The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations
NFFO Chairman, Paul Gilson, discusses what has happened to fuel conflicts between fishermen and their local IFCAs and what might be done about it.
19 July 2022
30 June 2022
The loss of fishing grounds across UK waters points to a frightening outlook for the future of the industry, claims a new report.
24 June 2022
The annual meeting between ICES and fisheries stakeholders (MIACO) was held recently in Copenhagen, with many joining the event online, including the NFFO.
21 June 2022
Leaked information regarding the establishment of five highly protected marine areas has now appeared in the press (below). The NFFO has expressed concern, not so much about the choice of individual sites, which will now be subject to consultation, but the exclusion of fishing representative organisations from the whole process of establishing Highly Protected Marine Areas. Whilst the government has worked with environmental NGOs, there has been no parallel engagement with the fishing industry - the sector that is likely to be the most impacted by HPMAs.
15 June 2022
Many fishing vessels are facing a cruel choice between tying-up or going to sea to make a loss.
30 May 2022
The accelerated expansion of offshore wind and the pace of application of management measures within marine protected areas pose a potentially huge spatial challenge to the fishing industry. This is not just the well-known view of the fishing sector but is increasingly recognised by those involved in planning and regulation of the marine area.
18 May 2022
The four federations representing England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland recently met with Fisheries Minister, Victoria Prentis MP to underline the crisis engulfing the fishing industry caused by the high cost of fuel.
13 May 2022
An NFFO delegation recently met with Transport Minister, Robert Courts MP, to make the case for a review of the way that the Under-15m Safety Code is currently being applied. The Federation has received multiple approaches from fishermen “at the end of their tether” as the MCA applies the new regime introduced in September last year.
The NFFO announces the publication of a report into alternative propulsion.
25 April 2022
The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Risk, Safety and Training Lead. The post is partially supported by a three- year grant from The Seafarers’ Charity.
7 April 2022
The Government’s response to the energy security provoked by the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has now been published. One of the key elements (along with increased reliance on nuclear energy and a new round of offshore oil and gas licensing) is an acceleration of the expansion of offshore wind. The new target is to generate 50gw of power by 2030, increasing the massive expansion already planned by 10gw.
29 March 2022
The NFFO publishes its response to the Joint Fisheries Statement consultation currently under way by the four UK fisheries administrations
24 March 2022
The NFFO has, today, written to the Fisheries Minister, Victoria Prentis MP, to outline our concerns of the effects that the current fuel price crisis will have on the industry
21 March 2022
Detailed information on contacts for the SeaFit Programme, particularly around mental health provided by the Royal National Mission for Fishermen.
16 March 2022
The SeaFit Programme is a joint initiative from the Fishermen’s Mission and Seafarers Hospital Society, working in partnership to deliver sustainable improvement in the health and well-being of fishermen and their families around the UK.
The need for JFS arises from the Fisheries Act 2020. The Act set out eight objectives* for fisheries management in the UK, post-Brexit. The JFS is a more detailed, follow-on document from the four fisheries policy authorities (the Secretary of State for the Environment; Scottish Ministers; Welsh Ministers; DAERA in Northern Ireland) setting out the specific policies that will be implemented to achieve those eight objectives. It is the roadmap to delivery of the Fisheries Act.
14 March 2022
NFFO declines an invitation to support Judicial Review but says that it is time to review the App.
The resistance of the Ukrainian people to Russian invasion will go down in history as a beacon of courage, unity, and human values against authoritarian dictatorship. At home we have a duty to support that resistance and provide security and succour for those displaced by the conflict.
25 February 2022
UK Women in Fisheries is a network for all women who work in UK fishing, be you vessel owners, fleet managers, fishermen, fishmongers, processors, fishing conservationists, charity workers, trainers or workers somewhere else in the fishing industry.
11 February 2022
The disturbing scenes of thousands of crabs and lobsters washed up on the beaches on the Yorkshire and Teeside beaches have caused widespread alarm and major media interest. The finger of blame has been pointed, at various times and from various quarters, with different levels of credibility, at seismic surveys, a disease that also affects dogs, pyridine from spoil dredged from the Tees and a toxic algal bloom.
7 February 2022
Marine Management Organisation wins legal case against Greenpeace and then bottles it.
21 January 2022
The NFFO has written to Fisheries Minister to express exasperation that flexibilities in bass bycatch arrangements will not be made available to UK fishermen until halfway through this year.
18 January 2022
The four UK fisheries administrations have published the first draft Joint Fisheries Statement for consultation. Together with the Fisheries Act (adopted in December 2020) the Joint Fisheries Statement lays the legislative and policy foundations for a distinctive UK approach to fisheries management outside the Common Fisheries Policy.
6 January 2022
The newly formed Fisheries Industry Science Partnership (FISP) Network, led by the Fishmongers' Company's Fisheries Charitable Trust, Fishing into the Future and the Fishing Animateurs, is encouraging the fishing industry to come forward with their ideas for scientific studies that address issues with data deficient fisheries and develop industry ideas that support the science used in decision-making in the UK.
