Wales Sea Bass Advisory Group meeting: 18 August 2026

Group

Jim Evans (JE)
Mark Gray (MG)
John O’Connor (JO)
Ian McCarthy (IM)
Gareth Henson (GH)
Sion Williams (SW)
David Curtis (DC)
Simon Frobisher (SF)
Colin Charman (CC) 

Welsh Government

Julian Bray (JB)
Seb Evans (SE)
Matt Sayer (MS)
Michelle Fraser (MF)
Barrie John (BJ)

Apologies

Peter Elliott (PE)
Richard Strudwick (RS)
Prideaux Hattle (PH)
Keiran Hyder (KH)

Welcome and Introductions, Purpose of Meeting

JB welcomed members to the 13^th meeting of the group and relayed apologies from PE, RS, PH and KH. 

JB outlined the purpose of the meeting, which was to review the latest ICES advice for sea bass and consider the potential development of a commercial bass tagging scheme in Wales.

Review and sign-off notes and actions of previous meeting

Seb Evans reviewed the notes and actions from the previous meeting. No comments were raised, and it was agreed the notes could be translated and published on the Welsh Government website.

Action 1: Translate and publish notes and actions from meeting 11.

CCRI Introduction

SE reviewed the notes and actions from the previous meeting and thanked members for responding to the socio-economic questions circulated on behalf of CCRI. 

DC requested additional time to review the notes but subsequently confirmed he had no comments. The group agreed that the notes could be translated and published on the Welsh Government website.

Action 1 – translate and publish notes and actions from meeting 12

Summary of the latest ICES advice

MS presented the latest ICES advice for sea bass. Members welcomed evidence that the stock continues to recover and remains above key biological reference points.

The group considered the scientific evidence underpinning the advice, including the application of Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY), forecasting assumptions and the relationship between spawning stock biomass and recruitment. It was noted that ICES advice remains the agreed basis for sea bass management decisions.

Recent recruitment levels and their potential implications for future stock development were considered, with members noting that recruitment remains variable. Potential measures to support long-term stock resilience, including changes to minimum conservation reference size (MCRS), were also discussed. Members noted that increasing MCRS could allow more fish to contribute to spawning before capture.

MS explained that the assessment draws on multiple data sources and incorporates precautionary measures to support sustainable stock management. The group largely agreed in the importance of maintaining a precautionary approach to future fishing opportunities to support continued stock recovery.

Tagging of commercially caught bass in Wales

MF and SE provided a presentation on the potential development of a tagging scheme for commercially caught bass in Wales. This was based on the discussion paper which was circulated in advance of the meeting.

Members were broadly supportive of a tagging scheme and recognised its potential benefits which included traceability, fisheries management, provenance and product value.

The purpose and scope of a future scheme were discussed, with members emphasising the need to establish clear objectives before developing detailed proposals. The importance of balancing provenance, traceability and data collection objectives was highlighted, recognising that different approaches may be required depending on the desired outcomes.

Members agreed that tagging could provide an opportunity to develop a premium Welsh product and promote hook and line caught bass as a sustainable fishery, which was aligned with the objectives of the Bass FMP. Practical considerations, including funding, administration and long-term delivery arrangements, were also highlighted.

A range of delivery options were discussed, including a simple provenance-focused scheme that could provide an initial foundation and be expanded over time to incorporate additional traceability and fisheries management benefits. Members highlighted the importance of engaging with fish merchants to better understand market opportunities and with operators of existing tagging and traceability schemes to identify lessons learned and best practice.

There was broad agreement that further development work and stakeholder engagement would be required to feed into draft proposals. Once complete, the options will be explored in greater detail at a future meeting.

Action 2 – Develop and circulate a questionnaire to fish merchants to gather feedback on bass tagging.

Action 3 – Engage with the Southwest Handline Fishermen’s Association to identify lessons learned from bass tagging.

Action 4 – Prepare a document outlining potential next steps for bass tagging to support further discussion.

Next steps

The next meeting will be held on 22 September 2026. KH and ZR (Cefas) will present the results of the commissioned power calculation work, and IM will present a paper on the timing of the bass closed season. 

A further meeting will be held on 20 October 2026 and will focus on the bass authorisation review. Invitations will be circulated in due course. 

AOB; date of next meeting

Outstanding actions from previous meetings

Meeting 7: 5 December 2024

1. Obtain advice on how recreational bag limits might be varied. MB: in progress.

Meeting 8: 4 February 2025

1. Prepare a statement on the role of recreational angling and importance of recreational data in delivery of the bass FMP. SE/HR: in progress.
2. Explore potential use of ambassadors to promote the Sea Angling Diaries. MB: in progress.

Meeting 11: 26 March 2026

1. Coordinate a discussion on spawning periods between the University of Essex and Bangor University. MS: in progress.

New actions from this meeting

1. Translate and publish notes and actions from meeting 12. MF: completed on 11 September 2026.
2. Develop and circulate a questionnaire to fish merchants to gather feedback on bass tagging. SE/MF: completed 3 September 2026.
3. Engage with the Southwest Handline Fishermen’s Association to identify lessons learned from bass tagging. JE: in progress.
4. Prepare a document outlining potential next steps for bass tagging to support further discussion. SE: in progress