1. A new approach to shellfish management
in England
Juliette Hatchman
SAGB Annual Conference, 17 May 2011

2. The problem
Potting effort risen over past 5-10 years
Potential overexploitation of stocks, in particular brown crabs
Concerns about economic viability of shellfish industry
Latent licence capacity threatening effectiveness of future
management measures

3. Latent licence capacity within UK &
English shellfish fleets - 2009
3317 UK vessels with shellfish entitlements
1400
1200
1000
800
over 24m
15-24m
600
10-15m
up to 10m
400
200
0
UK England UK England
Dormant Under utilised
Source: MMO

4. Possible solutions
Management measures at national & local level
Move away from reactive management costs to industry
expected to be smaller
Take pre-emptive action to reduce potential for future growth in
capacity of shellfish sector

5. Reducing potential for future growth in
capacity by
...capping overall fishing mortality within key shellfisheries
within English zone
introducing a rights based management system, which aims
to
Provide industry with greater responsibility of management of their
fishery
Provide means to take informed decisions on security & long term
financial viability of businesses
Incentivise industry to rationalise fleet & its capacity
Economically viable and sustainable industry

6. Latest proposals
Introduction of a rights based management system within
English zone of British Fishery Limits
Implemented through UK fishing licence
Allocation of user-rights to those wishing to prosecute key
shellfisheries
Applied to brown crab, lobster and whelk stocks to be kept
under review
Benefits for Industry and Government (and tax payer)
Learn lessons from existing systems in operation

7. Allocation of user-rights
User-rights equivalent to proportion of total allowable catch
(TAC) for an individual fishery
Allocated for fixed period of time (e.g. 5, 10 years)
TAC and user-rights based on historic landings data during
given reference period
Allocated to individuals, groups of individuals or communities

8. Allocation of user-rights
Current brown crab stock monitoring areas could be new stock
management areas?
Source: Final report: Future Management of
Brown Crab in UK and Ireland, Nautilus report

9. Work in progress
Seeking UK agreement of proposals within English zone
Working with fishermen and delivery partners, designing how
system could be set up and run
Conditions applied to user-rights
Trade/transferability of user-rights
Safeguards
Provisions for new entrants
Research project to explore how a rights based management
system could be implemented

10. Next steps
Exploring possibility of closing off/reducing potential for other
member states vessels to undermine national scheme (starting with
French and RoI)
Formal consultation on reform of English fisheries management
system launched at start of April running for 12 weeks
Looking to implement fully by 2013 to coincide with completion of
reform of English under-10 metre fleet
Exploring ways to address data gaps

11. Summing up
Identification of priority issues
Work underway to explore options for addressing priority issues
in short term & longer term
Empowerment of industry key
Keen to continue working with SAGB and its members
Policy currently in development this is your opportunity to
influence it

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