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Written question asked by Henry Smith (Conservative) on Wednesday, 3 May 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 9 May 2023. It was answered by Mark Spencer (Conservative) on Monday, 15 May 2023 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Fishing Vessels

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that pelagic supertrawlers licensed to fish in UK waters are fulfilling their legal duty to report marine mammal bycatch to the Marine Management Organisation.

Answer

The UK introduced new rules in 2021 making it a mandatory requirement under fishing vessel licence conditions for fishers to report any marine mammal bycatch to the MMO. On the introduction of this requirement, communications were sent out by Defra, the Devolved Administrations and the MMO to ensure that industry understood the new obligations. Responsibility for enforcing licence conditions in Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for the Devolved Administrations.

The Sea Mammal Research Unit have carried out monitoring of pelagic trawlers targeting herring and mackerel for a number of years and reported no bycatch of marine mammals in these fisheries in recent years, whilst other sections of the UK pelagic fleet are working on bycatch mitigation projects to reduce the likelihood of these events occurring more broadly.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
183697
Session
2022-23
Subjects
Conservation Cetaceans Fishing catches Fishing vessels Regulation Marine Management Organisation
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk