§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her Department's policy to source sea bass used in catering outlets for which her Department is responsible from hand-line fishermen rather than pair trawlers. [167539]
§ Mr. BradshawDefra supports the sourcing of sea bass from sustainable fisheries and handlining, as a relatively low impact method of fishing, can play a part in ensuring fisheries remain sustainable. However, the last report in 2003 by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas on sea bass advised that the level of exploitation of the stock at that time was sustainable and did not recommend closure of the offshore pair trawl fishery. There are currently no restrictions at a UK or Community level on the method of fishing that can be used to target bass. In addition, to address the dolphin bycatch problem associated with the pair trawl fishery, Defra-funded trials of a separate grid device to reduce dolphin bycatch are currently taking place, with the cooperation of the fishing industry.
In these circumstances, I do not believe that recommending a specific source of supply for bass could be justified at this stage.