Fisheries Management Plans
The requirement to prepare and publish Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) is contained within the Fisheries Act 2020 and the Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS). The UK administrations are developing 43 FMPs between them. Scottish Government is taking forward 21 of them, with a statutory deadline of 31 December 2026.
About Fisheries Management Plans
An FMP is an evidence-based action plan, developed in collaboration with the fishing sector and other stakeholders. Its purpose is to support delivery of sustainable fisheries for current and future generations.
Each FMP will specify the stocks, type of fishing and the geographic area covered, as well as the authority or authorities responsible and indicators to be used for monitoring the effectiveness of the plan.
Once published, an FMP will inform a wide range of relevant fisheries management actions. It will be long-term plan and will be reviewed at least once every six years. It will set out both a longer-term vision and goals for the fishery (or fisheries), together with the policies and management interventions necessary to achieve these goals in the shorter term.
FMPs will be an important tool to support management of our fisheries and the marine ecosystem. Whilst much of our management approach is well-established, and key policies to deliver improvements are underway, we recognise the importance of using FMPs to enhance and improve transparency around this.
Stakeholder engagement
Co-management is an important component of fisheries management. We want to make sure we have given stakeholders the opportunity to engage and contribute their ideas, and that we have also considered any potential impacts particularly to safeguard against any unintended consequences.
We will be undertaking pre-consultation work on FMPs to help inform and shape the content of the plans.
The FMPs are also subject to a formal public consultation. Feedback received as part of that consultation will help shape the final documents.
FMPs in development and timelines
We are preparing the following 21 FMPs:
Demersal
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Northern Shelf cod
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Atlantic cod
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North Sea and West Coast of Scotland haddock
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Atlantic haddock
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West Coast of Scotland whiting
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North Sea whiting
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North Sea and West Coast of Scotland saithe
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Northern shelf hake
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North Sea and West Coast of Scotland monk/angler
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North Sea and West Coast of Scotland megrim
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Northern shelf ling
Nephrops
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North Sea Nephrops
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West Coast of Scotland Nephrops
Pelagic
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Northern shelf mackerel
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Atlanto Scandian herring
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North Sea herring
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West Coast of Scotland (and Clyde) herring
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North Sea greater silver smelt
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West of Scotland greater silver smelt
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Northern Shelf blue whiting
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North Sea horse mackerel
A pre-consultation stage with stakeholders on the Demersal (whitefish) and Nephrops FMPs is planned for the first half of 2025. A formal consultation is planned for the second half of 2025 with publication by spring 2026 (tentative dates).
A pre-consultation stage with stakeholders for Pelagic FMPs will take place in the second half of 2025, with formal consultation and publication planned by summer 2026 (tentative dates).
To register your interest in future engagement on FMPs, please email FMPs@gov.scot.