I am concerned that the European sea bass is particularly vulnerable to overfishing. Most bass are taken by the French fishing fleet, so Ministers have focused on addressing this issue at the European level by playing an active role in EU discussions about sea bass stocks.
With UK control of waters in our exclusive economic zone we will be able not only to husband fish stocks more wisely, but also ensure that we allow our fishing industry to grow sustainably in the future. Outside the EU, as an independent coastal state, we can be home to world class fishing fleets as well as proving ourselves environmental leaders.