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Fishing Catches

Asked by Anna GelderdLabourDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 25 June 2026UIN 11380

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects to publish the Seabird Bycatch Action Plan for England and whether it will contain quantitative, time-bound targets for reducing bycatch.

Answered by Stephen Morgan

Defra are continuing to develop the Seabird Bycatch Action Plan for England in collaboration with stakeholders including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the fishing industry and academic researchers, collectively identifying actions to address seabird bycatch.

This will be an evolving document, being refined as and when new evidence is available. We aim to make actions time-bound where possible and deliverable, but action plans are complex and it is important to make sure they are practical. We are committed to publishing the action plan later this year.

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