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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken with (a) the United Nations and (b) the Food and Agriculture Organisation to help tackle gaps in fisheries data collection in the South Atlantic.

Defra continues to seek progress on addressing fisheries data collection in the South Atlantic. This includes raising the matter in UN and FAO fora, such as consultations on the UN General Assembly Resolution on Sustainable Fisheries, and the FAO Subcommittee on Fisheries Management.  At the first FAO Subcommittee on Fisheries Management in January 2024, text was agreed urging the FAO to support members to enhance cooperation, strengthen data collection and improve regional fisheries management to tackle data gaps in high seas fisheries.

Achieving sustainably managed fisheries is our focus when highlighting these issues in international fora. Defra will continue to work with all relevant parties with the aim of assessing and improving the sustainability of relevant stocks. Regarding the status of relevant fish stocks, I refer the Hon. Member to the reply previously given on 01 April to PQ 41239.

I also refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given the hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills, Wendy Morton, on 25 March, PQ 35284.