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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pollack otoliths were collected by his Department in the last 12 months.

You asked how many pollack otoliths were collected by the Department in the last twelve months. Data has been provided for the twelve months of 2023, as otoliths collected in 2024 have not yet been analysed.

643 (out of a target of 597) pollack otoliths were collected by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) in 2023. These otoliths were collected in all quarters of 2023 on a total of 64 trips in the southwest of England.