News
Public Consultation on Tranche 4 FMPs is now Live
The public consultation for Tranche 4 FMPs is now live, with the draft FMPs and accompanying documents now available for review and feedback.
Each of the four FMPs cover all or part of the Southern IFCA district. Further information including where to access the documents, how to respond and upcoming engagement events can be accessed through the links below. Please see the 'Upcoming FMP Specific Engagement' section to the right for information on engagement sessions relevant to these FMPs during the consultation period.
The consultations are open until 11:59pm on 5th May 2026.
Information on the T4 FMPs:
Tranche 4 FMPs public consultation
There are also factsheets available for each of the FMPs, available online here.
The Consultation for the T4 FMPs:
Responses to the consultation can be online, by email, or by post. Please see the individual FMP consultation pages linked above for more detail on how to respond.
Publication of Tranche 3 FMPs
The Tranche 3 FMPs were published on Tuesday 16th December 2025, information on this round of FMPs can be found here. The finalised FMPs can be found at the links below:
Consultation on Scottish led FMPs
Eleven Scottish led Demersal FMPs are out for public consultation, three of which are relevant to The District:
- North Sea and Eastern Channel Whiting
- Northern Shelf Cod
- Northern Shelf Hake
Information on the consultation and how to participate is available at the link below:
Scottish lead Demersal FMPs
Outputs from the Bass Authorisation Review
The Bass Authorisation Review Report has been published, the review contains 24 recommendations. The recommendations will be consulted on further before any final decisions are made. All the information can be found at the link below:
The Bass Authorisation Review Report
Outputs from the Cuttlefish Action Plan
The Cuttlefish Marketing Sampling Report has been published, this is one of the output from the Cuttlefish Action Plan looking at the effectiveness of ID cards and gathered vital biological data from landings. Further information can be found at the link below:
Cuttlefish Market Sampling Report 2025
Alongside this there has been a research call for Benefits of Underwater Structures for Cuttlefish Egg Survival. Plymouth University, in collaboration with Cefas and Defra, is seeking local knowledge to help fill evidence gaps on cuttlefish egg-laying behaviour and the potential benefits of artificial substrates. Further information can be found on the News Page.
Upcoming FMP Specific Engagement
Public Consultation on Tranche 4 FMPs
As part of the public consultation on the Tranche 4 FMPs, a series of consultation events are being run to enable engagement with the FMP team, to ask questions and to explore the proposals in more detail.
In-Person Events
In-person events are being held in the South and South West for the Celtic Sea and Western Channel Pelagic and Demersal FMPs. Dates for the Wrasses Complex and Seabream FMP will be annonced at a future time.
Celtic Sea and Western Channel pelagic FMP
- Newlyn Tuesday 24 March, 10:00am to 12:00pm
- Mevagissey Wednesday 25 March, 10:00am to 12:00pm
Celtic Sea and Western Channel demersal FMP
- Ilfracombe Tuesday 14 April, 5:00pm to 7:30pm
- Brixham Wednesday 15 April, 10:00am to 12:30pm
- Plymouth Wednesday 15 April, 5:00pm to 7:30pm
- Mevagissey Thursday 16 April, 4:00pm to 6:30pm
- Newlyn Friday 17 April, 10:00am to 12:30pm
For more information and sign up for the events please use the link below:
FMP events – Fisheries Management Plans
Cuttlefish and Whelk In-Person Drop in Sessions
The MMO are holding a series of informal drop in sessions in the south and south-west, to talk about cuttlefish and whelk.
The MMO want to hear your thoughts on the following for cuttlefish:
- Tell us what you think of the action plan and what could work better.
- Hear how our current actions are progressing and help shape future management ideas and research priorities.
- Look together at the latest results from the market sampling project and what they mean for the fishery.
- Discuss how the Voluntary Codes of Practice are being used in the real world — and how well they’re working.
And for whelk, the MMO wish to:
- Get your insight on pot number reporting — what works, what doesn’t, and how we can make the system more practical for skippers and crews.
- Hear your views on the proposed whelk permit scheme — the good, the bad, and any options you think should be on the table. Your experience is crucial in shaping something that’s fair and workable.
Event locations and times (events occuring in the District are in bold):
Monday 2 March 2026
- Newlyn 10:00am to 11:30am - CFPO, 46 Fore Street TR18 5JR
- Plymouth 3:30pm to 5:00pm - The Ship, The Barbican PL1 2JZ
Tuesday 3 March 2026
- Brixham 10:00am to 11:30am - Brixham Trawler Agents Ltd, New Fish Quay, Brixham TQ5 8AW
- Lyme Regis 3:00pm to 4:30pm - Fishing College, Harbour Entrance, The Cobb DT7 3JJ
Wednesday 4 March 2026
- Weymouth 10:30am to 12:00pm – The Ship Inn Custom House Quay, DT4 8BE
- Poole 2:30pm to 4:00pm - MMO Poole, The Quay BH15 1HP
Thursday 5 March 2026
- Portsmouth 9:30am to 11:00am - Farmhouse Innlodge Hotel, Burrfields Road PO3 5HH
- Shoreham-by-Sea 2:30pm to 4:00pm - Sussex Yacht Club, 85/89 Brighton Road BN43 6RF
Friday 6 March 2026
- Eastbourne 9:00am to 10:00am - Eastbourne CIC, Fishermans Quay, Atlantic Drive BN23 5UY
- Hastings 1:00pm to 2:30pm - RNLI Lifeboat Station, The Stade, Rock-a-Nore Road TN34 3FJ
Further information can be found as the links below:
FMP Posters and Information
Defra have released informative posters which outline FMPs. Posters will be distributed throughout the district in local ports. The posters include QR codes to further information and contact details for each FMP. Please find the links below:
Defra FMPs
The Defra FMP Blog provides posts on all things FMP from Defra and Delivery Partners - Fisheries Management Plans – News and updates from Defra's Fisheries Management Plans
The MMO have produced for each of the frontrunners two posters and a short video to help explain the goals and progress of these FMPs.
Please follow the links below:
An FMP directory has been created with quick links to the first 15 FMPs.
FMP Directory
