Common Fisheries Policy: implementing the pelagic landing obligation (discard ban) in England

We want to know your views on how we should implement the landing obligation, also known as a discard ban, in English pelagic fisheries. The ban will mean that all fish caught in pelagic fisheries cannot be returned to the sea (or discarded), unless they’re covered by a specific exemption.

Pelagic fisheries are those in which fishermen primarily catch pelagic species (fish which swim together in the open sea) such as mackerel, herring and horse mackerel. This ban will come into force on 1 January 2015.

In particular, we are seeking views on proposed changes to how we manage:

• management of quota
• exemptions to the landing obligation
• monitoring and enforcement
• the management of catch

This is 1 of 3 consultations we are asking you about as part of the new Common Fisheries Policy. You can read more about this package of reforms in the written ministerial statement. The other 2 consultations in this package are:

• the UK’s proposed strategy to implement the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
• proposed changes to the current fish labelling domestic legislation in England, and new domestic legislation on marketing standards in England and Wales for fishery and aquaculture products