Western Waters regime
The Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is responsible for managing cod recovery measures. The purpose of the cod recovery measures is to comply with the long term cod recovery plan toward improving the sustainability of cod stocks.
The Western Waters effort regime applies to UK fishing vessels over 15 metres in length fishing in waters to the west of Scotland, Wales, England including the Channel and south west towards France and Spain (ICES Areas VI, VII and VIII).
There are two regimes
- scallop effort- applying to king (Pecten Maximus) and queen scallops (Aequipecten opercularis) and,
- crab scheme- applying to fishing for Edible/Brown Crab (Cancer Pagurus) and spider crab (Maja Squinado )
The UK fisheries administrations (UKFAs) – the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Marine Scotland, Department of Agriculture & Rural Development Northern Ireland and the Welsh Government – have joint responsibility for the regime.
The scheme is managed by the setting of effort limits in the relevant fishing vessel licence.