Consultation outcome

Establishing permitting regimes for the recreational fishing of Eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna in UK waters

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 17 July 2023
• Last updated: 7 December 2023 — See all updates

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Summary of responses and government response

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Detail of outcome

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) received 167 responses to the consultation.

As a result of this consultation, we will introduce legislation to establish permitting regimes for recreational targeting of bluefin tuna (BFT) in UK waters from summer 2024.

Each UK fisheries administration (FA) will determine if, and when, to introduce a BFT catch and release recreational fishery (CRRF) in its waters. We intend to open a BFT CRRF in English waters in 2024.

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Original consultation

Summary

Seeking views on the design of UK permitting regimes for the recreational fishing of Eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT).

This consultation was held on another website.

This consultation ran from
9:30am on 17 July 2023 to 11:59pm on 4 September 2023

Consultation description

Defra is developing legislation to establish new catch and release recreational fisheries (CRRFs) for Eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) across the UK, with a view to opening a CRRF for BFT, in English waters, in 2024.

We’re seeking views on the:

• key principles for the design of permitting regimes
• likely levels of interest in future CRRFs for BFT
• anticipated social and economic benefits of the fisheries

We’d like to know how these design principles should be applied operationally to the BFT catch and release recreational fishery in England.

Published 17 July 2023
Last updated 7 December 2023 + show all updates

1. 7 December 2023

   Government response and summary of responses added.

2. 17 July 2023

   First published.