Whilst the pressures on offshore fisheries have been widely reported, there has been less publicity regarding the future and sustainability of the inshore fisheries – those within 6 nautical miles (nm) of land. Fisheries outside 6 nm are managed by the EC Common Fisheries Policy with all the inherent problems of shared access to a common resource, between fishing fleets from the different European states.  Within 6 nm, UK inshore fisheries are managed by regional Sea Fisheries Committees in England and Wales; by the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency in Scotland and by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland.
 
Inshore fish and shellfish stocks are under mounting pressure for a wide variety of reasons including the displacement of fishing effort resulting from restrictions in the fleet elsewhere
 
MCS and other NGOs have called for a reform of inshore fisheries management for several years and Government has responded with a number of reviews of the fishing sector and its management.  Reform of inshore fisheries management is being pursued through measures within a wider Marine Bill. 
 
MCS believes that the Government should introduce new legislation for inshore fisheries that:

• Provides  clear, logical and well-defined terms of reference for all authorities involved in the management framework of inshore waters.
• Develops, implements and resources an inshore fisheries strategy based on delivering economic, social, environmental and resource conservation objectives;
• Establishes clear lines of communication between regional bodies and Central Government departments and agencies involved in inshore fisheries management.
• Introduces new ways of regulating the use, management, recovery, protection and monitoring of the marine environment, coupled with better enforcement.
• Requires a joined up approach, with Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) undertaken on a sea area basis, as applicable to the fisheries involved, to include all future planning strategies that are developed for inshore fisheries and aquaculture.
• Contains a requirement for all new inshore fishery projects to be the subject of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), including developments in aquaculture, new fishery projects or practices, significant changes in gear design and new areas of exploitation.
• Must allow for more effective use of technical measures to restore fish stocks and reduce the ecosystem effects of fishing

See the full MCS Marine Bill Consultation response for more detailed information.

Everyone can help secure a future for our seas and our fisheries by supporting locally sourced sustainable fisheries.  Read more about how to make sustainable seafood choices on the Sustainable Seafood page (listed right).