Fisheries and the marine environment: EFRA launches its next thematic inquiry

MPs will delve into the challenges facing the fishing sector, including access to labour and competing spatial pressures on the marine environment.

The inquiry will see the Committee scrutinise the outcome of the Autumn 2024 fisheries negotiations between the UK and its nearby coastal partners, including the EU and Norway.

It will assess the implementation of post-Brexit fisheries policy and examine UK/EU quotas and arrangements for access to waters, and catch-allocations, from June 2026.

The Committee’s inquiry will also look into the issues of marine conservation and will investigate the management of protected areas.

Chair comment

The Chair of the EFRA Committee, Alistair Carmichael MP, said:

“The fishing industry is rooted in the island and coastal communities that help define our country. It is at the heart of local communities and a vital part of many local economies.

“The fishing sector had hoped to see improved opportunities when the United Kingdom left the EU. In this inquiry we will examine the implementation of government fisheries policy since Brexit.

“There are also concerns among the fishing community about changes from June 2026 onwards to the UK-EU arrangements for access and catch-allocations. We will consider whether the Government’s current approach will deliver the best possible outcomes for UK .

“More widely, our inquiry will also examine the state of the marine environment, looking at the protection of marine mammals and seabird species.”

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

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