Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with (a) HM Treasury and (b) the Department for Transport on providing support to the UK fishing industry and coastal communities regarding the rising cost of fuel.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The increasing cost of fuel is affecting a wide range of sectors including the fishing industry. Our primary focus is on analysing how the UK fleet is being affected by fuel and fish prices. Defra Ministers and officials are working with colleagues across government, along with a wide range of stakeholders, and are closely monitoring the situation.
The Government has shown long term commitment to the sector and will continue to do so in the future. As part of this long term commitment we are not planning to repurpose funds to mitigate the impacts of high fuel prices. We consider this is a cross cutting issue, and so are liaising with colleagues across government to determine the longer-term impacts and any mitigating actions.
Defra will continue to support the sector through the £100 million UK Seafood Fund, which as one of its main objectives seeks to increase the sustainability of the sector, including through investing in the transition to renewable energy.
Defra is also making £32.7 million in annual funding available across all four nations of the UK which last year enabled grant schemes to be opened in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, benefiting hundreds of UK businesses. The grant scheme for England, the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme, delivers investment to safeguard the long-term sustainability, resilience and prosperity of the seafood sector.
In recognition of the challenges in the maritime sector, including the fishing industry, in the 2022 Spring Budget the Chancellor overturned the 2020 announcement to remove the red diesel entitlement for commercial boat operators, meaning the industry can continue to use red diesel, in addition to the Marine Voyages Relief, which gives 100% relief on fuel duty costs.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with representative bodies of the UK fishing industry on the impact of the rising cost of fuel on fishing fleets and coastal communities.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The increasing cost of fuel is affecting a wide range of sectors including the fishing industry. Our primary focus is on analysing how the UK fleet is being affected by fuel and fish prices. Defra Ministers and officials are working with colleagues across government, along with a wide range of stakeholders, and are closely monitoring the situation.
The Government has shown long term commitment to the sector and will continue to do so in the future. As part of this long term commitment we are not planning to repurpose funds to mitigate the impacts of high fuel prices. We consider this is a cross cutting issue, and so are liaising with colleagues across government to determine the longer-term impacts and any mitigating actions.
Defra will continue to support the sector through the £100 million UK Seafood Fund, which as one of its main objectives seeks to increase the sustainability of the sector, including through investing in the transition to renewable energy.
Defra is also making £32.7 million in annual funding available across all four nations of the UK which last year enabled grant schemes to be opened in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, benefiting hundreds of UK businesses. The grant scheme for England, the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme, delivers investment to safeguard the long-term sustainability, resilience and prosperity of the seafood sector.
In recognition of the challenges in the maritime sector, including the fishing industry, in the 2022 Spring Budget the Chancellor overturned the 2020 announcement to remove the red diesel entitlement for commercial boat operators, meaning the industry can continue to use red diesel, in addition to the Marine Voyages Relief, which gives 100% relief on fuel duty costs.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fishing vessels have been fly shooting in UK waters in the (a) southern North Sea and (b) English Channel in 2021; and of those vessels, how many (i) are foreign registered and (ii) have been able to demonstrate previous a track record of using this equipment in the same areas.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
In 2021 there were nine UK vessels fishing with fly seining equipment in the southern North Sea and the English Channel in the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) areas 7d and 7e (these area codes refer to ICES Rectangles which are a sub-division of the sea surface area each approximately 30 nautical miles by 30 nautical miles in size; ICES Rectangle is the highest resolution of spatial landings data available for all UK fishing vessels). European vessels with fly seining equipment are listed on the public European Commission fleet register. Under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, licensing arrangements in the Territorial waters between the UK and the EU were based on vessels that were active in the respective zones during the reference period. This track record arrangement is not gear specific.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason his Department has removed catch limits for fly-shooters targeting non-quota species for 2021.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The UK EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) provides for each Party to grant access to fish non-quota species at the average tonnage fished in the reference period 2012-2016, for a five and a half year adjustment period. There are no catch limits for individual vessels fishing for non-quota species.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) length and (b) power is of the fishing vessels that have used fly shooting equipment in the (i) southern North Sea and (ii) English Channel in 2021.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The engine power of UK vessels fishing with fly seining equipment in the southern North Sea and English Channel ranges from 749kW to 1325KW. While the length of these vessels varies between 23.9 and 36.6 metres. European Commission vessels with fly seining equipment are listed on the public EC fleet register.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many existing fishing vessel licences issued by the UK Single Issuing Authority entitle the vessels to use fly shooting equipment in the (a) southern North Sea and (b) English Channel.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Vessels are currently not required to have a specific permit for Scottish seining (fly shooting). Fishing licences issued to fish in UK water are not restricted by area other than for those vessels fishing in Territorial waters.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will ban pelagic trawlers over 55 metres and fly-shooters from the English Channel and Southern North Sea.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government is currently reviewing its policy on fly-shooting vessels and large pelagic trawlers in UK waters. Any action taken needs to be evidence-based, and in line with the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason an environmental impact assessment has not been conducted on the use of fly shooting equipment in the southern North Sea and English Channel prior to licenses for that activity being issued by the UK Single Issuing Authority.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Licences are issued to all vessels that have eligibility to fish in UK waters and have no history of illegal fishing. As a newly independent Coastal State we will be considering the impacts of various fishing activities when we undertake our programme of domestic fisheries management reform.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to introduce pre-notification requirements for foods of animal origin and certain foods of non-animal origin from 1 October 2021 and (b) physical checks for foods of animal origin and certain foods of non-animal origin at border control posts from 1 January 2022.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The requirement to pre-notify imports of Products of Animal Origin (POAO) for human consumption will be introduced on 1 January 2022. From 1 July 2022, these imports of POAO must also be accompanied by a certified Export Health Certificate and enter via a point of entry with a designated Border Control Post (BCP), where they will be subject to documentary, ID, and physical checks.
The requirement for pre-notification, phytosanitary certificates and risk-based import checks (documentary, identity and physical) have been in place for many years for all regulated plants and plant products from non-EU countries.
In January 2021, these requirements were extended to also include ‘high priority’ plants and plant products from the EU, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. ‘High priority’ plants and plant products are those which present the greatest potential biosecurity risk to GB and includes all plants for planting, potatoes and some seed.
The requirements will be further extended during 2022, to include all other regulated plants and plant products from the EU, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, such as fresh fruit, vegetables and cut flowers, starting with pre-notification on 1 January and followed by phytosanitary certificates and risk-based import checks on 1 July 2022.
Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the estimated value is of the increase in UK quota agreed with the EU for (a) North Sea sole and (b) North Sea plaice for 2021 compared to 2020.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Information relating to this question is already published:
The data requested is set out in the below table.
North Sea sole | |
2021 Total allowable catch (a) | 21,361 tonnes |
2021 UK opening quota (a) | 2,446 tonnes |
2021 UK under-10m fleet pool allocation (a) | 797 tonnes |
2021 EU opening quota (b) | 18,817 tonnes |
2021 estimated value of the increase in the UK’s opening quota compared to 2020 (based on 2019 UK average landings prices) | £13.0m |
North Sea plaice | |
2021 Total allowable catch (a) | 143,419 tonnes |
2021 UK opening quota (a) | 37,113 tonnes |
2021 UK under-10m fleet pool allocation (a) | 88 tonnes |
2021 EU opening quota (a) | 51,985 tonnes |
2021 estimated value of the increase in the UK’s opening quota compared to 2020 (based on 2019 UK average landings prices) | £18.8m |
(a) post-landing obligation exemption deductions, and pre-allocations adjustments (e.g. quota banked from previous year) | |
(b) taken from the UK-EU negotiation Written Record as the final EU TAC and Quota Regulation is not yet published, so this is pre-landing obligation exemption deductions and allocations adjustments (e.g. quota banked from previous year) | |