UK follows up successful fisheries negotiations with management plans, funding for domestic projects

The U.K. government complemented its recent signing of lucrative deals with Norway and the E.U. for 2024 by announcing five post-Brexit fisheries management plans (FMPs) that outline how the government will collaborate with the fishing industry and other stakeholders to sustainably manage its fisheries in the long term.The primary goal of the new plans, which mainly cover U.K. stocks of crab, lobster, king scallop, and sea bass, is to improve the economic viability of key commercial fishing stocks through measures such as increasing minimum conservation reference sizes (MCRSs) and introducing seasonal or area closures to protect juvenile and spawning stocks.Though the FMPs focus on achieving long-term sustainability, there are several short-term measures that the plans have prioritized. These include introducing new or increased MCRSs for crawfish, brill, lemon sole, and turbot; establishing an engine restriction for fishing vessels using flyseine fishing nets; accelerating work ...