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 Marine Management organisation is taking to ensure fair and proportionate enforcement across domestic and foreign flagged vessels operating in UK inshore waters.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is responsible for the enforcement of fisheries regulations within the English sector of UK waters. Foreign flagged fishing vessels are not permitted to fish within the 0-6nm zone and access to the 6-12nm zone is restricted to those foreign vessels which have a historic track-record of access and meet certain criteria around gear types and engine power. The MMO monitors the movements of all foreign and UK fishing vessels within English waters using Vessel Monitoring System tracking data and alarms are received when a vessel is detected travelling at fishing speeds within an area where they are not permitted to fish. All alarms are investigated and enforcement action taken according to the MMO’s compliance and enforcement strategy when non-compliance is detected.

The MMO also operate two Offshore Patrol Vessels which carry out inspections at sea of fishing vessels within English waters. Inspections are targeted according to a risk-based approach incorporating considerations including vessel size, gear type, history of compliance and received intelligence. In FY 2024/2025, 368 UK vessels and 244 non-UK vessels were inspected at sea.