The Fisheries Management and Innovation Group
The Fisheries Management Innovation Group (FMIG) provides a safe meeting space to discuss the key challenges facing the UK catching sector. The three key areas for discussion are: legislation and regulation, stock assessment issues and how to introduce new technology.
People take part to keep-up-to-date with the latest developments, to be part of a cross-industry discussion and listen to the issues raised by other parts of the industry. They can also raise their own issues, present new ideas, network with other people or make new contacts.
The group is led by our industry and we take responsibility for running the FMIG. The Group has met twice a year since 2009. The FMIG brings together people who represent the catching sector, as well as the retail, food service and restaurant industries. Other people who attend are not-for-profit environmental voluntary groups, consumer groups, government, scientists and industry bodies.
This group was formerly the Discard Action Group (DAG) and was originally set up as a forum for the discussion of industry-wide problems relating to discards.
There are generally two meetings a year. The presentations and minutes from the most recent meetings are below. Presentations and minutes from previous meetings are available from Karen Green.
We are running a mix of in person meetings and shorter online bite-size FMIG sessions at the moment.
Next meeting
The next meeting will be an in person meeting in London on Wednesday 15 March 2023. This will run from 10.30am to 3.30pm. Our topic is Fisheries data and REM. For more information contact Karen Green.
Previous two meetings
Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) (17 January 2023). The meeting took a close look at the ‘frontrunner’ FMPs, which are being prioritised for delivery in 2023 in England and Wales (Scotland and Northern Ireland have a different approach). All of these frontrunners involve a partnership between fishers, researchers and regulators, but they are piloting different ways of preparing FMPs. The lessons learnt from these projects will help shape future FMP work. Through a series of presentations, and follow-on discussion, we found out more about how the alternative approaches are working. See the presentations from this meeting:
- Government policy - FMPs/Joint Fisheries Statement/UK Fisheries Act 2020. Annabel Stockwin and Jon Davies, Defra.
- Crabs, lobsters and whelks in English waters. Lewis Tattersall, Seafish.
- King scallop in English and Welsh waters. Jim Portus, Scallop Industry Consultation Group (SICG).
- Bass in English waters co-design and stakeholder engagement process. Kate Langham, Policy Lab.
- Channel non-quota demersal stocks (NQS). Isobel Johnston, Marine Management Organisation.
- Southern North Sea and Eastern Channel mixed flatfish. Emma Ulyatt, Defra.
FMIG in person meeting. Marine spatial squeeze and intelligent fishing (29 September 2022). This meeting looked at two key issues for the UK catching sector: marine spatial squeeze and the competition for maritime space; and maximising selective gear innovations to help the UK fishing industry advance economic, environmental and social sustainability. See the presentations from this meeting:
- The Frightening Outlook of Fisheries Displacement – Spatial Squeeze in fisheries. Barrie Deas, NFFO and Suzannah Walmsley, ABPmer.
- Kingfisher project to map fishing restrictions in UK waters. Matt Frow, Seafish.
- Seafish gear work and the new research trawl for the International Bottom Trawl Survey. David Warwick, Seafish.
- Smartrawl: In-water improvements in selectivity. Paul Fernandes, Heriot-Watt University.
- Sumwing beam trawl trials in Brixham. Gus Caslake, Seafish.
- Using illuminated pots, dubbed ‘scallop discos’ to attract and catch scallops. Rob Enever, Fishtek Marine.
FMIG meeting notes
Notes and minutes from recent FMIG bite-size and in person meetings can be viewed by following the links below.
- Marine spatial squeeze and intelligent fishing. (In person) 29 September 2022
- Advances in fishing gear technology. 13 July 2022
- Cross-sector governance in UK waters. 5 April 2022
- The impact of offshore wind development on fisheries. 1 February 2022
- Climate-smart mitigation for UK fisheries. 12 October 2021
- The complexity of fisheries negotiations. 29 June 2021
- Fishing gear selectivity and on-board technical innovation. 13 April 2021
- Inshore fisheries management opportunities. 26 November 2020
- Integrating environmental factors into fisheries management. 16 September 2020
- Climate change impacts on the seafood sector. 10 June 2020
FMIG monthly newsletters
We send monthly emails with a round up of stories, research and projects in the seafood industry. Subscribe to receive our monthly update and meeting details.
Terms of Reference and archive
- We have archived presentations from previous FMIG and DAG meetings. These are available from Karen Green.
- View the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the group (March 2019).
Contacts
For more information about The Fisheries Management and Innovation Group contact
Karen Green.