; whether he has made a comparative assessment of the potential impact of (i) annual and (ii) multi-year fishing agreements with the EU on Scottish coastal communities; and what steps he is taking to maintain market access for Scottish seafood products.

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. Fishing opportunities available to the UK fleet are agreed in annual negotiations based on advice from the International Council for Exploration of the Seas (ICES). Defra publish a report each year which assesses the year-on-year change in UK fishing opportunities.

The UK has agreed new multiannual fisheries access arrangements with the EU providing certainty for the UK fishing fleet (including those linked to Scottish coastal communities) and unlocking wider benefits to grow the economy. This includes a new SPS agreement that will make it easier to sell British fish to our largest trading partner.