The National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations
Leaving aside the possibility of a hiccup in these politically turbulent times, it is now possible that the UK will leave the EU on 31st October, or shortly after, within the context of the UK/EU withdrawal agreement settled in Brussels last week.
A report, recently published by ICES, marks an important milestone in the incorporation of information generated by the fishing industry itself into the stock assessment process. The report follows an important meeting of scientists and industry representatives earlier in the year, in Copenhagen, during which industry representatives described the many forms that industry/science partnerships are already taking and could take in the future.
HM Government has published a checklist for fishing vessels in the event that the UK leaves the EU on 31st October 2019.
An industry-led initiative to focus attention on the future management of our inshore fisheries has been judged a major success. Fishermen from various parts of the coast, industry representatives, senior government officials and the IFCAs, used the two-day conference in London to discuss the challenges and opportunities faced in managing the inshore sector. Experts were brought in from Canada, US, Norway and New Zealand to offer insights from the experience from inshore fisheries there. Work will now begin on converting the conference conclusions into a blueprint for the sector, although it is highly unlikely that there will be a one-size -fits-all approach.
Defra have consulted on how any additional quota, obtained as the UK renegotiates its fisheries relationship with the EU as it leaves the Common Fisheries Policy, should be distributed. The NFFO have submitted the following response.
The Future of Our Inshore Fisheries Conference will be held in London on 8th/9th October. Your views are important.
A new £10 million fund designed to stimulate innovation in the seafood sector to help meet the challenges ahead has been launched. The Seafood Innovation Fund is now open for applications.
Disappointment is almost inadequate as a term to describe the news that once again the iconic North Sea cod stock is in trouble. After a decade and a half in which the stock has been slowly but steadily increasing, the biomass is again in steep decline.
A seminar in Brussels, organised recently by the European Commission, was held to take stock of the EU landing obligation, which came fully into force for demersal species on 1st January 2019. Around 100 participants presented their views on how the landing obligation was being implemented, what problems remained and what lessons were being learned.
A series of meetings between regulators and the fishing industry, to discuss the implementation issues arising from the landing obligation, have now been formalised as the "Landing Obligation Forum." Another name for the forum could be an "in-year implementation/solutions group."
An industry-led initiative to focus attention on the future management of our inshore fisheries has been judged a major success. Fishermen from various parts of the coast, industry representatives, senior government officials and the IFCAs, used the two-day conference in London to discuss the challenges and opportunities faced in managing the inshore sector. Experts were brought in from Canada, US, Norway and New Zealand to offer insights from the experience from inshore fisheries there. Work will now begin on converting the conference conclusions into a blueprint for the sector, although it is highly unlikely that there will be a one-size -fits-all approach.
Defra have consulted on how any additional quota, obtained as the UK renegotiates its fisheries relationship with the EU as it leaves the Common Fisheries Policy, should be distributed. The NFFO have submitted the following response.
As the Government is poised to extend the use of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) across the inshore fleet in England, recent experience with electronic monitoring systems (EMS) illustrate two very different trajectories for fisheries management.