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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect seals have on (a) fish populations and (b) fishing equipment.

Fisheries management does take account of seal predation. Scientists include estimates of seal predation in annual stock assessments where appropriate. These assessments inform the amount of fish which can be sustainably removed each year by the fishing industry. Seals are also known to interact with fishing gear and work on how to limit these interactions is ongoing.