Establishment of sustainable catch limits
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WQ.382/2025
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
BY DEPUTY J. RENOUF OF ST. BRELADE
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 13th OCTOBER 2025 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 20th OCTOBER 2025
Question
"Will the Minister advise what work, if any, is either underway or planned regarding the establishment of sustainable catch limits for Jersey's fish and shellfish stocks; and will he provide a timetable for any such work?"
Answer
Sustainable fisheries management is one of the core objectives of the Marine Resources Section, and one that is endorsed through the Marine Spatial Plan.
Research work both directly on fish stocks and on wider habitat and environmental factors has been ongoing for several years. Jersey is proud to hold, in partnership with Normandy, a Marine Stewardship Council Sustainability certification on its lobster fishery. The Marine Resources team are working alongside the University of Bangor to develop a stock assessment for scallops and then other key stocks.
All of this takes research, field time and funding. The objectives is to build to a 3-year rolling cycle where stocks can be assessed on a regular basis and new emerging stocks added in as they are learned about more fully.
My objective for Jersey is an environmentally sustainable fishery exploited by an economically sustainable fleet. The Marine Protected Area network of the Marine Spatial Plan will deliver further change on top of the stock assessments but will bring a more stable ecological base for the fishing industry to work off.
The Marine Resources Section Annual Report that gives a good summary of the current position on stocks, the ongoing work to manage them and the research work that supports the understanding of them.