The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is encouraging sea anglers and commercial fishers to share their views on the future management of wrasses, black seabream and gilthead bream. 

Credit: MMO

Potential Management Measures 

MMO is leading development of new Fisheries Management Plans (FMP) for the species in English waters. 

It has launched a short online survey to help its understanding of the fishery, and the issues and opportunities sea anglers and commercial fishers think will affect them over the coming years. 

A further objective of the survey is to identify a wider set of stakeholders for involvement in more engagement as the FMPs are developed. 

It will help identify potential management measures and highlight where there is a lack of data about stocks. 

The Black Seabream FMP focuses on black seabream and gilthead bream in the Southern North Sea, English Channel, Bristol Channel and Celtic Sea (ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) Divisions 4b, 4c, 7a, 7d, 7e, 7g, 7h, and 7j).  

For the Wrasses Complex FMP, the key species are ballan wrasse, corkwing wrasse, goldsinny wrasse, rock cook wrasse and cuckoo wrasse in all English waters. 

The survey will close on 31 January 2025 and can be found here.