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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to publish a comprehensive, up to date list of fishing vessel licences, including sanctions for fisheries and labour offences, in line with principle two of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO), acting on behalf of all UK Fisheries Authorities, publishes lists of all UK registered and licensed fishing vessels each month. This includes vessel characteristics and licence information. There is currently no requirement to publish enforcement statistics or details of sanctions relating to non-compliance with fisheries regulations and MMO does not routinely do so. It does, however, share details of specific cases where there may be a wider public interest or where it is considered appropriate to do so, and it continues to engage with the fisheries sector on compliance matters directly, through established groups and networks, and through wider-reaching awareness campaigns.

The UK Government welcomes the broad principles underpinning the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency and continues to review the steps we can take to combat illegal fishing. We welcome the ongoing engagement with the organisations who have produced the Charter.