Marine Protected Areas will be the main focus of the next meeting of the NFFO South West Committee when it meets in Plymouth on 21st February. Defra officials will be in attendance to discuss the Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) public consultation and a new approach for the management of fisheries within European Marine Sites.
John Butterwith, Chairman of the Committee said: “We are facing unprecedented changes to the way that access to marine space is governed. This meeting follows a great deal of hard work that the Committee has put in to engaging in the MPA planning process in order to secure the future for fishing communities in the South West.”
“As well as protecting the livelihood needs of dependent fishing communities, we have been at pains to point out the risks that fisheries displacement poses to marine conservation outcomes and the need to carefully accommodate such considerations in MCZ site selection. Only through this will we see win-win outcomes for sustainable fisheries as well as marine conservation.”
The broad spectrum of other fisheries matters will also be on the agenda including domestic fisheries reform, wind farms, shellfish policy and Seafish.
Further information on the meeting can be obtained from the NFFO’s offices in York.
The NFFO South West Committee is a regional committee of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations. The NFFO is the representative body for fishermen in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. All sizes and classes of fishing vessel are represented, from under-10 metre beach launched vessels, to 110 metre pelagic and distant waters vessels.
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