Sets the high-level, strategic direction for fisheries management in the UK over the coming years.
Contents
Joint Fisheries Statement
Published on 21 November 2022, the Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS) is a requirement under Section 2 of the Fisheries Act 2020 (The Act).
The JFS is a key element of the UK Fisheries Framework, setting the high-level, strategic direction for fisheries management.
The statement sets out the policies for achieving, or helping to achieve, the eight fisheries objectives set out in the Act. Our future policy development will need to reflect the policies within the JFS and the fisheries objectives.
It also sets out a list of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs), to be delivered over the lifetime of the first statement. FMPs will be key tools to deliver sustainable and well-managed fisheries, helping to meet the JFS’s policy commitments. Some FMPs are joint approaches with other administrations. These reflect the geographic extent of the particular fish stocks. Others are regional Wales plans which reflect and support our own policy aims and ambitions.
Following review and consultation, Annex A of the JFS has been amended. The amended version is published at Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS) - GOV.UK.
Fisheries Management Plans
The King Scallop Fisheries Management Plan and the Seabass Fisheries Management Plan are joint England and Wales plans and are the first to be introduced. These plans were published on 14 December 2023.
Environmental assessment and evidence reports for the FMPs were published on 8 February 2024.
The Joint Fisheries Statement and a list of Fisheries Management plans are now available (on gov.uk).
The King Scallop Fisheries Management plan is now available (on gov.uk).
The Sea Bass Fisheries Management plan is now available (on gov.uk).