Correspondence to Dame Angela Eagle MP requesting additional information following the evidence session held on 28 January with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), The Crown Estate and Seafish, dated 11 February.

Key findings

• UK–EU annual negotiations for 2026 resulted in supplementary remedial measures including mesh size changes for critical fish stocks, effective by 1 June 2026, with the MMO working closely with Defra on implementation details still under discussion with industry.
• The Marine Spatial Prioritisation Programme (MSPri), a Defra-led initiative, has incorporated MMO modelling outputs but has no publicly available documents; the Committee seeks details of its board membership, meeting dates, annual operating costs, and specific sea-use prioritisation decisions it has informed.
• The Committee requests transparency on legal mechanisms required to implement technical measures into UK law, including secondary legislation, and clarity on how compliance and enforcement may differ between EU and UK vessels under respective catch composition rules.
• MSPri aims to optimise sea use, maximise co-location, and prioritise sea use, but the Committee has been unable to identify practical applications or evidence of stakeholder engagement, including fishing interests, in decision-making processes.

Key actors

Dame Angela Eagle MP, Michelle Willis, Olivia Thomas, Alistair Carmichael MP, Marine Management Organisation (MMO), The Crown Estate, Seafish, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)