In the Autumn of 2024, a consortium of seven organisations spanning government, fishing associations, eNGOs and academia, led two national workshops in Poole and Whitby that brought together 120 participants, including 53 fishermen.
The purpose was to discuss what can be agreed and feasibly achieved to maintain thriving and sustainable fishing livelihoods in England, shining a light on the livelihoods component of sustainable fisheries and in particular, sought to understand, the accentuated decline in the under 10m fleet. Participants identified challenges and opportunities through collaborative discussions, focusing on strategies to sustain viable fishing livelihoods.
Key priorities are listed in a comprehensive easy-to-engage stakeholder led report of the facts, findings and discussions: Securing Sustainable Inshore Fisheries in the UK A vision and priority action plan to maintain thriving and sustainable fishing livelihoods. This focuses on actionable solutions tailored to inshore fisheries.
The report outlines the foundations of a new collective understanding and consensus, across multiple organisations and stakeholders, who share a growing concern about the decline in the whole fishing fleet and the societal consequences of this loss for coastal communities and the British public. Going forward, this consortium seeks to engage with a broader audience of fishermen representatives, policy makers, MPs and others, to address regional disparities and ensure sustainable fishing livelihoods across the UK.