Government to consult on five new Fisheries Management Plans

Five new draft Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) designed to improve the long-term sustainability of UK fish stocks have opened for consultation, securing the health of the UK fishing industry which depends on them.    

The draft plans, which have been developed following input from the fishing industry, provide the policies and evidence required to support fish stocks and a healthy fishing sector for generations to come.  The formal public  consultations offering the fishing industry and other stakeholders a further chance to shape the plans before they are finalised. The consultations reflect feedback from stakeholders, with fewer documents and stakeholder questions, reducing the level of work needed to contribute. 

The plans cover North Sea and Channel sprat (developed jointly with the Scottish Government and covering English and Scottish waters), Cockle, Queen scallop, Southern North Sea and Channel skates and rays, and Southern North Sea demersal non-quota species. Consultations will run for 14 weeks, ending on 19 January 2025. Each plan is tailored to the species, type of fishing and location – which is why working with the groups and communities that understand and use these fisheries is so important. 

Proposals in the plans will help deliver sustainable fish stocks, supporting the UK fishing industry and delivering growth in coastal communities for generations to come.   

FMPs will play a crucial role in supporting long-term sustainability of fishing businesses and delivering growth in coastal communities, restoring and protecting nature, and enhancing food security. They are recognised internationally as the gold standard in managing fisheries 

In addition to publishing the new draft plans, and after engaging extensively with stakeholders, Defra has published the mixed flatfish FMP, following consultation last year. 

The published plan reflects technical issues raised in the public consultation including restarting the sole survey in the Thames area and implementing minimum conservation reference size for lemon sole, turbot and brill in area 7.d.  

Alongside the FMP consultations, Defra and the fisheries policy authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have jointly launched a public consultation into amending deadlines for producing further FMPs as set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement.  This will be a shorter consultation, closing on 21 November.

The consultation proposes amending the publication deadlines for five Defra-led plans to the end of 2025, for 29 Scottish Government, Defra and DAERA jointly-led plans to the end of 2026, and for one Welsh Government-led plan to the end of 2028.  Some additional technical amendments are proposed. 

The proposed new deadlines will help to ensure that there is adequate time for the fishing sector and wider stakeholders to feed into the development of the FMPs, and for their views to be reflected as part of the co-design process.   

Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands Mairi Gougeon said:

"The revised timeline to deliver the remaining Fisheries Management Plans proposed by the four administrations will help to ensure that the fishing industry and others impacted by these proposals can play a meaningful role in developing them.  

Work is ongoing to develop the Scottish-led Fisheries Management Plans for UK waters. The Scottish Government will continue to engage to ensure that FMPs are fit for purpose, supporting sustainable fishing and our marine environment and ultimately benefiting Scotland’s fishing industry and coastal communities".

Mike Cohen, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, said: 

"The FMP approach is positive, collaborative and forward-looking: exactly what we need to support sustainable food production from the sea and growth in coastal communities.  

Expanding this ambition to new stocks in these latest consultations is a valuable step towards comprehensively modernising British fisheries management. The proposal to amend the deadlines for completing the FMP project is also deeply sensible.  

The first round of Plans showed how much effort is required to develop them. Allowing sufficient time to complete such essential work with the care that it deserves shows that stakeholders have been listened to and will be warmly welcomed by everyone who wants to see FMPs succeed".

More information about the Fisheries Management Programme can be found in the Fisheries Management Programme blog.

Pic credit: Fishing boats, Pittenweem (pic by A Robertson)