Between 6 Feb and 18 March 2024, Natural England consulted on a proposal to change the fees levied under the Wildlife Licence Charges (England) order 2018.

We asked your views on proposed updates to survey and mitigation licence charges. We also asked for your views on priorities for improving the licensing service.

The changes are required because of HM Treasury principles that mean Natural England must ensure full cost recovery. We also need to introduce charges for new licensing routes, and fund improvements to the licensing service.

Most consultees did not support the proposed charges for bat mitigation licence fees.

However, most of you did support the proposed charges for survey licences fees, and mitigation licence fees for species other than bat.

On improving the licensing service, you said that improving species protection was the most important issue. Second and third most important were improving certainty around when a licence will be issued, and speed of licence issue.

In response, we have reduced the proposed fees for some bat mitigation licences. For other licences, we propose to keep the fees as listed in the consultation.

We have published a consultation response. This has an analysis of the results, addresses your comments, and outlines our next steps. Our first action will be to seek ministerial approval for the proposed charges. If approved by a minister, we will work with Defra to get parliamentary approval for a new Statutory Instrument.

To start the process of replacing the East Marine Plans, as agreed by the Secretary of State in April 2023, and approval to consult on the East Marine Plan Draft Statemnet of Public Particiaption. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) held a formal consultation between 15 January 2024 and 12 February 2024.

Four engagement events were held during the consultation period, which were attended by a wide range of stakeholders from various sectors.

The consensus from the consultation was that the Statement of Public Particiaption generally meets the requirements of stakeholders. No changes were required to the Draft East Marine Plan Statement of Public Participation directly however, minor changes have been made to the corresponding gov.uk webpages to reflect the representations made by stakeholders. 

Following the consultation on the East Marine Plan Draft Statement of Public Participation, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has agreed to publish the East Marine Plan Statement of Public Participation.  

You can review the East marine Plan Statement of Public Participation and learn more about the process of replacing the East Marine Plan on the marine planning webpages. 

Defra consulted on establishing permitting regimes for the recreational targeting of bluefin tuna (BFT) in UK waters.

Of the 167 responses, the vast majority of respondents (139, 83%), across all interested groups, broadly supported the proposed design for the new UK permitting regimes for the recreational targeting of BFT.

Of those respondents not in favour, the vast majority supported the concept of recreational BFT fisheries but had specific concerns about the proposed design.

On the basis of the strong support to the consultation for new UK permitting regimes for the recreational targeting of BFT, Defra will bring forward the necessary legislation.

Each UK fisheries administration (FA) will determine if, and when, to introduce a BFT catch and release recreational fishery (CRRF) in its waters. We intend to open a BFT CRRF in English waters in 2024.

Our full Government response is available on GOV.UK.

Defra consulted on the scope of animal health and welfare offences that could be covered by penalty notices and elements on how the penalty regime might work in practice

More than 85% of respondents to the consultation supported the view that penalty notices could be a proportionate tool to ensure compliance with animal health and welfare regulations and supported the use of penalty notices to enforce regulations across different areas of animal health and welfare legislation.

As a result, we will introduce legislation to make penalty notices available as an enforcement option for named enforcers to use where appropriate for specified offences across animal health and welfare legislation.

Are new management measures required in Lyme Bay to protect the sole fishery?  

Yes, additional management is required.

In brief, MMO will: 

• Create a new vessel licence condition requiring enhanced visibility and identification of passive gear 

• Publish a form for reporting lost and found gear that can be used without the need for names in order to improve data on the frequency of these events   

• Set a reduced sole catch limit of 200kg for non-sector vessels fishing with scallop dredges in ICES area 7e   

• Hold discussions with Producer Organisations about ways members can reduce sole bycatch when fishing with dredges  

• Support additional research to understand the potential need, benefits and risks of changes to minimum landing sizes or gear configurations   

• Facilitate a meeting for representative industry members to discuss the potential for separating areas of Lyme Bay for use by different fishing methods at different times of the year. It will be hosted by MMO in early 2024.