UK government announces next steps to support pollack fishermen

New measures to help fishermen affected by restrictions to pollack fishing for 2024 have been announced by the UK government. Hand-and-pole line fishermen of under-10m vessels, which includes some of those affected by the zero Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for pollack, will be able to benefit from fast-tracked applications for a share of £6 million in grant funding available through the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme. Separately, they will also have the opportunity to be paid for their participation in a new scientific study which will aim to understand more about the stock structure of pollack – and sell the pollack that they catch as part of the study. During recent fisheries negotiations with the EU, it was decided pollack can only be caught as bycatch in 2024. This followed advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) to set the TAC for pollack to zero. The government’s approach to negotiating catch limits is based on the latest scientific advice, ...