Four draft fisheries management plans have opened for consultation, Defra has announced.
Developed in collaboration with fishing industry stakeholders and running for 12 weeks until 5 May, the plans set out evidence-based policies and actions designed to protect fish stocks, support the fishing industry, and safeguard the welfare of coastal communities.
The plans – tailored by species, fishing type and location – cover seabream and wrasse, as well as demersal and pelagic species, in the Celtic Sea and western Channel.
The proposed actions include developing recovery plans for vulnerable stocks in the Celtic Sea and western Channel, building an evidence base to manage data-poor stocks better, and improving data collection and monitoring.
“The UK has some of the best wild seafood in the world and fisheries management plans are vital for securing its long-term sustainability so that our fishing industry continues to prosper,” said fisheries minister Angela Eagle. “The fishing industry and wider stakeholders have already been involved in shaping these plans, but I urge all interested parties to respond to our consultations to help chart the course for the future.”
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Fisheries management plans are a key requirement of the Fisheries Act 2020, and the UK Joint Fisheries Statement, published in November 2022.
Defra has published 11 fisheries management plans so far, including those on cockle, queen scallop, North Sea and Channel sprat, southern North Sea and Channel skates and rays, and southern North Sea demersal non-quota species.
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