10 Dec 2024

The trilateral arrangement between the EU, Norway and the United Kingdom on jointly managed fish stocks in the North Sea for 2025 establishes total allowable catches (TAC) of over 958,000 tonnes, covering EU quotas of almost 463,000 tonnes of cod, haddock, saithe, whiting, plaice and herring. The agreement on TACs includes a reduction for cod, consistent with the […]

13 Aug 2024

Preliminary data exploration by ICES working group on the Ecosystem Effects of Fishing Activities (WGECO) offers an initial attempt to explore how fishing protection zones could be designed in the future. Recently, concerns over European fisheries have often centred on the impact of fishing displacement due to increasing competition for marine space, driven by, for […]

21 Feb 2023

Nominations for the ICES Prix d’Excellence award is now open. This award, presented every three years, recognises a scientist who has made substantial contributions to marine science.​ The award recipient will have contributed to the sustainable use and conservation of marine ecosystems through their research, leadership, and collaboration. Their career exemplifies innovation, teamwork, mentoring, and communication. The Prix d Excellence is presented […]

31 Jan 2023

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO), acting on behalf of all four UKFAs, is seeking views on proposals to close UK waters in the ICES area 7d and Lyme Bay in ICES area 7e to the king scallop (Pectens maximus) dredge fishery in summer of 2023. The proposed closures are to protect the stock during spawning […]

03 Jan 2023

New research published by the ICES Journal of Marine Science which tests management scenarios for the North Sea ecosystem has been released. The Abstract from the paper is below: The complexities of ecosystem-based management require stepwise approaches, ideally involving stakeholders, to scope key processes, pressures, and impact in relation to sustainability and management objectives. Use […]

03 May 2022

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has agreed to adopt a new Scottish-designed fishing technology as the new international standard for co-ordinated demersal fish population surveys in the North Sea. The Marine Scotland Directorate of the Scottish Government co-operated with international partners – the International Bottom Trawl Survey Working Group (IBTSWG) – to […]

16 Jan 2021

House of Lords Environment Committee: Access to UK fisheries post-Brexit Evidence Session – Minister Prentis gives evidence. The EU Environment Sub-Committee discussed the fishing aspects of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement with fishing Minister Victoria Prentis and other Government officials. The first panel involved representatives from the fishing regulators for Scotland and England: Marine Scotland, […]