Improved mapping to address spatial squeeze

The fishing industry is operating in an increasingly complex marine planning environment. Environmental protection, offshore renewables and other marine sectors are expanding across UK waters. It has often been difficult for the fishing industry to engage effectively with early in planning processes and demonstrate how proposals may affect specific fisheries. This has limited opportunities to provide expert knowledge and fisheries evidence during consultation stages, increasing the risk that impacts on fishing activities are not fully understood or considered.

Our Kingfisher team is working with a number of national and regional fishing bodies, to provide protected, personal and easy to use web mapping systems to allow them to demonstrate the challenges facing the fishing industry for potential new developments or zones. New and existing fisheries data, overlaid with proposed developments or zones, can be shown by trusted fisheries stakeholders with expert knowledge of the fishing industry.  

With our help, these mapping systems and improved access to fisheries data are helping fishing representatives to hold more effective discussions with government and marine planning organisations. By combining our mapping knowhow with expert regional knowledge of fishing representatives, this service is beginning to enable better conversations and earlier engagement, hopefully leading to better informed marine planning decisions in the future.