Fishing Gear: Innovation
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the report by Seafish entitled Supporting the Commercial Uptake of Innovative Fishing Gear, published on 10 September 2025.
Answered by Dame Angela Eagle
The results of this Defra funded report provides a useful insight into the issues and potential barriers to the adoption of more selective fishing gear. The UK fisheries administrations encourage the commercial uptake of innovative fishing gear and will work together to explore how to unlock the barriers to the take up of more selective gears, which this report can inform on.
Defra remains committed to keeping the dialogue open with industry partners and our partners in the devolved Governments. Defra will continue to support the use of trials of new innovative and selective fishing gear. Where a trial clearly demonstrates that the new fishing gear is shown to minimise the wider impact on the marine environment and reduces unwanted bycatch, Defra will look to make the necessary changes to regulations to facilitate this change.
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