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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2023 to Question 348 on Fish Farming: Animal Welfare, when his Department asked the Animal Welfare Committee to update its 2014 opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing; and when he plans to determine any next steps.

Defra commissioned the Animal Welfare Committee to update its 2014 opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing on 10 June 2021 and their report was submitted to us on 16 February 2023. We continue to study the recommendations carefully to determine next steps and are meeting with relevant stakeholders.