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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority has taken to collect data on reports of incidences of marine life stranding.

The North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NE IFCA) is working closely with partner agencies to record and verify reports of incidences of marine life strandings with a focus on shellfish within the affected area between Hartlepool and Robin Hoods Bay. Following receipt of a report, Officers will attend to confirm the location of strandings and their extent or composition.

Any reports received are submitted as intelligence reports to the Marine Management Organisation/IFCA national intelligence database from which periodic summary documents are being circulated to the relevant agencies. Furthermore, any reports received by NE IFCA which link to suspected pollution are being shared with the Environment Agency.