Review of Fisheries Producer Organisations in the UK

Aim: To review the current roles and operational structure of Fisheries Producer Organisations (POs). The review will identify: POs' strengths, areas where improvements could be made, and potential new responsibilities. This review will help inform our consideration of future policy reforms and will provide an opportunity for POs, their members and non-members to share their ideas on how POs' role could evolve in the future.

Scope: The scope of the project is drawing on UK and international (EU and non-EU countries) evidence. It will review and analyse POs across the UK and conduct further international research on how fisheries are managed by fishing producer led organisations.

Background/Policy context: POs are officially recognised bodies set up by fishery or aquaculture producers.

There are currently 24 POs in the UK (11 English, 10 Scottish, 2 Northern Irish and 1 Welsh) and 1 in the Isle of Man, whose members in total operate approximately 1,070 vessels.

In the EU (and UK) POs are viewed as the key institutions to achieving the objectives of both the Common Organisation of the Markets of Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (CMO) and Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The current CMO enhanced the responsibilities of POs to enable them to play a more important role in the day-to-day management of fisheries activities whilst respecting the overall framework of the CFP. The CMO Regulation sets out the requirements for the operation of POs, with their main objectives as follows:

• Promoting viable and sustainable fishing activities in compliance with the CFP conservation policy;
• Avoiding and reducing unwanted catches of commercial stocks;
• Contributing to the traceability of fishery products for consumers;
• Contributing to the elimination of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing;
• Improving the conditions for the placing on the market their members products;
• Improving the economic returns for their members products;
• Contributing to food sup

Additional information:

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