North Sea Herring Fisheries Management Plan

Policy 5: Support fishing businesses to deliver socio-economic and cultural benefits for communities

Rationale

The UK Government holds an ambition to enable fisheries to continue to deliver social and economic benefit to coastal communities to benefit present and future generations. As already set out in this FMP, NSAS herring is an important component part of UK pelagic fisheries, and is a significant part of the business model for fishing businesses. In turn, these businesses collectively support jobs and underpin local communities, providing a source of economic input and output and underpinning the rich cultural heritage of the UK at both a local and national level. Fish is also a rich source of protein and forms an important component of food production within the UK.

There is an ongoing role for Governments to help create the right conditions for businesses to operate sustainably and with certainty about the future.

Actions

Ongoing and short-term actions (one to two years)

• Continue to take account of socio-economic considerations as part of international negotiations and as part of the process to determine fishing opportunities.
• Continue to gather and use evidence on economic aspects of the fishery to ensure management decisions are informed by the best available evidence.
• Encourage and support initiatives to promote the consumption and value of NSAS herring

Relevant Fisheries Act objectives

The relevant Fisheries Act objectives are the:

• equal access objective
• national benefit objective
• sustainability objective