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A major new study has issued a stark warning that the UK is at serious risk of losing the wide-reaching benefits of its sustainable inshore and small-scale fisheries unless urgent action is taken. The paper, Recognising and Protecting the National Benefit of Sustainable Fisheries in the UK, highlights the deepening decline of the UK’s fishing fleet—especially in small-scale coastal communities—and outlines an urgent opportunity for policymakers to reverse this trend for the good of the economy, environment, and society.
Published on 10 April in the highly respected international journal Fish and Fisheries, the paper brings together 19 co-authors including marine scientists, fisheries experts, environmental groups and policymakers, emphasising the vital role that sustainable inshore fisheries play in maintaining marine biodiversity, supporting livelihoods, and preserving the UK’s coastal heritage.
The paper presents eight distinct national benefits provided by sustainable fisheries, from food security and coastal employment to environmental stewardship and cultural heritage. However, analysis of long-term UK fisheries data conducted in the study shows alarming trends: a steep decline in fishing vessels, particularly small boats under 10 metres in length, and a growing imbalance that disproportionately affects rural and economically vulnerable coastal regions.
In England, parts of the South, East, and North are facing higher rates of loss in their fishing fleets relative to other regions and the under 10m sector which makes up 75% of the active fleet has lost almost one fifth of its boats in just the last 14 years, a rate of decline almost twice that recorded in over 10m vessels. In England, between the years 2008 and 2022, the combined fleet contracted by 20.4%, with under 10-m vessels seeing a sharper decline (22.3%) almost double the rate relative to over 10-m vessels (12.6%). For the UK as a whole, in terms of days at sea, a key measure of fishing activity, the overall UK fleet saw a reduction of 35.3% from 2008 to 2022. The decline was more severe for under 10-m vessels, which saw a 40.7% decrease, compared to a 29.2% reduction in the over 10-m fleet.
Lead author of the paper, Dr Sarah Coulthard from Newcastle University, said: “This new analysis confirms that which fishermen know only too well, that the fishing fleet is in decline across the whole UK. However, it also highlights that the decline is being unevenly felt with regional and sector disparity. New conversations are required now to discuss retaining a diverse and resilient fishing fleet by securing our inshore and small-scale fisheries and the wide distribution of benefits they deliver across our coastline”.
A turning point for UK fisheries policy
With the Fisheries Act (2020) legally committing the UK to deliver economic, social, and environmental benefits through sustainable fisheries, the study urges policymakers to adopt a more inclusive definition of sustainability—one that considers the people behind the practice, not simply the fish stocks.
“This is about much more than fish – it’s about people, places, and policies,” said Dr Bryce Stewart, marine ecologist and Senior Research Fellow at the Marine Biological Association (MBA). “The loss of local fisheries means the erosion of coastal identities, jobs, food security, and marine stewardship. But this is reversible, and the Fisheries Act gives us the tools if we choose to use them.”
The paper argues that by protecting and promoting sustainable fishing practices across all scales—particularly in small, community-based operations—the UK can meet its commitments to biodiversity, levelling-up, food security and rural resilience.
The authors propose a number of policy recommendations, including:
· Reframing sustainability to equally weigh environmental, economic, and social outcomes
· Empowering coastal communities through co-management and knowledge-sharing with local fishers
· Recognising public goods derived from healthy fisheries and applying concepts such as ‘public money for public goods’ to marine sectors
· Improving data collection and visibility of small-scale fisheries to better inform national strategies.
Window of opportunity
The report presents both a warning and an invitation—to act now before the opportunity slips away. With the UK’s departure from the EU offering more autonomy over fisheries policy than ever before, this is the time to influence change.
“If we want future generations to enjoy healthy seas, sustainable seafood, and thriving coastal towns, we must take the decline in the under 10m fishing fleet seriously,” said co-author Sam Fanshawe from the Blue Marine Foundation. “Policymakers have a real chance to steer fisheries policy and investment towards supporting local fishing communities and small-scale fishermen, who know first-hand the value of looking after inshore fishing grounds and stocks for their own livelihoods as well as the health of our seas.”
Blue Marine believes that safeguarding the long-term future and indeed recovery of our traditional small-scale coastal fishing communities is not only important from a socio-economic and heritage perspective. The environmental impact of these small-scale fishing fleets is far less than the supertrawlers and fly-shooters that have such a significant impact on fish stocks, habitats and the climate, causing damage to seabeds, higher levels of bycatch and using considerably more energy.
Working with partners from Newcastle University, Association of Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities, Marine Biological Association and regional fishing organisations, Blue Marine is challenging the status quo to ensure that the voice of the UK’s small-scale fishermen carries at least equal weight with the large commercial fishing businesses.
Together with Inshore Small-Scale Fisheries (ISSF) partners, two workshops were held in Autumn 2024 in Poole and Whitby with over 120 participants (including 53 fishermen) to discuss and identify viable solutions to address the decline in the inshore small-scale fishing fleet.
The workshop outputs and accompanying research from Newcastle University was presented at a packed Parliamentary event hosted by our partner AIFCA and Noah Law MP, in March 2025. Fisheries Minister, Daniel Zeichner, expressed support for the work being carried out and over 25 fishermen from all corners of England spoke with MPs, Defra officials, and national fishing organisations.
More information about the work of the Inshore and Small-scale Fisheries partners can be found here.
Top image: Inshore and Small-Scale Fisheries partners at the Parliamentary event in March 2025, including colleagues from Newcastle University, Marine Biological Association, Association of Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities, Blue Marine Foundation, Scottish Creel Fishermen’s Federation and Whitby Lobster Hatchery.
Bottom image: Map showing the decline in the number of UK fishing vessels by region between 2008-2022
