Fisheries Management Plans consultations

Views sought on five new draft Fisheries Management Plans to secure the sustainability of UK fish stocks.

The United Kingdom's fisheries policy authorities (FPAs), Defra, and the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, have launched five new draft Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) designed to improve the long-term sustainability of UK fish stocks.

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 plans cover:

• North Sea and Channel sprat
• Cockle
• Queen scallop
• Southern North Sea and Channel skates and rays
• Southern North Sea demersal non-quota species

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.

Find out more about the consultations and how to respond.

Alongside the FMP consultations, a public consultation has been launched into amending deadlines for producing further FMPs. 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.

This will be a shorter consultation, closing on Thursday 21 November 2024.

Find out more about the consultation on the proposed amendment.

First published 14 October 2024