Regional Fisheries Groups - North East 4b

You can watch the most recent Northeast 4b meeting video via the below link: 

You can find the Northeast 4b meeting and quota notes via the links below. The meeting and quota notes are kept for the last 18 months, if you require meeting notes prior to this, please contact the RFG team ([email protected]) who will be able to assist you.    

February 2025: RFG Meeting Notes North East 4b 12.02.25 (PDF, 1.14 MB, 13 pages)

September 2024: RFG Meeting Notes North East 4b 18.09.24 (PDF, 819 KB, 13 pages)

Crab and Lobster Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) 

The crab and lobster FMP was published in December 2023. There are a number of measures recommended in the FMP (please see the poster for further information and the indicative timescales).  

Defra has commission the MMO to lead delivery of proposal three, the trial of finer scale management in two lobster fishery units (LFUs) in the Northeast – Northumberland and Durham LFU and Yorkshire Humber LFU. These LFUs were highlighted in the FMP for priority management due to their stock sizes being well below maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and their exploitation rates being close to or above the maximum reference point.  

Included below are meeting notes from Amble and Whitby port visits in December 2024. 

Dr Claire Tanner and Dr Katrina Davis from the Marine Conservation and Ecological Department at the University of Oxford conducted a study quantifying the proportion of catch partially eaten by seals in the UK, as well as the economic impact this is having on fisheries around the coast. The researchers interviewed industry members from ports around the coast and held in-person workshops in partnership with the MMO to discuss findings to date and mitigation ideas.