Recommendation 16

HM Government · verbatim extract Rejected

21. Successive Defra fisheries ministers, as well as officials in Defra and the MMO, have recognised that one of the most important requests from the catching sector following EU exit was that there should be more engagement with those affected by decisions. We also recognise that industry’s trust in the Government has been impacted by the outcomes of a number of decisions relating to EU exit and that the industry is nervous about future decisions by Defra and others on environmental protections, offshore and other infrastructure developments. Whilst we appreciate that trust will take time to rebuild, we continue to engage pro-actively, innovatively and reflectively. 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. 23. Stakeholder engagement is an area where we want to make continuous improvement: we are constantly thinking about how we can refine and improve our engagement, because there is always scope to do better. At the same time, it is important to recognise that a balance needs to be struck in terms of stakeholder engagement. We would not expect engagement with the whole fishing industry on every consultation for example, especially when many individual fishers need to go to sea to earn a living. For example, we run an annual FISS in England that goes to 60% of vessels on the MMO fishing vessel lists rather than 100% to avoid overburdening owners and skippers. The 2025 survey found that 68% of fishers in England have previously been engaged in fisheries management meetings and a further 14% would like to. 66% have taken part in a consultation. We will continue to look to improve on these already high levels of engagement. In this context, we value truly representative organisations who enable engagement for smaller business and sole traders who are less able to devote a lot of time engaging directly with us. It is also important to recognise that, even where there is exemplary engagement, not every decision taken by the Government will be fully supported by everyone in the sector, or representative bodies. 24. We are also mindful of increasing concerns about stakeholder fatigue, given the volume of activity across government affecting the sector. We are therefore taking steps to ensure engagement is targeted, proportionate and meaningful, including reducing the volume of consultation material and consultation questions, while ensuring stakeholders have sufficient information to engage effectively through innovative approaches. For these reasons, while we understand the motivation behind the specific recommendation to create additional Regional Fisheries Management Forums, we do not think that is the right approach. Fisheries Management Plans 25. As part of consultations on draft Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs), we have delivered 46 in-person engagement events over the past three years at ports across England, including major hubs such as Brixham, Plymouth and Newlyn, as well as smaller communities such as Ilfracombe, Mevagissey, Lowestoft, West Mersea, North Shields, Whitby and Whitehaven. This has been a significant undertaking that has ensured a broad and representative range of views across the sector. 26. We have worked closely with representatives from the sector to identify appropriate locations and timings, including planning activity around tide times and fishing patterns to maximise attendance and enable meaningful participation from active fishers. Alongside this, we have expanded our use of digital engagement, for example FMP consultations have been run online, as well as in person, enabling skippers and other stakeholders to participate directly from vessels or remote locations, increasing accessibility and saving travel time and costs. 27. For all FMPs, we have established or drawn on existing working groups comprising representatives from across the sector, including fishers, marine scientists, environmental non-governmental organisations and other interested stakeholders. These groups play a central role in co-developing plans, ensuring they are practical, evidence-based and meaningful for those who use them. For example, the King Scallop FMP was developed by the Scallop Industry Consultation Group, which led on drafting the plan. 28. This collaborative approach continues beyond publication. We have establish