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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of overfishing on costs to the fishing industry.

The Government is committed to maintaining or restoring our stocks to sustainable levels and supporting the long-term viability of the UK fishing industry.

This aligns with our domestic and international obligations, including those of the Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement. We work with international partners to set annual catch limits for shared stocks, using the best available scientific advice and balancing this with social and economic factors, including the risks of overfishing. If catch limits are exceeded in a quota year, deductions can be applied the following year.

Since 2021, the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs has published a report assessing the outcomes of annual fishing negotiations. The 2025 report can be found at the following link: Economic outcomes of negotiations for UK fishing opportunities 2025 - GOV.UK. As it covers negotiated outcomes rather than actual catches, it does not assess industry costs from exceeding limits.