Welfare needs to be part of sustainable fishing
Commercial fisheries across the UK range from large pelagic (oceanic) vessels which can haul out hundreds of tonnes of fish at a time, to smaller inshore fishing vessels.
The UK administrations have an ongoing commitment to “sustainable fishing” as mandated in the Fisheries Act 2020 and a related Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS) aimed at delivering “a thriving, sustainable fishing industry and healthy marine environment.” The UK fisheries policy authorities (DEFRA and the devolved administrations) are developing a series of joint fisheries management plans (FMP) covering the different fishery areas and “stocks” (or species), with different authorities leading on different areas. In January 2025, WAWC commented on DEFRA-led FMP consultations covering the proposed joint plans for the Southern North Sea Demersal Non-Quota Species, Southern North Sea and Channel Skates and Rays, and North Sea and Channel Sprats Fisheries Management Plan (January 2025)
The latest consultation on proposed FMP, which closed to responses on 11 March, is led by the Scottish Government and covers demersal fisheries (where fishes live close to the sea floor) in Scotland. The eleven Plans cover:
North Sea and West Coast of Scotland Haddock FMP
Atlantic (Rockall) Haddock FMP
North Sea and Eastern Channel Whiting FMP
West Coast of Scotland Whiting FMP
North Sea and West Coast of Scotland Monk/Anglerfish FMP
North Sea and West Coast of Scotland Megrim FMP
North Sea and West Coast of Scotland Saithe FMP
Northern Shelf Hake
Northern Shelf Ling FMP
Atlantic (Rockall) Cod FMP
Northern Shelf Cod FMP
While FMP focus on the sustainable management of “stocks”, their scope may be extended to consider wider fisheries management issues covering environmental, social and economic concerns. However, the welfare of targeted fishes and bycaught fishes is notable by its absence from Plans and consultation papers. The welfare of bycaught mammals is touched on in the documents, but not to the extent of changing or reducing commercial fishing practices around the UK.
WAWC feels that this is out of step with modern scientific knowledge of fish sentience and wider public concern for animal welfare. We have made these points in our response to the recently proposed joint FMP. We said:
“Demersal seine, demersal trawls, beam trawls, longlines, drift and fixed nets and pots and traps all have negative impacts not only on the welfare of bycatch species but also on the targeted fishes themselves. For instance, the welfare of the fishes is not generally considered as part of the sustainable management process, but it is important not only for ethical reasons but also for sustaining healthy populations and ensuring high quality fish products. Duration of capture and the process by which any caught fishes are brought onboard/landed are two obvious factors that impact welfare, as is the time to slaughter post landing. These welfare concerns apply also to non-targeted fish species, where additional issues apply, such as the manner of handling the animals and the length of time before their release. “Discards” are also vulnerable to poor welfare and often show low post-release survival rates, where this is even considered.”
Bycatch of grey seals in nets is touched on in the consultation documents although the emphasis is on population viability rather than the welfare of the individual. The impact of bycatch on the population levels of birds is to be included in future assessments. However, every individual seal, cetacean or seabird that dies in this manner will suffer as a result - these are animal welfare, as well as conservation, issues.
Realistically, it is unlikely that our representations on welfare will lead to any significant change in commercial fishery policy in the near future, but WAWC believes it is essential to keep raising the issue. The numbers of sentient animals affected by commercial fisheries are immense and we question how long “sustainability” can continue to be promoted as a welfare-free concept.
See our full response here.