Recommendation 14

HM Government · verbatim extract Accepted in Part

22. Close sector working has, in fact, now been embedded in ways of working by Defra and the MMO. We have significantly strengthened and modernised our approach to stakeholder engagement in fisheries management and policy development. Defra’s key delivery partners, the MMO, and the ten Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs) operate from a network of coastal offices. Additionally, the MMO has regional liaison officers and other teams interacting daily with the fishing industry. Across Defra and delivery partners, teams routinely visit ports across the country, engaging directly with fishers before, during and after formal consultations, such as those on Marine Protected Area fisheries byelaw management measures. 36. We agree about the importance of training staff to understand the operating context of the fisheries sector. We encourage Defra officials to undertake MMO-led fisheries training, facilitate visits to coastal communities, and bring industry expertise into Defra to inform policy and improve engagement (case study 2). We also support charities like Fishing into the Future which run workshops to create connections and provide opportunities to promote and enable shared participation, effective dialogue and mutual understanding between the fishing industry, scientists and fisheries managers. Case study 2: Building effective engagement with fishers through industry insight Improving communication and trust between government and the fishing industry requires engagement approaches that reflect the operational realities of the sector and are informed by lived experience. Approach Defra officials were grateful to Tony Delahunty (MMO Non-Executive Director and former Chair, with extensive experience as a fisherman) for accepting an invitation to visit our London office to talk to officials about how best to engage effectively with fishers. The session, attended by around 70 officials, strengthened their understanding of how and when fishers engage with government, including the importance of early engagement in policy development, concise and accessible communication, and the use of appropriate formats such as short, targeted guidance. It also reinforced the importance of pre-arranged quay-side engagement, careful timing of meetings, and increased use of digital tools such as smartphones. Impact • Increased awareness among officials of the practical realities facing fishers, including time constraints, working conditions and communication preferences. • Reinforced the importance of two-way engagement, including clearly feeding back to stakeholders on how their views have informed decision-making. • Supported more consistent and informed engagement across policy and delivery teams. Next steps Defra will continue to embed these principles across policy development and delivery, alongside wider work to strengthen in-person engagement and structured dialogue with the sector. 41. Overall, the Government feels the Committee’s report paints an unduly negative picture of the state of relations with the sector and overlooks the depth and breadth of our engagement. At the same time, we fully accept that our approach to stakeholder engagement must continue to evolve and improve based on the feedback from our customers and stakeholders. We recognise the critical importance of face-to-face contact between officials and fishers, and we will continue to invest in engagement at the quayside, as well as in the wider supply chain, to inform the development of policies and management measures and to help build and maintain trust and understanding between the Government and the fishing communities we serve.