Our waters are a precious natural resource, and they must be managed carefully. As you correctly point out, our coastal communities and the biodiversity of the ocean depend on good and sustainable management of our fisheries.
The UK is a global leader in protecting its ocean and marine life. 374 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) now protect 38 per cent of UK waters, and further plans to manage fishing activity are being developed.
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has developed an ambitious programme for assessing sites and implementing byelaws to manage fishing activity in all English offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). In inshore waters, 98 MPAs already have management in place to protect sensitive habitats from bottom towed fishing gear and the first four offshore byelaws are now in force and plans are in place to protect all offshore sites by the end of 2024, using powers enshrined in the Fisheries Act 2020.
These Byelaws are developed using an evidence-led process to determine what measures are required to protect sites. Site-by-site assessments are carried out to tailor management measures and avoid unnecessary restrictions on fishing. Only fishing activities which could damage the protected features of an MPA require management, such as trawling on the seabed, and the MMO and Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities will always manage any fishing activity that is found to be negatively impacting the protected features of MPAs.
The MMO recently launched a call for evidence on its draft fisheries assessment for the next 13 offshore MPAs. Ministers are considering policies for large pelagic trawlers and fly seining, working with the industry to develop more robust management of the non-quota species which these vessels are targeting, as well as quota stocks.
Under the Fisheries Act, vessels fishing commercially in UK waters must have a licence to do so. All licences have a set of conditions which specify the area in which fishing is authorised, the time period permitting for fishing, the quantities and description of which species may be caught and the permitted fishing method. I understand that these conditions are subject to periodic review and are based on the scientific evidence.
The Fisheries Act enshrines the Government’s commitment to sustainable fishing through its objectives and fisheries statements, which introduce Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) to restore our fish stocks to sustainable levels. The draft Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS) commits the UK Government and Devolved Administrations to work together to adopt an ‘ecosystem-based approach’ to fisheries that will underpin a vibrant, profitable fishing industry resilient to climate change. The JFS includes a list of proposed FMPs to be published by the UK Administrations
Further, the Act contains a ‘bycatch objective’ seeking to reduce the wasteful practice of discarding fish; an ‘ecosystem objective’ to minimise and, where possible, eliminate negative impacts on marine ecosystems; and a new ‘climate change objective’ which recognises and seeks to reduce the impact of fishing on the health of our oceans and our planet.
I have noted your concerns about fishing licences for 2023 and will pass on your comments to my ministerial colleagues at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.