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The Marine Management Organisation has finalised dates, times and places for its second round of conversations with south coast fishers about the Channel demersal non-quota species Fisheries Management Plan.

Please visit Channel non-quota species FMP engagement update - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) for details including the engagement schedule or visit our dedicated FMP webpage where you can find a link to the engagement schedule.

The Fleet Modernisation round, part of the £100 million UK Seafood Fund, is now open for applications until 31st October 2023 to support the catching sector. 

The UK fishing industry is to benefit from an initial £2 million investment to trial new, greener engines that will reduce fuel costs and help create a safer, more sustainable fishing fleet. Vessels in the small-scale coastal fleet can bid for up to £40,000 to trial hybrid and electric engines, and up to £20,000 to fund replacement petrol and diesel engines that are more environmentally friendly. 

As well as supporting the fishing indsutry to deal with rising fuel costs, the trial aims to gather new data and evidence to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve efficiency and reliability, and help the fishing industry to reach net zero.

This round will be administered by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), more details can be found online on the Infrastructure Scheme webpage and the UK Fisheries Support System (UKFSS) page. 

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO), acting on behalf of all four UK Fisheries Administrations have published a call for evidence on a proposal to close UK waters of ICES area 7d and Lyme Bay area of 7e to the king scallop (Pecten maximus) dredge fishery. The proposed closure periods are from 15th May, 1st July or 1st August to 30th September 2023 to EU and UK vessels.

The proposed closure is designed to offer protection for king scallops during their spawning season, support future growth in the population and limit depletion of the stock in area 7e due to displacement of fishing effort. 

Please click here for more information including details on how to respond to the call for evidence. The consultation will close at 11:45pm on 19th March 2023.

Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is seeking views on a draft byelaw, and associated Impact Assessment, to manage fishing using bottom towed gear in specified areas in 13 marine protected areas (MPAs). 

This byelaw is part of Stage 2 of the MMO's work to manage fishing in England’s offshore MPAs. Stage 2 focusses on the management of bottom towed gear over rock, and rocky and biogenic reef features. These features are some of the most sensitive to the impacts of bottom towed fishing. A call for evidence on a draft assessment of the impact of bottom towed gear on these features was held between 14 May and 10 July 2022.  

For more information on the formal consultation including how to participate please visit Formal Consultation - MMO management of fishing activity impacts in marine protected areas - Stage 2 - Defra - Citizen Space

 

Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is also seeking additional evidence and views on our draft 'Stage 3 Fishing Gear MPA Impacts Evidence' documents in relation to the impacts of fishing on designated features in marine protected areas (MPAs). These documents collate and analyse the best available evidence on the impacts of fishing gears on MPA features and will inform site level assessments of the impact of fishing on MPAs as part of Stage 3 of the MMO’s work to manage fishing in MPAs.

Stage 3 covers all remaining interactions between fishing gear and designated seabed features within MPAs not already assessed in Stages 1 and 2. The impacts of fishing on MPAs designated for marine birds and harbour porpoise will be addressed in a separate Stage 4.

For more information on the call for evidence including how to participate please visit Call for evidence – gear-feature interactions in marine protected areas - Stage 3 - Defra - Citizen Space

Both the formal consultation and the call for evidence close on 28th March 2023.

The MMO are holding a fresh set of quayside conversations with fishers in ports on the south coast to get their views on ongoing development of the Channel demersal non-quota species FMP.

They are particularly interested in what fishers think of the vision and goals proposed for the FMP and any other matters relating to the FMP during sessions to be held in February and March. There will also be sessions online for fishers who may struggle to meet in person.

Further details of the vision and goals, along with more specific information about location and timings for the discussions will be communicated over the coming month. The MMO are encouraging fishers to keep an eye on MMO social media channels, the MMO website and for posters in harbours to find out more. 

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has several current and upcoming general member vacancies in the ten regional Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCA) across England.

MMO will be seeking to appoint to fill current vacancies and create a reserve list for upcoming vacancies. These voluntary roles require candidates who can take a balanced approach to caring for our seas, assessing the priorities and needs of all users and stakeholders. It is essential that candidates have some local knowledge of the IFCA area for which they are applying. The members of the IFCA contribute their knowledge and experience to provide sustainable management of their IFCA district.

The MMO are also accepting applications from both current and former IFCA general members who are nearing the end of their ten-year term as well as those members who have left having already served a ten-year term. Applications from these members will be considered alongside all other applicants in a fair an open competitive process and will be appointed on merit to ensure a fair balance of sector representation.

For more information on the role of an IFCA General Member, details of opportunities for specific IFCAs and details on how to apply please visit the MMO website at the link below:
Exciting opportunity to participate in the management of inshore fisheries and marine conservation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Project Kraken is a national campaign led by Border Force which aims to increase viligance and awareness of suspicious behaviour around the UK coastline. Border Force are working together with the community and other law enforcement authorities to help tackle maritime border crime. To find out more or how to report suspicious behaviour, click 'Read more' below and see the  gov.uk website and the Crimestoppers website.

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The Southern IFCA Annual Report for the period April 2021 to March 2022 has now been published on our website! View the Annual Report for April 2021 to March 2022.

The IFCA are required, under the Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009), to produce an Annual Report, which seeks to provide an account of the work delivered during the previous reporting year. This report is sent to the Secretary of State annually following the end of the financial year.  

A new page has been launched on the Southern IFCA website to signpost our stakeholders to sources of information on the development of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) under The Fisheries Act 2020. Information is provided on the delivery partners who are working with Defra to develop each of the 'frontrunner' FMPs, updates from those delivery partners and any engagement opportunities. Contact information is also provided for the relevant delivery partner for each FMP.

Please click here to visit our new FMP page and use the clickable links within the page to navigate to information on a particular FMP.

Seafish are currently developing a King Scallop Fisheries Management Plan (FMP). They are looking for you to get invovled during stakeholder events. This work is being led by the Scallop Industry Consultation Group Working Group, an industry-led co-management group. 

Please click here for more details including a list of engagement events

For more information or to register your interest in attending an event please contact fisheriesmanagementplans@seafish.co.uk. 

The process of undertaking the 4th annual surveillance audit for the Marine Stewardship Council certification of the Poole Clam & Cockle Fishery has commenced. In addition, the fishery is also entering the process of re-assessment as the current certification (valid for 5 years) will come to an end in 2023. The audit and reassessment are being carried out by Control Union (UK) Limited.

As part of its work on the new bass fisheries management plan (FMP), Policy Lab will be running a nationwide online debate in which stakeholders from across the sector can get involved to share their ideas for the new FMP. This will take place between Monday 15th - Friday 19th August 2022. Participants take part by anonymously logging onto a platform for around 10 mins each day. While on the platform, they are presented with a series of statements about the bass world and the FMP, which they can vote to agree or disagree with. 

You can sign up by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/bassfmpci. 

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) will publish a new Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) for sea bass in 2023. Defra and Policy Lab are working together to co-create the new plan with a diverse range of individuals and interest groups in this space. 

Policy Lab are running a drop-in session In Poole on 6th July between 10.30am - 3pm at the Quay Cafe to meet with fishers to discuss experiences of bass and perspectives for the new bass FMP.

Please click here for more information.

On Friday the 17^th of June 2022, the 6 week consultation period for the bottom towed fishing gear byelaw review began. 
 

The current byelaw manages the use of bottom towed fishing gear within the district through closure areas and gear restrictions. The consultation takes into account updated evidence and Southern IFCA invites responses from any interested parties until the 1st of August 2022. 

For more information visit our Live Consultations page for the full document and guidance on how to respond to the consultation. 

On Tuesday 7^th June 2022 at Portsmouth Magistrates Court, Viviers (UK) Ltd., Fish and Shellfish Merchants, Camber Docks, Gunwharf Road, Portsmouth, pleaded guilty to 3 counts of storing undersized shellfish on their premises. Charges were laid by the Southern Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority and Viviers (UK) Ltd. were ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £10,946.00.

Over the last few weeks, Southern IFCA have supported the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) on a number of patrols of Studland Bay in order to raise awareness of the recently introduced Voluntary No Anchor Zone. Officers from the MMO engaged with over 70 vessels over the May Bank Holiday Weekend and reported "Approximately only 20% of people we engaged with said they were unaware of the voluntary no anchor zone which is an encouraging step in the right direction."

To read the full MMO blog on the Studland Bay Voluntary No Anchor Zone Patrols, please click here. 

On Wednesday 4^th May 2022 at Poole Magistrates Court, Poole fishermen Andrew Skinner & Reginald Skinner, pleaded guilty to retaining on board their fishing vessel, Lula Bon PE892, a quantity of manila clams that measured below the minimum conservation reference size.  Charges were laid by the Southern Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (Southern IFCA) and both men were ordered to pay costs and fines totalling £4,094.00.