Marine Management Organisation

The discussions were wide and deep and took place within a spirit of frank and open engagement. Difficult issues and concerns were raised, information shared and solutions sought.

The main areas of discussion were:

• Implementation of the new EU Control Regulation
  • Weighing of fish – national sampling plan
  • Enforcement issues – a risk based and proportionate approach
  • The inappropriate use of Proceeds of Crime legislation against fishermen
  • Static gear marking requirements – safety issues
  • Margin of tolerance between logbook estimates and landing declaration – pragmatic and risk based enforcement
• Concordat
  • Concerns about the implications of a new phase of devolution and loss of coherence of UK policy
  • Welsh Assembly moves to discriminate against NFFO member vessels
  • Concerns about the removal of safeguards against defacto discrimination
  • Implications for quota management, including swaps and transfers
• Boarding Policy
  • Preparation of a revised code of conduct that makes clear what is expected from both skippers and boarding officers during boardings at sea
  • Greater appreciation of the imperatives of fishing operations by boarding officers
  • Ways of strengthening a dialogue between enforcement officers and the industry outside the context of immediate enforcement issues
  • The future contracts for fisheries enforcement at sea
• Contradictions in fisheries legislation between catch composition rules and discard reduction initiatives
• Net labelling of mesh size to reduce time spent during boardings at sea
• NFFO involvement in Gear Technology Group
• Weight loss in scallops and proportionate enforcement
• Quality assurance of MMO procedures to reduce the likelihood of a case being taken to prosecution when not justified
• Electronic logbooks and VMS
  • Update on procurement exercise for equipment for vessels over 12 metres
  • NFFO concerns about the industry’s exposure to extortion through the abuse of single supplier, monopoly, position
  • Cost of VMS air time
  • Low cost alternatives/ grant support for installation
  • Software problems and changing detailed rules in current e-logbook requirements
  • Current problems faced with e-logs
  • Lessons learned and timetable
  • EU derogation for under-12m day boats: a case for the Government’s Red Tape challenge
• SACs and Marine Conservation Zones
  • Update on Lyme Bay low-cost VMS/ feature protection
  • MCZ vulnerability to fishing pressures assessment
  • Management measures in SACs – strategic review
  • Engagement with MPAC
  • Engagement with those potentially affected by management measures
• Marine Spatial Planning
  • Eastern Plans update: pilots for other areas
  • Data on which plans will be based: dealing with shortcomings
  • Involvement and engagement with fishing industry
• Offshore Renewables
  • Data deficiencies and how to resolve them
  • Location of offshore wind-farms and displacement of fishing activities
  • The dangers of cosmetic consultation
  • A statutory obligation to consult
  • Cable burial issues
• Policy and Delivery
  • MMO as a conduit to Government on the enforcement of a dysfunctional management system
  • Identification of genuine operational difficulties in the current arrangements
• Strengthening engagement between the MMO and the NFFO