This call for evidence seeks input from people with expert knowledge of inshore marine fisheries in Scotland (e.g. academics, fishers, national and regional fisheries representatives, eNGOs, seafood processors, coastal communities). We anticipate input to range from papers and data to relaying of personal experience and expert opinion to inform development of this policy.
The Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate has an Inshore Fisheries Management Improvement (IFMI) Programme that presents an opportunity to develop a new framework for agile management of our inshore sea fisheries.
Our vision is that this framework will enable us to tailor a wider range of fisheries management tools to the changing needs of our marine environment and sea fishers, based on the best available scientific data.
Our Fisheries Management Strategy outlines our commitment to working with stakeholders, and this framework offers an opportunity to strengthen existing arrangements.
The IFMI programme will consider a structure that enables a greater focus on strategic decision making both regionally and nationally. It will help us to manage fishing activity within our inshore marine space, and consider how responsibility for management and delivery can be shared whilst respecting the ultimate accountability of Scottish Ministers to the Scottish Parliament and the general public.
All of the information required to respond to this call for evidence can be found here on Citizen Space. The same information can be found on the Scottish Government website.
Useful information about responding to this call for evidenceWhy your views matter
Following this call for evidence, Scottish Ministers have committed to consulting on the IFMI framework in late 2025. Through this call for evidence your experience of Scotland’s inshore fisheries will inform the development of the IFMI policy proposal ahead of this consultation.
Wherever possible, please submit evidence to support your answer.
This Call for Evidence is open for a 10 week period.
The responses received will be instrumental in enabling us to develop a framework more fully based on the received evidence after it closes. We will engage with stakeholders to refine the proposal and consider implementation and monitoring before bringing it to public consultation in late 2025 to receive views on a final proposal. Following consideration of consultation responses, we expect to begin implementation in late 2026.