The United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has opened consultations on four new fisheries management plans – the final four plans being delivered by the department.
The new management plans will cover wrasses, seabream, Celtic Sea and Western Channel pelagic fish, and Celtic Sea and Western Channel demersal fish, the department said. According to DEFRA, the new management plans are intended to enhance the long-term sustainability of each stock.
“The U.K. has some of the best wild seafood in the world, and fisheries management plans are vital for securing its long-term sustainability so that our fishing industry continues to prosper,” U.K. Fisheries Minister Angela Eagle said.
The proposed actions on the stock include recovery plans for vulnerable stocks in the Celtic Sea and Western Channel, as well as building more information to manage what DEFRA called data-poor stocks.
“The fishing industry and wider stakeholders have already been involved in shaping these plans, but I urge all interested parties to respond to our consultations to help chart the course for the future,” Eagle said.
The management plans are a required part of the U.K. Fisheries Act, which became law in 2020. The act was established after the U.K. exited the European Union and was the first major piece of domestic fisheries legislation in 40 years.
Since the U.K. left the E.U., DEFRA has published 11 fisheries management plans, including North Sea and Channel sprat, queen scallop, seabream, crab and lobster, and bass.
