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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential impact to non-quota stocks of fly-seine fishing vessel operations in the English Channel.

The number of fly-seine vessels operating in English waters including the Channel increased from 29 to 54 vessels between 2019 and 2024, while landings of non-quota stocks increased by some 50% between 2018 and 2023.

Many non-quota stocks are data limited and have little management. It is for this reason Defra prioritised the development of Fisheries Management Plans for Non Quota stocks.

In 2023 Defra published the Channel Demersal Non-Quota Stock Fisheries Management Plan to protect 19 vulnerable species and improve data collection. We also introduced precautionary measures including a minimum 100mm mesh size restriction for fly-seine vessels.