Policy Lab has created this survey for everyone with an interest and stake in bass fishing in England and Wales. The purpose of the survey is to find out more about stakeholders' preferences for addressing some of the main challenges of the new Sea Bass Fisheries Management Plan (FMP), which will be published in 2023.
This survey complements face-to-face and online 'co-design' workshops, which took place Plymouth, Milford Haven and Lowestoft in October 2022.
About the structure of this survey
You will be presented with 13 questions, each supported by 2-4 potential solutions as to how the questions could be addressed/managed in the future FMP. The questions and potential solutions are the same as those presented in the co-design workshops; however, the structure has been simplified to suit the survey format. Policy Lab has worked closely with Defra and Cefas in drafting the potential solutions, to ensure they are linked to overarching areas of the FMP.
You will be asked to choose one potential solution that you would like to prioritise for addressing each of the 13 challenges. Any extra information provided in the notes enables you to provide further insights regarding your selection.
You will have an option to comment on your preference and you can also abstain if you are unable or unwilling to decide on your preference. You are welcome to comment on your decision in the comment box.
The survey should take around 10 minutes to complete.
About this project
In preparation for the Bass Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) in 2023, Defra and the Welsh Government have partnered with Policy Lab, a multidisciplinary team based at the Department for Education, to help them co-create the new FMP plan with a diverse range of individuals and interest groups in this space.
Policy Lab spent the summer visiting bass locations across England and Wales to speak to over 90 fishers and other key stakeholders about challenges and opportunities of bass fishing. They also facilitated a week-long online 'collective intelligence' debate that brought together close to 280 participants to discuss the future of bass fishing and regulation. You can read about the initial findings from the debate here.
Policy Lab used the findings from the 'lived experience' research and collective intelligence debate to inform co-design workshops, which took place in mid-October in Plymouth, Milford Haven and Lowestoft as well as online. This survey builds on the co-design workshops and is based on the same scenarios.
Next steps
Following the completion and analysis of the co-design workshops and surveys a ‘co-refine’ process will follow. There will be the opportunity to provide feedback, via email, on the priorities selected from the co-design process. We will email the outcomes w/c 21st November.
The proposed FMP solutions will go forward in a report to Defra in December 2022. The report will inform the final Bass FMP, which is due to go out for formal public consultation in summer 2023, with final publication in late 2023.
