, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary
for Climate Change and Rural Affairs: Today, I am pleased to
provide a progress update to Members on the Strategic Approach to
Welsh Fisheries and Aquaculture which was introduced just
over 12 months ago.
After consulting with my Ministerial Advisory Group for Welsh
Fisheries (MAGWF), I set out the Welsh Government's Strategic
Approach in December 2024, which focused on:
- Publishing and implementing the Fisheries Management
Plans (FMPs) set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement;
- Delivery of our statutory fisheries
duties including day-to-day fisheries management, control
and enforcement, and monitoring; and
- Meeting our national and international
obligations as a fisheries policy authority.
The 12 months review
sets out the significant progress made against each of these
priority areas. I met with MAGWF again this week and we reflected
on our achievements, made by taking a collaborative approach. I
am pleased to highlight just some of our achievements here.
We have made substantial progress on the development and
implementation of FMPs, and I particularly want to recognise the
role of our stakeholder advisory groups in helping develop plans
and implementation measures supporting the long-term
sustainability of our stocks.
We will soon be launching a public consultation on our first
Wales only FMP, on Crab and Lobster, and have contributed to the
development of 5 joint UK FMPs.
As part of our work implementing FMPs, we are currently seeking
views on proposed improvements to scallop fishery management
measures, following the publication of the King Scallop FMP in
2023. The public
consultationcloses on 31 January.
Domestically, to support sustainable economic benefit from our
valuable natural resources, we have continued to manage permitted
fisheries based on the latest scientific evidence. This included
the introduction of a new adaptive cockle management system,
adaptive management of our whelk fishery and the launch of a
recreational bluefin tuna fishery.
We continue to ensure both domestic and international vessels
fish sustainably. We had had 8 successful prosecutions for
misreporting Dover sole, totalling £950,000 in fines and costs,
alongside 20 fixed penalty notices for other offences. We also
collaborated with multiple agencies across the UK to respond to
potential fisheries breaches. These are important wins which will
help safeguard the future of our fisheries and the environment in
Wales.
Throughout 2025 we continued to work collaboratively with the
other UK fisheries authorities to sustainably manage shared
stocks. I was particularly pleased to see the increased
commercial bluefin tuna fishing opportunities for 2026 to 2028
secured at the International Commission for the Conservation of
Atlantic Tunas annual meeting.
The Welsh Government continues to invest in a sustainable future
for Welsh fishing. In 2025, £1,146,984 was awarded under Welsh
Marine and Fisheries Scheme (WMFS) Round 5, and £430,132 through
the Coastal Capacity Building Fund. An additional £1.29 million
is being added to the Fisheries BEL in 2026/27 to support and
enhance the important fisheries sector and our coastal
communities across Wales. The WMFS Round 6, which
opened for applications on 7 January, includes an uplift in its
budget to provide the first opportunity for the fisheries sector
and our coastal communities to access this additional funding. We
will continue to work with our fishers and other stakeholders to
identify and introduce other support mechanisms.
Further achievements last year include £194,000 awarded to
fishers for inshore Vessel Monitoring Systems installation,
multi-year science contracts being launched, and socio-economic
research and a carbon audit of the Welsh fleet being
commissioned.
Sector resilience is being supported through seafood supply chain
initiatives, wellbeing projects, and funding schemes. We have
seven Seafit Wales - Stronger at Sea events coming up across
February and March, which will provide free physical, mental
health checks and dental services to fishers and their immediate
families.
Through the Strategic Approach we wanted to get the fundamentals
right, ensuring we have a strong base of sustainable fisheries
and aquaculture management to take us into the years ahead. We
have delivered on our promises, with a stronger foundation in
place to build on for the future.
