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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what account she takes when deciding on measures to reduce the mortality in bass stocks of the (a) value to the UK economy and the economies of other member states of recreational angling compared to commercial fishing, (b) mortality of bass stocks caused by recreational anglers compared to that caused by commercial fishing and (c) tax receipts from recreational angling compared to those from commercial fisheries.

I take full account of these factors when making such decisions. At EU level the European Commission has published proposals for interim bass management measures to apply to both commercial fishing and recreational angling sectors in 2015. When these measures are agreed in December the UK will seek a more balanced approach than proposed, which more closely reflects the relative levels of mortality on bass stocks incurred by each sector, while contributing to the aim of stock recovery on a more proportionate basis.