The sustainability of UK fish stocks will be better safeguarded
through the use of technology to monitor and manage fishing
activity in English waters, the government has announced today
(13 May).
The technology – known as Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) –
involves using camera, gear sensors and GPS units to make sure
that catches are accurately recorded and fish are not unlawfully
thrown back into the sea. The data captured will support the
fishing industry to manage stocks sustainably and give retailers
and consumers greater confidence about the sustainability of our
fish.
Volunteers within five priority fisheries will begin to use REM
systems from this summer, with their work helping to refine the
UK's monitoring objectives and ensure the technology works for
fishers.
Once monitoring objectives have been finalised and the REM
systems are demonstrated to be working well, REM systems will
become mandatory for all vessels in those fisheries – including
non-UK vessels.
The information delivered through REM will support the long-term
profitability of the sector and help to build the UK's food
resilience and security.
Fisheries Minister said:
“Leaving the EU has given us the opportunity to take a new
approach to fisheries management that is in the best interests of
the UK fishing industry.
“By harnessing this technology, we can sustainably manage our
fish stocks, to benefit the industry, future generations, and our
marine environment.
A different approach to managing discards will also be adopted in
England, with changes to be made to better account for catches.
From 2025, landings and discards will both be counted against
quota allocations, and the amount of quota used to cover discards
will vary and will depend on the type of vessel and gear types
used.
In addition to this, discard reduction schemes will be
established to identify ways to reduce unwanted catch in the
first instance. Working collaboratively with regulators and the
industry, the schemes will identify and resolve barriers to
improved gears being used.
Fishers will start to see both approaches implemented at the
start of next year.
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