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Written Question
Tuna: Fishing Catches
Wednesday 27th January 2021

Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the UK's bluefin tuna quota as a result of the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, if he will take steps to increase that quota as part of a scientific UK catch and release program.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement reached with the EU secures the UK a share of the EU’s current bluefin tuna allocation. Any further increases to the UK’s quota would need to be secured via negotiations in the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

In addition to national quotas held by its contracting parties, ICCAT makes a small, separate ‘Research Mortality Allowance’ quota available for specific research purposes that meet strict criteria. RMA supports the delivery of the multiyear ‘Thunnus UK’ tuna tagging programme led by Cefas and the University of Exeter. The UK will be applying for continued access to the RMA to continue this work in 2021.

No decisions have yet been taken on how to use the UK’s new national quota. Stakeholders will be consulted on potential options in due course.


Written Question
Angling
Friday 23rd October 2020

Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to support the recreational fishing sector in respect of negotiations on the UK's future relationship with the EU.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

The UK will become an independent coastal state at the end of 2020 and will no longer be bound by the EU’s common fisheries policy or its outdated and unfair method for sharing fishing opportunities.

The Government’s position in negotiations on a future relationship with the EU on fish is reasonable and straightforward and seeks to secure the best outcome for all UK fishers, including the recreational sector. The UK wants a simple, separate fisheries framework agreement which reflects our rights under international law and which provides for annual negotiations over access and fishing opportunities based on the scientific principle of zonal attachment.


Written Question
Electronic Training Aids
Tuesday 20th October 2020

Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to research published by the University of Lincoln in August 2020 that concludes reward-based training methods are more effective and carry less risk to the animal’s wellbeing to electric shocks, what plans he has to bring forward proposals to ban remote controlled electronic shock collars.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

The Government remains committed to banning the use of remote controlled hand-held electronic training collars (e-collars) for dogs and cats in England. We will introduce the necessary legislation to implement the ban as soon as parliamentary time allows.


Written Question
Angling
Friday 19th June 2020

Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the findings for the 2016 and 2017 Sea Angling survey will be published.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

Publication of the Sea Angling surveys for 2016 and 2017 has been delayed due to the Government’s response to COVID 19. The findings are now due to be published in the summer of this year.

Reports for 2018 and 2019 are due to be published later in the year, and will set out estimated catches by recreational sea fishers as well as their economic contribution.


Written Question
Sea Bass: Conservation
Friday 19th June 2020

Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to issue guidance for Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities on administering the test in relation to sea bass in s.157(2)(b) of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009; and if his Department will consult with Fish Legal in the development of that guidance.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs) are independent statutory authorities, directly responsible for managing sea fisheries resources in their districts sustainably. The Secretary of State does not have a role in confirming emergency byelaws; rather, each IFCA is empowered to decide to introduce an emergency byelaw and whether it meets the qualifying criteria set out in section 157(2) of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. Defra has supported the IFCAs by providing best practice guidance on IFCA byelaw-making, including emergency byelaws made under section 157, which is accessible via the GOV.UK and IFCA websites. Defra has not received further requests for clarification from the IFCAs regarding the current statutory guidance on the qualifying criteria.


Written Question
Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities: Bye Laws
Tuesday 16th June 2020

Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps with (a) recreational fishermen and (b) Fish Legal to clarify the guidance for Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities on the introduction of emergency bylaws under section 157 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities (IFCAs) are independent statutory authorities and have direct responsibility to sustainably manage sea fisheries resources in their districts. Therefore, it is for each IFCA to decide whether a situation warrants an emergency byelaw and if this meets the qualifying criteria as laid down in Section 157 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. Defra has provided best practice guidance on IFCA byelaw-making, including emergency byelaws made under section 157, this is available online through GOV.UK and IFCA websites. Defra has not been approached by any IFCA to provide further statutory guidance on the aforementioned qualifying criteria.


Written Question
Angling
Monday 8th June 2020

Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Sea Angling Survey will be published for 2020.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

The annual UK Sea Angling Survey for 2020 is underway. The final report will be published in summer 2021.


Written Question
Sea Bass: Conservation
Tuesday 26th May 2020

Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations he has received on Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities being unable to introduce emergency byelaws because of uncertainty on the test in s157(2) (6) Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 which is resulting in juvenile bass being caught in nets with undersize mesh; and if he will take steps to work with Fish Legal to provide urgent clarificatory guidance for Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities on that matter.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities (IFCAs) are independent statutory authorities and have direct responsibility to manage sea fisheries resources sustainably in their districts. Therefore, it is for each IFCA to decide whether a situation warrants an emergency byelaw and if this meets the qualifying criteria as laid down in section 157 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. Defra has provided best practice guidance on IFCA byelaw-making, including emergency byelaws made under section 157, and the department has not been approached by any IFCA to provide further statutory guidance on this statutory provision.


Written Question
Angling
Monday 4th May 2020

Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish the results of the survey conducted in 2016 by his Department and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science on the effect on the economy of recreational angling.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 3 March, PQ UIN 22008. [www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-02-27/22008]


Written Question
Angling
Tuesday 3rd March 2020

Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish the outcome of the survey conducted in 2016 by his Department and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science on the effect on the economy of recreational angling.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

The Sea Angling Diary survey (www.seaangling.org) is carried out annually, it is analysed by Cefas (www.cefas.co.uk), and combined with information from the National Water Sports Participation Survey. It is used to understand the level of participation, catches and economic impact of sea anglers resident in the UK. The findings for 2016 and 2017 have just been finalised and will be published in Spring this year.