Scott Mann – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to change the distribution of Common Fisheries Policy quotas for inshore fishing fleets.

George Eustice

Defra is in the final stages of a permanent quota realignment exercise which will represent a 14% uplift in the amount of quota the inshore fleet currently receives.

We have also announced that the inshore fleet will be the principal beneficiaries of any quota uplift received as a result of the introduction of the demersal landing obligation.

For species subject to the discard ban from January 2016, we have announced that the non-sector pools will receive the first 100 tonnes of any quota uplift received and 10% of any remaining uplift. For 2016 this represents more than 1,000 tonnes of uplift to support the non-sector in their adaptation to the landing obligation and includes key stocks such as haddock, whiting and plaice.

In the Celtic Sea there will be an estimated additional 126 tonnes of whiting and 142 tonnes of hake to support the non-sector.