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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the value of recreational bass fishing in England to the economy in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Defra has not conducted any specific surveys of the economic value of the recreational bass fishery over the last ten years. The Defra ‘Sea Angling 2012’ research project found that, in 2012, sea anglers resident in England spent £1.23 billion on the sport. It is not possible robustly to separate out figures specifically for recreational bass fishing.

Bass conservation measures have been introduced by the EU in response to advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea on the very poor state of the stock. Alongside a significant reduction in commercial landings, these measures are aimed at reducing mortality while the stock recovers, in order to secure the long term future of bass fisheries. The EU measures from 2015 onwards were also applied to the recreational sector as scientific advice in 2014 indicated on the basis of earlier angling surveys that up to 25% of total bass removals were estimated at that time to be accounted for by bass anglers.

A specific cost estimate of the effects of the EU bass recovery measures on the recreational sector by limiting retention of catch by anglers has not been conducted. Arriving at a reliable assessment, particularly given that catch and release activity has not been restricted, would be challenging. There would need to be a wide range of factors covered in such an evaluation, including the reduced availability of bass while stocks are recovering, and the need to take into account the longer term costs of failing to apply sufficient bass recovery measures across all fishing sectors. This places the emphasis on ensuring recovery measures are in place that will restore the value of bass fisheries across all fishing sectors.