This newsletter provides a good overview of Government’s fishing programmes and their interaction with other marine programmes. To read the newsletter click here

Contents include:

Regional fisheries management

The reformed Common Fisheries policy establishes a regional approach to fisheries management. This is first being used to develop regional discard plans to support the implementation of the pelagic discard ban. 

Commission policy statement and ICES advice

The publication of both the European Commission’s policy statement setting out its approach to this year’s Total Allowable Catch (TAC) negotiations and the first round of scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) starts the road to the annual quota negotiations in December

Coastal Concordat

Defra is encouraging all English local authorities with responsibilities for coastal developments to adopt the Coastal Concordat which streamlines the consenting process for development and improves co-ordination between regulators.

 You can read the Coastal Concordat. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-coastal-concordat-for-england

Drift net ban

In May the European Commission announced proposals to prohibit the use of any kind of driftnet for fishing in all EU waters from 1 January 2015. The UK Government opposes this blanket ban.

The Commission believes that some driftnet fisheries in EU waters, particularly in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, harm marine ecosystems and measures intended to control their use in these seas have been unsuccessful. But, in our view, a blanket ban on use of driftnets is not the right way to solve this problem.

Fisheries management in Marine Protected Areas

Seventeen byelaws are now in place to manage fishing activities in European Marine Sites to protect habitat features at high risk of damage.

New fisheries grants fund

The European Commission recently announced that the UK will receive €243m (£190m) under the new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, which is due to open for applications in the UK in early 2015. More details available.

Scotland referendum and the fishing industry

Fishermen in Scotland will soon be voting in the Scotland referendum. In a letter to the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, George Eustice, UK Fisheries Minister, set out why Scotland is better off in the UK and the UK is better off with Scotland in it. His letter is summarised in FF34.

Seafish reports on revitalising its Responsible Fishing Scheme

Since the first vessel was accredited under the Seafish Responsible Fishing Scheme (RFS) at its launch at the 2008 Glasgow Fishing Expo, the global seascape has changed significantly.