Threads / Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) / Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS)
Policy Paper Published 31 Mar 2026 Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Northern Ireland) Scottish Government Welsh Government ↗ View on GOV.UK

Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS)

This statement sets the direction of UK fisheries management.

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The JFS sets out the policies for achieving the 8 fisheries objectives in the Fisheries Act 2020. It will ensure we deliver a thriving, sustainable fishing industry and healthy marine environment.  

It has been developed and adopted for the purposes of section 2 of the Fisheries Act 2020.

The JFS enables the UK fisheries policy authorities (Defra, and the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) to develop fisheries management plans (FMPs) to help deliver our ambition for sustainable fisheries.

Following consultation, an amended version of Annex A was published in December 2024. This makes changes to the publication dates and technical details of some FMPs. No amendments were made to the text of the JFS originally published in November 2022.

In March 2026, the first report on the Joint Fisheries Statement was published.