Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-02-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to reduce the administrative burden placed on fishing boats under 10 metres.
George Eustice
I am keen to ensure that administrative burdens on the small-scale fleet are kept to the minimum possible, while still allowing for effective management of the fishery. Improvements to the services offered to fishermen by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) include:
- Simplification of the application process under the new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund scheme;
- The introduction of exemptions under the Landings Obligation so that industry does not have to bear a disproportionate cost of disposing of unwanted fish;
- Streamlining application forms to reduce size and make them easier to understand; and,
- Moving to permanent vessel licences, eliminating the need to replace them every five years.
Defra and the MMO will continue to engage with individuals within the ten metres and under fishing community in order to identify additional areas where administrative burdens might be reduced, or where other improvements could be made.
