The UK’s valuable fish stocks will be restored to sustainable levels alongside action to protect the marine environment and support jobs in coastal communities, as set out in five Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) published by the government today (16 December).
The latest plans cover North Sea and Channel sprat (developed jointly with the Scottish Government for English and Scottish waters), cockle, queen scallop, Southern North Sea and Channel skates and rays, and Southern North Sea demersal non-quota species.
These species make invaluable contributions to both the biodiversity of marine ecosystems and coastal communities through employment. The plans mark a shift in how these stocks are managed in English and wider UK waters to protect stocks from overexploitation.
Developed in close collaboration with the fishing industry and interested parties, the plans set out policies and evidence-based actions designed to protect these economically important fish stocks and ensure the fishing communities that rely on them can thrive for generations to come.
Fisheries Minister Dame Angela Eagle said
Ensuring sustainable fishing is vital to both our marine ecosystems and our coastal economies.
These new Fisheries Management Plans demonstrate our commitment to working hand-in-hand with the fishing industry to secure the long-term future of UK fish stocks and the livelihoods that rely on them – ensuring Britain’s fishing industry remains strong and prosperous for decades to come.
Examples of actions being considered in the short term include establishing a pilot drift net fishery for sprat in the North Sea and the Channel to test how barriers to fishing opportunities for specific gear types may be removed and introducing voluntary guidelines for skates and rays to improve species identification.
Fisheries Management Plans are developed collaboratively with the fishing industry and other interested stakeholders who have contributed their expertise and experience, ensuring the plans reflect the reality on the ground. The plans will play a vital role in charting a course towards long-term sustainability for our fisheries and the businesses that rely on them, whilst protecting marine ecosystems and strengthening food security across the UK.
National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations Chief Executive Mike Cohen said
The UK’s fisheries may be centuries old, but they are still deeply important. They provide thousands of jobs, and a sense of place and tradition that lies at the heart of many coastal communities. That hasn’t happened by accident. It takes hard work and constant innovation to keep our fishing industry sustainable and thriving.
The Fisheries Management Plan programme may be the most ambitious attempt ever made to achieve that. It is detailed, challenging work, built on collaboration, evidence and expertise. There are no shortcuts here and no easy solutions on offer. This is a grown-up approach to an important issue, and – more than ever before – it gives a voice to the people most affected by the decisions being made.
These plans are the next stage in that process and the NFFO looks forward to supporting their ongoing development.
The government is determined to seize the opportunities ahead for the UK’s fishing sector, ensuring the industry can maximise its contribution to the country’s food security and economic growth.
NOTES
- The Joint Fisheries Statement lists 43 fisheries management plans to help deliver our obligations under the Fisheries Act 2020, the Joint Fisheries Statement and the England Environmental Improvement Plan.
- Defra has published six Fisheries Management Plans so far covering bass, Channel demersal non-quota species, crab and lobster, king scallop, Southern North Sea and Eastern Channel mixed flatfish, and whelk. The latest plans can be found here
- Fisheries Management Plans will be reviewed at least every six years and updated to ensure they respond to new evidence and practical experience to remain effective changing circumstances.
- The sprat plan was prepared jointly with the Scottish Government and covers sprat fisheries in English and Scottish waters of the North Sea and English Channel.
- Demersal fish are species living close to the seafloor. Non-quota species (NQS) are species that do not have quota allocated to them setting out how much can be landed, and by whom.
- More information about the Fisheries Management Programme can be found in the Fisheries Management Programme blog.
Summary of responses and government response