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Topical question asked in the House of Commons, by Beccy Cooper (Labour). It was answered on Thursday, 14 November 2024 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.


Topical Questions

Question

Research estimates that as many as 170 dolphins and other mammals are caught and killed every year off the Sussex coast, yet no bycatch data is recorded. Will the Secretary of State please outline how

he is ensuring that supertrawlers operating in UK waters are fulfilling their legal duty to report marine mammal bycatch to the Marine Management Organisation?

Answer

Vessels are, of course, already required to report marine mammal bycatch. We are looking at implementing remote electronic monitoring on larger vessels to gather better data about fishing activities. We are also working to improve our marine environment by ratifying the biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction agreement, enforcing fishing restrictions in marine protected areas, and ensuring that all catch limits are set sustainably.


Secondary information

Type
Oral question
Reference
756 c894 
Session
2024-26
Oral question type
1st Supplementary
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Fishing catches Marine animals
Link
View this Topical question on hansard.parliament.uk