Who Does What?

Attending meetings with anglers, what confuses many is terms such as SFCs, DEFRA, what is the CFP?

So here is some information as to the various organisations involved and what they do:

Starting with legislation, The Common Fisheries Policy is explained

here

The main EU fisheries website is

here

And EU Fisheries News is

here

Responding to criticism that Stakeholders are not involved in EU fishery decisions, Regional Advisory Councils (RACS) are being set up. Always involving more than one country, and with representatives of angling and environmental NGOs taking part, RACS are dominated by delegates from 'the fishing industry'. They are intended to influence EU thinking on fishery matters.

The existing RACS are:

North Sea RAC

North Western Waters RAC

Pelagic Stocks RAC

Baltic Sea RAC

South Western Waters RAC

In England, Fisheries Issues are managed by DEFRA (But Scotland and Wales also have their own fisheries departments)

See here

Within DEFRA, the Coastal Waters Policy Branch has been given specific responsibility for issues that affect Recreational Sea Angling.

The Head of the Coastal Waters Policy Branch is Trevor Hutchings

They can be contacted by telephone on 0207 238 6000

Or in writing to:

Coastal Waters Policy Branch
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Area 7E, Whitehall Place West
3-8 Whitehall Place
LONDON SW1A 2HH

Within 6 miles, the 12 Regional Sea Fisheries Committees (SFCs) currently have responsibility for Fisheries Enforcement.

See: Association of Sea Fisheries Committees

(Note: DEFRA have confirmed that SFCs are to continue but will be 'modernised', their makeup changed, and given new duties and powers. Still restricted to enforcement out to 6miles, they will also be given powers to operate inland where stocks have been landed)

With the Environment Agency acting as the SFC for some estuaries and out to 6 miles for migratory species such as Eels, Salmon & Trout, and they have responsibility for the Water Framework Directive for Estuaries and out to one nautical mile (with the EA responsible for biological quality in these areas, many have not yet realised just how much influence they are likely to have on future inshore fisheries management!).

See here

Out to 12 miles, and for UK fishing vessles wherever they fish, and enforcing onshore, the Marine Fisheries Agency has responsibility for fisheries management, interacting with the CFP nations.

See here

(The MFA website contains a list of local offices that can be contacted about enforcement matters)

Down in the South West, there is an important project, being run by DEFRA together with local Stakeholders, called Invest in Fish, it is likely this will serve as a model for future initiatives and is currently being watched closely around the world, particularly in Europe and America

See here

Now the Science bit!

The International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) is the main body providing the science which guides EU fisheries Policy

See here

In the UK, it is CEFAS

and CEMARE

In Scotland it's

here

Nautilus Consultants have also produced a number of influential reports for DEFRA some of which can be downloaded

See here

Of course, there are also the NGOs working on marine issues

The Institute for European Environmental Policy

The Marine Conservation Society

GreenPeace

WWF

and many more

Oh! and don't forget the Sea Anglers Conservation Network (Membership is free!)

Other angling sites concerned with environmental issues are:

National Federation of Sea Anglers

Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society

If you want to see what's going on in the commercial sector visit:

Fishupdate.com

Fishing News

Fishing News International