Marine Fisheries
The UK has an important sea fish industry with one of the largest fishing fleets and fish processing industries in Europe. Freshwater fisheries is also a major leisure industry in our rural areas. In the UK, Defra is the lead department for fisheries and plays a major role in EU and international negotiations, as well as in managing and implementing fisheries policy.
Fish stocks are national and international resources that have to be husbanded sustainably. If we lose them from over-fishing, they may take many years to regenerate. We also have to protect all marine species from sea pollution which could wreck their ecology.
Latest news
- 12 September 2008: European Fisheries Fund – Scheme open to applications in England
- 8 August 2008: Consultation on the English Inshore Fleet – looking to the future
- 2 May 2008: Consultation (final phase) on the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) UK Operational Programme
- 7 March 2008: Consultation (first phase) on the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) UK Operational Programme
- 7 March 2008: Consultation on measures to protect the Fal and Helford Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
- 8 February 2008: Stakeholder engagement paper on UK implementation of the Electronic Recording and Reporting fishing activity (ERS) published
In this Section:
- Marine Fisheries Policy
On these pages you can read Fisheries 2027, Charting a New Course, Securing the Benefits, Net Benefits and the UK Government's response to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution Report Turning the tide. - Conservation
These pages cover conservation of fish stocks; the environmental impact of fishing; illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing; the Fisheries Partnerships Agreement report; Common Fisheries Policy and reforming the CFP. - Fisheries Management
On these pages you can find out about the registration of buyers and sellers of fish; administrative penalties; electronic recording/reporting of fishing activity; marking fishing gear; EU fleet policy/decommisioning; vessel licensing, quota management and bass. - Grants
These pages cover European Fisheries Fund grants, the National Strategic Plan and the Operational Programme. - Working with others
These pages provide information about other organisations Defra works with including Devolved Administrations, Cefas, Regional Advisory Councils, Seafish and Sea Fisheries Committees, as well as the Marine Fisheries Stakeholder Forum.
Further Information
- Enforcement
The Marine and Fisheries Agency Agency is responsible for enforcement of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and its associated regulations in English and Welsh waters within British Fishery Limits. See www.mfa.gov.uk/about/duties_regulation.htm for more information.
Commission Regulation 517/2008 of 10th June 2008 lays down rules for the determination of mesh size and twine thickness when using the Omega net measuring gauge and specified twine thickness gauges respectively.
Article 24 of this regulation creates a transitional period until 1st September 2009 during which time Member States may continue to use the existing procedures as laid down in Regulation (EC) 129/2003.
Until further notice the UK authorities will continue to use the procedures for measuring mesh size in conformity with the existing Regulation (EC) 129/2003. The European Commission has been so informed. - Statistics
You can see UK catch statistics at www.mfa.gov.uk/statistics/catch.htm
Page last modified: 12 September 2008
Page published: 14 December 2007