Regional Fisheries Groups

Newsletter

Summer 2023 edition

RFG Newsletters Summer 2023

Winter 2022 edition

RFG Newsletter Winter 2022

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Autumn 2022 edition

RFG Newsletter Autumn 2022

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BackgroundWhere did RFGs originate?

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Lyme Bay Code of Conduct

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has responded to concerns from fishermen that an increase in sole quota has led to conflict and potentially overfishing in Lyme Bay.

The MMO and Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities (IFCA) have been investigating the issue and have created a steering group to oversee the investigation. The Steering group includes representative fishers from the Lyme Bay Community Interest Company, and other ports outside of Lyme Bay, as well as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), IFCA, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture (Cefas) and MMO representatives.

At a recent steering group meeting, a best practice Code of Conduct for sole fishing with gill nets in Lyme Bay was agreed as follows.follows:

Note: Lyme(This Baycode isof definedconduct asapplies to the area defined inside a line from Beer Head to Portland.

Portland)

• A minimum mesh size 5 inches (127mm) for gill nets targeting sole.
• All fixed nets should be marked with a buoy showing the PLN of the vessel at both ends of the net.
• Flags and radar reflectors are used where possible and practical to mark the location of nets.

Note: That these are best practice recommendations and not law.

• The first recommendation is to support the sole population by letting smaller soles increase their opportunity to breed.
• The second is to help prevent gear conflict by increasing the visibility of net locations to prevent them being caughttowed up in trawl gear, and so that other netting vessels can avoid setting nets that cross over nets already set in the water.

  The MMO is working with Cefas and other organisations to develop a scientific investigation into what impact increased fishing in Lyme Bay may be having on sole populations, the marine environment, and the potential socio-economic impacts on fishers. This work involves the use of MMO data from logbooks, the Catch App and from observers at sea and in fish markets, to analyse catches made by different vessels as well as other possible work to look at the wider sole population.

  Lyme Bay - Social Findings

  

  Lyme Bay Social Findings

  PDF, 118 KB, 2 pages

  set.