Fishing Catches
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the economic impact of bycatch mitigation requirements on UK fishing businesses.
Answered by Dame Angela Eagle
Defra funds several initiatives that monitor bycatch of sensitive species and trial mitigation measures. Notably, its flagship programme Clean Catch works with fishers in UK fisheries to develop and trial ways to gather data on and mitigate bycatch, focusing on their practicality for fishers as well as their effectiveness. Trials include the use of pingers for marine mammals and Bird Scaring Lines for seabirds, which both use Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) to collect further data on bycatch and effectiveness of mitigation. Analysis of the economic impacts on fisheries from mitigation measures would be considered when measures are at a more developed stage. Defra also works closely with environmental groups, for example as members of the Clean Catch National Advisory Board and through collaborative projects like the Bycatch Risk Prioritisation Framework and the Seabird Bycatch Action Plan for England.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →