Commercial Fishing
The Solent is a mixed sea fishery and the fishing effort varies between a number of different commercial species throughout the year. The inshore waters have an important role as a nursery area for bass, with specific areas identified for protection, and for a range of other fin-fish and shellfish. Marine and Fisheries Agency statistics show that in 2009, over a 1,000 tonnes of fish were landed at Portsmouth with a value of approximately £1.4 million. Of this total 886 tonnes were shellfish. The various fishing activities which take place include:
- Demersal trawling;
- Drift netting;
- Fyke netting;
- Long lining;
- Set netting;
- Beam trawling;
- Trapping;
- Sea angling
Shellfishing is one of the main types of fishery in the Solent. The most significant shellfishery is for the native oyster which represents the largest self-sustaining stock in Europe and is of international conservation importance. Commercial Clam digging for the American hard shelled Clam also takes place throughout the year.
The amount of objective information about most aspects of the fishery in the Solent is very limited. A fundamental reason for this is that the majority of the inshore fleet are under ten metres in length and, therefore, exempt from the requirement to make full catch returns. Research on the fishery is also limited, although annual surveys of the stock levels within the oyster fisheries are made, and there has been extensive work on the populations of salmon and sea trout within the rivers Test and Itchen. The Sea Fishery Committees and Defra have detailed knowledge on the sea-fish and shellfish industry in the UK.
Fisheries Management
The Marine and Coastal Access Act, will reform inshore fisheries management in England by replacing Sea Fisheries Committees (SFCs) with newly created Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCA) in April 2011. The aim of these Authorities is to lead, champion and manage a sustainable marine environment and inshore fisheries, by successfully securing the right balance between social, environmental and economic benefits to ensure healthy seas, sustainable fisheries and a viable industry. IFC district boundaries will extend inland, aligning themselves with local authority boundaries. The detail of seaward and landward boundaries and the constitutional make-up of IFCA committees will be set out in draft Orders establishing IFC districts. Defra plans to consult on these in January/February 2010. IFCA committees will be formed of representatives from unitary and upper tier local authorities. The Marine Management Organisation, Environment Agency and Natural England will each have a statutory seat. The other representatives will be appointed by the Marine Management Organisation and will include members with the skills and knowledge to representative the fishing industry (recreational and commercial) and environmental interests.
Ideally, fishing activities would take from each stock no more fish than can safely be removed without inhibiting the stock's capacity to spawn and to bring in young fish to the stock. Conservation lies at the core of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), and measures aimed at calculating safe levels of capture and ensuring that they are respected are among the main measures under this policy. Setting total allowable catches (TACs) means fixing the maximum quantities of fish that can be landed from a specific stock over a given period of time. TACs are set on the basis of a proposal from the Commission, but final power of decision rests with the Council of Fisheries Ministers. The Marine and Fisheries Agency has responsibility for managing the English commercial fishing fleet. The Agency operates a national restrictive licensing scheme for UK commercial fishing vessels which is designed to control the capacity and fishing activities of the UK fleet. This is intended to bring catching effort into better balance with fishing opportunities.
The JNCC and Natural England have launched a Fishing Coalition for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). This new alliance represents much of the UK fishing industry and will provide a vital point of contact for Government and nature conservation organisations as they work with the industry in developing the growing network of MPAs. With the government required by European law to introduce a network of MPAs by the end of 2012, streamlined, efficient communication between all parties is essential.
