Our groups are made up of stakeholders at the national, regional and local level, all working together to take joint action to reduce wildlife bycatch in UK fisheries.
Each group meets regularly throughout the year, to discuss progress and share updates on the programme of research. Clear channels of communication between each of the groups ensure that work is streamlined and well-coordinated across the programme.
Responsible for: bringing together scientific opinion from around the UK, to provide the UK’s strategic direction in reducing wildlife bycatch. Members of the National Steering Group advise Defra and each other on the latest research and policy efforts to record, reduce and, where possible, eliminate bycatch of sensitive marine species in UK fisheries.
Responsible for: the technical oversight of Clean Catch UK, by pulling data in from both the National Steering Group, their institutes/ programmes, and the Local Focus Group, to develop bycatch monitoring and mitigation plans.
Responsible for: working collaboratively with the fishing industry to further shape, and then implement local, adaptive and novel monitoring and mitigation measures, to reduce wildlife bycatch in fisheries off the Cornish coast.
