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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 11 July 2017 to Question 2722, what progress she has made on assessing the required strength of the fisheries protection fleet after the UK leaves the EU.

We will continue to monitor, control and enforce fishing regulations in our own waters as an independent costal state after we leave the EU on 31 October. We currently take robust intelligence-led enforcement action against illegal fishing and this will continue when we leave the EU.

We have assessed the risk of increased illegal fishing when the UK leaves the EU and have strengthened our resources accordingly. This includes an increase to the number of frontline warranted officers, increased aerial surveillance and further vessels to enhance patrolling capacity at sea.