As it strives to deliver its energy, environmental and growth commitments, balancing the pressures on the marine environment will be a challenge for the Government. Following the UK’s exit from the EU, the UK takes part in several different international fisheries negotiations as an independent coastal state to agree total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas …
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7th Report – Resetting the relationship with fishing commun… | HC 680 | 24 Apr 2026 | 27 | Overdue |
While we welcome the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, the government has not clearly set out its rationale for committing £360 million over 12 years. The timeframe aligns with revised reciprocal access arrangements between the UK and EU, but it is unclear why this duration is the most suitable for …
The government should provide this Committee with the analysis supporting the £360 million funding level, the 12-year duration and whatever the profile of this spending is expected to be over that period, including the reasons for establishing a new scheme rather than building on existing ones. It should also set …
The government clearly recognises the strong relationship between fishing activity and coastal community wellbeing. Evidence shows that challenges such as inadequate port infrastructure and limited skills and training pathways require targeted support to sustain active fishing communities. The Fund’s priorities for its first year reflect this need. However, from the …
Priority should be given to projects driven by active fishing communities during the Fund’s 12 years of operation. This principle should be embedded in any expanded delivery model or in any new scheme developed, with 26 clear and measurable criteria to ensure support continues to strengthen the fishing sector and …
No Parliament can bind its successor and therefore front-loading the 12-year investment would better support ambitious, multi-year projects and deliver early benefits. Current plans for the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund provide £165 million up to 2030–31, yet England’s first-year allocation is just £22.6 million, less than one-twelfth of the …
In response to this report, the government should set out the year-by-year allocation of the budget in England for the next four years and clarify how funding will be provided to the devolved administrations through the block grant, including whether this will be annual, front-loaded, or issued as a single …
We welcome the scale of engagement carried out in developing the Fund and note clear evidence that stakeholder views have informed its early design, such as the introduction of competitive rounds in the first year of the fund. However, there were significant gaps in representation that must be addressed in …
From year two onward, delivery of the Fund will not be limited to the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme and will incorporate a broader range of priorities such as community projects which are potentially beyond the remit of what the current schemes, and the Marine Management Organisation, deliver. (Conclusion, Paragraph 17)
Industry engagement should continue at a consistent level in the development of the Fund from year two onwards and be expanded to include additional fisheries groups and representatives from Cornwall. In response to this report, the government should set out whether, from year two of the fund onwards, it intends …
The allocation of the Fisheries and Coastal Growth Fund through the Barnett formula is inconsistent with model preferred by industry stakeholders in all parts of the United Kingdom. We are concerned that it does not reflect the relative scale, distribution or needs of the fishing industry across the UK. In …
It is not credible for any devolved administration to demand devolution of a scheme and then to complain about the financial consequences of them being given what they asked for. It is difficult not to see this as a demand that was driven by the politics of the constitution rather …
Going forward, the UK Government should work collaboratively with the devolved administrations on the design and allocation of the Fund to ensure consistency and fairness across the sector for the allocations in year two. Seafish should be used to support a coherent UK-wide approach. (Recommendation, Paragraph 24) Communication and trust
Trust between government and the fishing industry has been damaged by successive administrations. Rebuilding that trust is essential if the sector is to deliver its full economic potential for the individuals and communities it supports. Fishers are calling for a stronger voice in the decisions that affect them. Although the …
Defra should require all officials working on fisheries policy, funding schemes and regulatory design to undertake regular, in-person engagement at ports and with those operating active fishing vessels. This programme should mirror the department’s existing initiative 28 to place civil servants on farms, ensuring that officials have a clear, practical …
We welcome Defra’s trials of regional seafood planning in England, but more benefits will arise if the scope and participation of the trials are broadened to better capture the full range of perspectives from fishing communities and the wider seafood sector. This will enable policy to be shaped more effectively …
Defra should establish a UK-wide network of Regional Fisheries Management Forums, comprising of fishers, marine scientists and environmental organisations. These forums should meet at least three times a year, with minutes published within 20 working days, and be given a formal role in reviewing and commenting on any draft technical …
Communication and engagement with the fishing industry on the outcomes of the annual UK–EU consultations for 2026 regarding changes to technical measures were inadequate, with unclear messaging on implementation timelines and confusion even among delivery bodies. This has left industry without reliable information on changes that directly affect their operations. …
In response to this report, Defra should provide the Committee with a clear written account of its engagement with the fishing industry following the release of the December 2025 UK–EU fisheries written record. This should set out the dates and stakeholders involved, how the new technical measures and deadlines were …
Those who are regulated need clear visibility of how that regulation is being enforced, so it is concerning that the MMO no longer routinely publishes its enforcement data in its annual reports, despite continuing to collect it. While we welcome the MMO sharing a snapshot of this data with us …
In the interests of transparency, the MMO must include inspection rates and enforcement outcomes in its annual reports beginning with the 2025–26 report. In response to this Report, it should also retrospectively publish inspection data and outcomes for the previous three years to enable meaningful comparison, assessment of trends, and …
There is growing spatial conflict between fisheries, offshore energy, conservation and other marine users, yet current governance arrangements still lack a coherent “shore-to-sea” approach. Defra’s Marine Spatial Prioritisation programme (MSPri) remains opaque and underused, The Crown Estate’s Marine Delivery Routemap has a limited remit focused on the seabed, and the …
In response to this report, the government should confirm its commitment to development of a ‘Sea Use Framework’. It should set out a clear timetable for developing such a Framework, which should follow a similar structure and methodology to the Land Use Framework and be created in collaboration with all …
Spatial squeeze poses significant and growing challenges, with an increasing number of sectors competing for limited marine space. Although initiatives such as the MSPri programme are intended to inform cross- departmental policy and planning, the absence of any reference to fishing or environmental protection in the North Sea Future Plan, …
Defra should introduce an annual reporting process which details the use of the Marine Spatial Prioritisation programme (MSPri). The first report, covering activity during 2025–26, should be published within six months of the publication of this Report. Thereafter, annual MSPri reports should be published by 1 July each year, with …
Defra should work with DESNZ to publish, within six months of the government response to this Report, an addendum to the North Sea Future Plan that explicitly sets out how fishing interests and marine environmental protections are assessed and incorporated into decisions affecting the sustainability of the North Sea. (Recommendation, …
Fragmented responsibilities and siloed decision-making continue to undermine coherent marine management. Confusion over the North Sea Future Plan and conflicting policy signals experienced by fishers demonstrate that existing coordination structures are not delivering consistent cross-government direction. Although mechanisms such as 31 the MSPri Board exist, they do not provide the …
To ensure coherent cross-government leadership of the proposed Sea Use Framework by the end of 2026, the government should establish a ministerial board, to oversee the coordination of government policy on the use of UK waters. This ministerial board would complement or absorb, rather than replace, the existing MSPri Board …
| Date | Witnesses | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Jan 2026 | Colin Faulkner · Seafish, Michelle Willis · Marine Management Organisation, Olivia Thomas · The Crown Estate | View ↗ |
| Date | Direction | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr 2026 | — | Correspondence from the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs relating t… |
| 10 Mar 2026 | — | Correspondence from Dame Angela Eagle, Minister for Food Security and Rural Aff… |
| 3 Mar 2026 | — | Correspondence from the Marine Management Organisation following the evidence s… |
| 3 Mar 2026 | — | Correspondence from Seafish following the evidence session on Fisheries and the… |
| 3 Mar 2026 | — | Correspondence from The Crown Estate following the evidence session on Fisherie… |
| 3 Mar 2026 | — | Correspondence from National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations relating t… |
| 3 Mar 2026 | — | Correspondence from Scottish Fishermen's Federation relating to skilled workers… |
| 13 Feb 2026 | — | Correspondence to Colin Faulkner, CEO, Seafish requesting further details follo… |
| 13 Feb 2026 | — | Correspondence to Mike Cohen, Chief Executive, National Federation of Fisherman… |
| 13 Feb 2026 | — | Correspondence to Dame Angela Eagle MP requesting additional information follow… |
| 13 Feb 2026 | — | Correspondence to Elspeth Macdonald, CEO, Scottish Fishers Federation, on any i… |
| 13 Feb 2026 | — | Juliette Hatchman, Chief Executive, South Western Fish Producer Organisation Lt… |
| 13 Feb 2026 | — | Correspondence from South Western Fish Producer organisation regarding UK–EU fi… |
| 13 Feb 2026 | — | Correspondence received from South Western Fish Producer Organisation Ltd reque… |
| 13 Feb 2026 | — | Correspondence to Olivia Thomas, Head of Marine Planning, The Crown Estate, req… |
| 13 Feb 2026 | — | Correspondence to Michelle Willis, Interim CEO, Marine Management Organisation … |
| 28 Jan 2026 | — | Correspondence from South Western Fish Producer organisation regarding the requ… |
| 6 Jan 2026 | — | Correspondence from Dame Angela Eagle, Minister of State for Food Security and … |
| 16 Dec 2025 | — | Correspondence from Dame Angela Eagle, Minister of State for Food Security and … |
| 11 Nov 2025 | — | Correspondence from Dame Angela Eagle, Minister for Food Security and Rural Aff… |