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THE COASTAL FISHERIES OF ENGLAND AND WALES, PART IV: A REVIEW OF THEIR STATUS 1999-2001

This review updates the description of the inshore fisheries around England and Wales provided in Gray (1995), which in turn succeeded Pawson and Rogers (1989) and Pawson and Benford (1983). We have sought to retain the structure that started with Pawson and Benford (1983), by providing a general overview of each fishery sector (demersal, pelagic, shellfish, migratory species) within each of eleven regions, with a résumé of the fishing activity undertaken from each port or landing place within the region. Though we have not replicated the descriptions of fishing gear given in Gray (1995), we have retained a brief discussion of the management framework, and also show the distribution of the major commercial shellfish species around England and Wales in Appendices 3 and 4, as featured in Pawson and Benford (1983). Whilst previous reviews noted the steady increase in the relative importance of English and Welsh inshore fisheries in the last quarter of the 20th Century, a comparison with Gray (1995) reveals a general downturn in activity in many of these fisheries. Some, such as the eel trawl fishery in the Thames Estuary have almost lapsed due to a lack of resource, whilst others, exemplified by the coastal net fisheries for salmon, are being deliberately phased out to protect resources. In contrast, the production from inshore shellfisheries has been maintained, and the fishing fleet in England and Wales still contains a large number of smaller vessels capable of operating a wide range of fishing gears in seasonal and opportunistic fisheries close to their home ports. This review is not restricted to the activities of these 'inshore' vessels, but is aimed at those people who require wider scale information on who exploits what, where and when and with which gear, at the regional level. We have found this knowledge to be particularly important when considering the implications of proposed area closures under recovery plans for cod and hake, for example. It is also highly relevant to those interested in the marine environment, in particular the impact of commercial fishing activity on the habitat and species communities.