§ Richard OttawayTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the recent report of the International Council for the Exploration of the sea on the level of cod stocks in the North Sea, Kattegat, the Irish Sea and waters to the west of Scotland, measured against minimum recommended levels; and if she will make a statement. [120660]
§ Mr. BradshawThe report explains that the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea was able to refer to new preliminary assessments for Irish Sea and West of Scotland cod but that these have yet to be properly reviewed by ICES. For the North Sea and Kattegat there was no new assessment, but some, again preliminary, indications of the abundance of pre-fishery young cod. The report concludes overall that there is no change in the perception of the stocks concerned, and they are all below recommended precautionary levels. We will take close account of this and all emerging 917W scientific information in discussions on the Commission's recent proposals for further cod recovery measures.