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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) fish stocks and (b) total allowable catches are fished (i) at or below and (ii) above maximum sustainable yield; and what progress her Department has made towards its strategy that all fish stocks are fished at maximum sustainable yield by 2020.

We are making good progress towards sustainable fishing with more stocks than ever now being fished at Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY). 31 stocks of the 59 with full analytical assessment in the North East Atlantic (and surrounding waters) were fished in accordance with MSY in 2014, compared with just 19 in 2004[1].

Earlier this year, the UK’s provisional assessment for 2016 indicated that 24 stocks for which the UK has quota will be fished at or below maximum sustainable yield (MSY). A significant majority of these will be fished (a) at MSY rather than (b) below it; information on the specific stocks has been placed in the House Library.

We will be seeking to increase the number of stocks being fished in accordance with MSY in 2017 at the Fisheries Council in December.

[1] Reports of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) – Monitoring the performance of the Common Fisheries Policy (STECF-16-05) – CORRIGENDUM to STECF-16-03. 2016. https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/43805/55543/2016-03_STECF+16-05+Monitoring+performance+CFP+CORRIGENDUM_JRC100945.pdf