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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the ongoing impact of large scale industrial bottom trawling on the small-scale inshore fishing fleet.

No assessment has been made of these impacts. However, the activities of all vessels fishing in our waters, including large scale industrial vessels, are monitored by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). If it is considered that the activities of one sector are harming another, such as the small-scale inshore fleet, Defra can restrict those activities by using licence conditions and byelaws to introduce management measures.

Last year, the MMO also consulted on prohibiting the use of bottom towed gear in 41 of England’s Marine Protected Areas for conservation purposes. Work on this issue is ongoing.