Huw Irranca-Davies, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Today, I am pleased to provide a progress update to Members on the Strategic Approach to Welsh Fisheries and Aquaculture which was introduced just over 12 months ago.
After consulting with my Ministerial Advisory Group for Welsh Fisheries (MAGWF), I set out the Welsh Government’s Strategic Approach in December 2024, which focused on:
- Publishing and implementing the Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement;
- Delivery of our statutory fisheries duties including day-to-day fisheries management, control and enforcement, and monitoring; and
- Meeting our national and international obligations as a fisheries policy authority.
The 12 months review sets out the significant progress made against each of these priority areas. I met with MAGWF again this week and we reflected on our achievements, made by taking a collaborative approach. I am pleased to highlight just some of our achievements here.
We have made substantial progress on the development and implementation of FMPs, and I particularly want to recognise the role of our stakeholder advisory groups in helping develop plans and implementation measures supporting the long-term sustainability of our stocks.
We will soon be launching a public consultation on our first Wales only FMP, on Crab and Lobster, and have contributed to the development of 5 joint UK FMPs.
As part of our work implementing FMPs, we are currently seeking views on proposed improvements to scallop fishery management measures, following the publication of the King Scallop FMP in 2023. The public consultation closes on 31 January.
Domestically, to support sustainable economic benefit from our valuable natural resources, we have continued to manage permitted fisheries based on the latest scientific evidence. This included the introduction of a new adaptive cockle management system, adaptive management of our whelk fishery and the launch of a recreational bluefin tuna fishery.
We continue to ensure both domestic and international vessels fish sustainably. We had had 8 successful prosecutions for misreporting Dover sole, totalling £950,000 in fines and costs, alongside 20 fixed penalty notices for other offences. We also collaborated with multiple agencies across the UK to respond to potential fisheries breaches. These are important wins which will help safeguard the future of our fisheries and the environment in Wales.
Throughout 2025 we continued to work collaboratively with the other UK fisheries authorities to sustainably manage shared stocks. I was particularly pleased to see the increased commercial bluefin tuna fishing opportunities for 2026 to 2028 secured at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas annual meeting.
The Welsh Government continues to invest in a sustainable future for Welsh fishing. In 2025, £1,146,984 was awarded under Welsh Marine and Fisheries Scheme (WMFS) Round 5, and £430,132 through the Coastal Capacity Building Fund. An additional £1.29 million is being added to the Fisheries BEL in 2026/27 to support and enhance the important fisheries sector and our coastal communities across Wales. The WMFS Round 6, which opened for applications on 7 January, includes an uplift in its budget to provide the first opportunity for the fisheries sector and our coastal communities to access this additional funding. We will continue to work with our fishers and other stakeholders to identify and introduce other support mechanisms.
Further achievements last year include £194,000 awarded to fishers for inshore Vessel Monitoring Systems installation, multi-year science contracts being launched, and socio-economic research and a carbon audit of the Welsh fleet being commissioned.
Sector resilience is being supported through seafood supply chain initiatives, wellbeing projects, and funding schemes. We have seven Seafit Wales - Stronger at Sea events coming up across February and March, which will provide free physical, mental health checks and dental services to fishers and their immediate families.
Through the Strategic Approach we wanted to get the fundamentals right, ensuring we have a strong base of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture management to take us into the years ahead. We have delivered on our promises, with a stronger foundation in place to build on for the future.