On the 16th of October, new legislation was introduced into Parliament which implements a range of the short-term management measures proposed through several of the first FMPs including: the crab and lobster FMP, Channel demersal non quota species (NQS) FMP, seabass FMP, and the Eastern Channel mixed flatfish FMP.
The legislation will help manage a number of fish species and will come into force on the 16th of December 2024.
These measures have been identified within the FMPs as priority management that needs to be introduced in the short term to provide additional protection to vulnerable stocks.
The measures being introduced include:
- The introduction of minimum conservation reference sizes (MCRS) for lemon sole (250mm), turbot (300mm), and brill (300mm) in the English waters of ICES designated areas 7d and 7e (the Channel Sea).
- An increase to the existing MCRS for crawfish in all English waters to 110mm to protect the juveniles of these stocks from being landed before they have matured and had chance to reproduce.
- A requirement that all fly seining vessels use a 100mm mesh as standard in the English waters of ICES divisions 7d and 7e so that smaller, juvenile fish can escape from the nets and have chance to reproduce.
- A restriction of the engine power of vessels using fly seining gear in the English territorial waters of these areas 7d and 7e to help manage fishing pressures on demersal NQS in inshore fishing grounds (the more powerful an engine, the bigger the boat and ability to fish in adverse weather).
- Remove the UK-EU annually negotiated catch limits for commercially caught bass from secondary legislation so that they can be updated through fishing license conditions. License conditions are generally quick to introduce and would allow the commercial bass catch limits to be updated promptly following international negotiations, so they are in line with evolving evidence.
Any changes to fishing gear and/or fishing practices to comply with these new measures will need to be made by the 16th of December 2024.
