Photo by Tanya Barrow
The Scottish Government has launched a public consultation on 11 proposed joint UK fisheries management plans for demersal fish stocks, marking a significant step in delivering sustainable management of Scotland’s valuable whitefish fisheries.
The plans cover eleven different demersal fish stocks, species that live and feed on or near the seabed, which made up 25% of the total value of fish landed by Scottish vessels last year. Around 157 boats in Scotland mainly fish for these species.
Demersal species covered by the plans are commercially important within UK waters, with total landings by the UK fleet totalling £183 million in 2024, according to a Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment published alongside the consultation.
The overall ambition of each plan is to harvest demersal stocks sustainably and responsibly, minimise environmental impacts from demersal fishing, support the viability of fishing businesses and connected communities, and reduce the impact of fishing on climate change whilst supporting the industry to adapt to its impacts.
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands Mairi Gougeon said: “Our vision is for Scotland to be a world class fishing nation, delivering responsible and sustainable fisheries management. These draft Fisheries Management Plans mark a significant step forward in delivering our Fisheries Management Strategy whilst enhancing transparency, supporting innovation and mitigating the effects of climate change. I encourage everyone with an interest in Scotland’s marine environment to engage with this consultation and help shape the future of our fisheries.”
Fisheries Management Plans are a statutory requirement under the Fisheries Act 2020. The Scottish Government is responsible for leading the development of 21 out of 43 FMPs across the UK, with a statutory deadline of 31 December 2026.
The consultation follows extensive stakeholder workshops and pre-consultation engagement. The 11 plans cover: North Sea and West Coast of Scotland haddock, Atlantic haddock, North Sea and West Coast of Scotland saithe, Atlantic saithe, North Sea whiting, West Coast of Scotland whiting, Northern shelf cod, Atlantic cod, Northern shelf hake, North Sea and West Coast of Scotland megrim, and Northern shelf ling.
The plans bring together evidence on the state of the stocks and identify policies and actions necessary to manage fisheries in a sustainable way, setting out both short-term actions and longer-term vision for management of the fisheries.
The consultation notes that demersal fisheries in the UK are complex due to the mixed nature of these fisheries and the range of fish stocks involved, with demersal stocks often caught alongside each other. Although the stocks are subject to separate FMPs, there are many shared characteristics between them and similarities in where and how they are fished.
Welsh Government Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: “I welcome the launch of this joint consultation which is another positive step forward in the delivery of our ambitious plans across the UK to publish 43 Fisheries Management Plans. These will deliver long term sustainable management of our fisheries. The Welsh Government is jointly responsible for the Northern Shelf Hake FMP and we look forward to hearing views.”
The consultation will run until 11:59pm on 11 March 2026. The Scottish Government is urging the fishing industry, environmental organisations and those with an interest in fishing to respond.
Responses can be submitted through an online questionnaire at consult.gov.scot/marine-scotland/fisheries-management-plans-demersal-fish-stocks/, or by email or post.