Independent report

Harvest standard specification for fisheries management plans in English waters

This harvest standard specification (HSS) describes the common framework that will be used to develop harvest strategies for England’s fisheries.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
• Published: 4 September 2024

Documents

Developing a Harvest Standard Specification to guide future fisheries management in the UK

PDF, 674 KB, 52 pages

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Details

A harvest standard specification (HSS) sets out the broad framework within which individual harvest strategies can be developed for England’s fisheries. Rules developed for each fisheries management plan (FMP) about how many fish should be caught under certain circumstances should adhere to this common framework.

This framework is intended to provide advice and guidance on how the objectives of the Fisheries Act 2020 can be translated into the operational language required for FMPs by the UK’s fisheries policy authorities.

The HSS is not a statutory document and does not create any obligations for UK fisheries policy authorities.

The HSS has been produced by Cefas (the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science). It is an iterative, evolving document, which will be used to guide the design, implementation and review of fisheries management, primarily in the context of FMPs. It will be developed in stages as further FMPs are published.

Published 4 September 2024