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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many inspections of EU vessels fishing in UK waters have been made in the last 12 months.

The table below provides a breakdown of inspection carried out by the MMO on

non-UK vessels in English waters over the last 12 months. Data on inspections in the Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish zones are available from the respective devolved administrations.

During the national lockdowns introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic, inspections at sea were reduced to promote public safety. During this period, when fishing activity was reduced due to weather and the reduced markets for fish, only high-risk vessels would have been inspected at sea, although shore based inspections continued as usual. When infection levels reduced in March this year, inspections resumed at a higher level than ever.