Fisheries Management Plans events

TheFisheries Act (2020)enables Defra and the devolved administrations to publish Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) to help achieve our ambition for sustainable fisheries. The Act describes an FMP as "a document ... that sets out policies designed to restore one or more stocks of sea fish to, or maintain them at, sustainable levels".Defra see FMPs as an opportunity to significantly improve the way we manage our fisheries into the future. Our FMPs will shift how fisheries management is approached with a greater focus on involving the fishing sector in the management of their activities.TheJoint Fisheries Statement(JFS) included a list of proposed FMPs with atimetablefor their publication.Defra and the Devolved Administrations are responsible for fisheries in their waters and will prepare and publish plans to meet their needs. The four UK administrations will collaborate on all FMPs, particularly where stocks are shared, or their fleets operate in the waters managed by another administration. Stakeholders will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of the plans.Scottish Government is working collaboratively with Defra, DAERA (Northern Ireland) and Welsh Government to prepare 21 joint FMPs that cover our important and most valuable northern stocks of finfish species.