What are the main issues with the UK's Fisheries Act?

The Fisheries Act is failing to deliver on its promises of revitalized fish stocks and thriving coastal communities, with over 50% of fishing quotas allocated above scientific advice since Brexit, and inshore fishermen losing out to industrial trawlers due to unfair quota distribution.

How have environmental groups responded to the Fisheries Act?

The environmental charity Blue Marine Foundation recently lost a legal challenge against the Act, with courts ruling that ministers have wide discretion in allocating quotas, undermining efforts for stricter sustainable management.

What are the calls for reform of the Fisheries Act?

There are calls for a review of the Joint Fisheries Statement, which sets out the policies to achieve the Act's objectives, to assess whether it is meeting its sustainability goals. Inshore fishermen argue the law is already outdated and in need of a complete overhaul to ensure fair and sustainable practices.

Home / Environment / Fisheries Act Fails to Deliver on Sustainability Promises, Experts Warn

Fisheries Act Fails to Deliver on Sustainability Promises, Experts Warn

17 Nov

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Summary

Over 50% of fishing quotas allocated above scientific advice since Brexit
Inshore fishermen losing out to industrial trawlers due to unfair quota distribution
Calls for review of Fisheries Act to ensure sustainable management and equitable access

Fisheries Act Fails to Deliver on Sustainability Promises, Experts Warn

As of November 2025, many fish stocks around the UK are facing an increasingly dire situation, with scientists advising significant reductions in catches for several key species. However, the government's flagship post-Brexit Fisheries Act, introduced in 2020, is being criticized for failing to deliver on its promises of revitalized fish stocks and thriving coastal communities.

MPs, environmentalists, and inshore fishermen argue the Act continues to allow overfishing, with more than 50% of fishing opportunities allocated above scientific advice every year since the UK left the EU's fisheries policy. Additionally, there are concerns that the Act's provisions for distributing quotas are not adequately supporting local communities, as industrial-scale trawlers are seen to be benefiting at the expense of generational family fishers.