Blog Posts

MPAs and Fishing – The Moment of Truth

3 October 2025

Will our new ministers seize the opportunity to reset relations with fishermen, or will it be even more bad news for our coastal communities?

Bottom trawling ban: the other side of the story

9 June 2025

The Government announcement on the 9th June 2025, proposing a complete ban on bottom trawl activities in Round 3 MCZs ignores the scientific approach used for previous rounds and the social and economic principles in the Fisheries Act

UK/EU Fishing Talks: Here we go again…

14 May 2025

Once again, an agreement is being negotiated between the EU and the UK on fisheries and the rumours are swirling.

Ocean with David Attenborough: A Challenge

9 May 2025

The new film narrated by Sir David Attenborough has some important things to say, but some equally important things should be added to it.

Voice from the Quayside

4 April 2025

The NFFO have conducted port visits in Norfolk and East Anglia and ports in the Devon and Cornwall to hear directly from the fishermen what their highest priorities are and what challenges they are facing.

Annual Negotiations Underway

12 November 2024

The first week of the annual fisheries negotiations between the UK and our neighbours is over and it is clear that there is still a long way to go before the various deals are concluded that will determine the prospects of our industry for the coming year. The crucial issue is, of course, determining the level of exploitation that each stock can support. It’s a simple enough concept, but the decision is seldom straightforward.

Young Fishermen Network

4 November 2024

The average age of a fisherman in the UK is 55. Sadly, overtime there has been a steady decline of new entrants into the industry. This is a global issue and a very real challenge for the UK fishing fleet. Matilda Phillips, explains more about the work being done by the the Young Fishermen Network, based in Cornwall.

Fail to plan: plan to fail

14 October 2024

NFFO Chief Executive Mike Cohen argues that we need a plan for our seas and a strategy for developing the fishing industry’s place in them.

The Crown Estate’s Marine Routemap: the Rush to Develop Offshore Power

17 September 2024

This week, the Crown Estate has laid out its vision and priorities for the future of Britain's seas and it is clear that wind farm development is paramount. The rush to industrialise the marine environment is picking up pace. Meaningful dialogue with genuine stakeholders is the only thing that can prevent harm to the fishing industry and coastal communities.

Celtic Sea Offshore Wind Development Picks up Pace

19 August 2024

Improvements seen in offshore wind farm planning, but the difficult conversations haven’t started yet.

NFFO representatives meet new Minister

12 July 2024

Newly appointed Defra Minister Daniel Zeichner came to Brixham this week and the NFFO was there to greet him.

Expectation vs Reality: when the campaigning stops, the hard work needs to start.

24 June 2024

NFFO Chief Executive Mike Cohen makes some suggestions for the next government

Victory on medicals for under 10s, but the fight goes on

27 March 2024

After extensive campaigning by the NFFO, the government has today announced a partial reversal of its policy on medical certification for fishermen. Anyone fishing for 4 weeks or more on a UK under 10m boat between 30th November 2021 and 29th November 2023 is now exempt from the requirement to hold a medical fitness certificate.

TAC setting science must change if discards are to become manageable

27 February 2024

The Eastern England FPO CEO looks at the difficulties of managing discards in a mixed fishery, especially when MSY recommendations for a single stock grab the headlines

More Restrictions – More Spatial Squeeze

8 February 2024

The government's recent ban on sandeel fishing and restrictions on mobile gear seem to be more about grabbing headlines than than genuinely contributing to marine resource management.

Two Stage Response Required to Address Pollack Crisis

23 January 2024

The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) has called for a two-stage response to the crisis engulfing the inshore fleets, following the decision to cut the total allowable catch to an unmanageable 832 tonnes, with a risible UK quota of 203 tonnes for 2023.

Total Allowable Catches: Scientific Recommendations and Management Responsibilities

7 November 2023

Let’s get one thing straight from the outset. Decisions on how much fish should be taken out of the sea in any given year should be based on the very best available scientific advice.

Fisheries Management Plans – Time to have our say

27 July 2023

FMPs have great potential. They represent a genuinely new way of developing fisheries management measures. Instead of the top-down impositions of the CFP, we have at least the opportunity of something more flexible, more responsive and more democratic. By bringing together fishers, scientists and regulators, FMPs should be capable of producing far better outcomes than the politically motivated compromises that we became used to under the old regime.

Discards and REM at the Crossroads

7 June 2022

Dale Rodmell, chief executive of EEFPO gives his perspective on the reboot of discards policy in the UK.

New NFFO-Fathom Podcast Collaboration Explores New Funding for Industry-Science Partnerships

17 December 2021

The NFFO has partnered with the Fathom podcast to produce a series of informative and highly topical episodes, focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing UK fishermen in the post-Brexit landscape. In this first episode, NFFO CEO Barrie Deas and Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation’s (CFPO) CEO Chris Ranford interview a Defra policy official about a big new funding opportunity for the industry.

Decarbonisation: Climate Emergency

7 October 2021

The UN Climate Change Summit in Glasgow this coming October and November, will bring world attention to the link between greenhouse gasses and climate change. The UK Government will want to earn the prestige associated with hosting a successful summit. A successful summit will include commitments to new ambitious targets for the reduction of greenhouse gasses - in particular carbon dioxide.

The Politics of Division

24 September 2021

It is not that difficult to exploit divisions in the fishing industry. We are a complex, multi-faceted, diverse industry, targeting a wide range of different species. We operate inshore and offshore with a bewildering range of gears, fishing from different ports, in vessel sizes that range from under 8 metres to over 100 metres. Quota shares are always divisive because they are a zero-sum game. More fundamentally, who receives a licence to fish and what kind of licence, involves political and administrative choices that can generate much heat and friction within the fishing industry.

Climate Smart Fisheries: Protected Areas or Sustainable Livelihoods?

9 September 2021

Adapting to climate change and reducing dependence on fossil fuels is something that the fishing industry, along with every other part of the economy is going to have to address. Some NGOs are making the argument that the solution lies with more marine protected areas. However, going all-out on MPAs as a “cure-all” for our seas risks perverse outcomes and real harm to coastal fishing communities. Dale Rodmell argues the case for a more cooperative approach that illuminates pathways to sustainable marine livelihoods that can deliver much more, and in the long run, be more adaptive to climate change.

Can Fisheries Co-exist with Offshore Wind in the Race to Carbon Net Zero?

2 June 2021

The Government’s Net Zero ambition signals a massive expansion in the scale and extent of offshore wind farms, but it also supercharges concerns over the spatial squeeze now being experienced by fishers who face losing access to their fishing grounds. NFFO Assistant Chief Executive, Dale Rodmell, who recently presented the issues to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fisheries(1), makes the case for the need for a planning system that can deliver on co-existence.