Devon and Severn IFCA

20/05/2026

Berried Lobster Seasonality Surveys.
D&S IFCA publishes its report on berried lobster seasonality surveys, detailing the findings of the surveys carried out between May 2023 and May 2025. Egg-bearing (berried) lobsters cannot be landed under current National Legislation. However, some fishers have been known to illegally remove eggs from lobsters before landing, which breaches fisheries legislation and affects stock sustainability. To improve understanding of the lobster lifecycle and provide information for enforcement options, Officers set out to establish when egg-bearing and natural shedding of eggs occurs, and what factors might affect this.
From 2023 to 2025, D&S IFCA Officers undertook surveys on board commercial fishing vessels, with the aim to confirm the months of the year in which lobsters carry eggs, the stages of development of these eggs, the egg shedding period, and the months where there is no egg bearing by lobsters. All surveys took place between the months of February and October each year
Read full article here: https://www.devonandsevernifca.gov.uk/berried-lobster-seasonality-surveys/

24/04/2026

Clean Catch UK has released a survey to gather knowledge for bycatch best practice guidance on sharks, skates, and rays. This survey will help Clean Catch to create best practice guidance on shark, ray, and skate bycatch for the fishing industry. You can find more information about Clean Catch at www.cleancatchuk.com
Devon and Severn IFCA is sharing this news on behalf of Clean Catch UK. Contact Clean Catch UK directly with any questions: [email protected]

Clean Catch is all about collaborative action on the bycatch of sensitive species in UK fisheries, and exchanging knowledge globally.

23/04/2026

Monitoring of the Whelk Fishery.
D&S IFCA has published a stakeholder engagement report on the whelk fishery.
Survey work conducted between 2013 and 2016 to investigate the Size of Maturity (SOM) of whelk spawning in the D&S IFCA District demonstrated that the EU Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS) of 45mm was insufficient to protect the spawning stocks and the sustainability of the population. As a result, D&S IFCA revised its management measures in November 2018 through its Potting Permit Byelaw Conditions, increasing the MCRS of whelks within the District to 65mm over a two-year period (increased to 55mm in November 2018 and 65mm in November 2020). For the 2025/2026 Annual Plan, D&S IFCA identified the need to evaluate outcomes of the change in management measures and to gain an insight into industry perspectives of any change in the whelk fishery over this time. It was determined that stakeholder engagement in the form of telephone interviews should be undertaken to assess any impacts of the increase in MCRS on both industry and whelk stocks within the District.
Read more here: https://www.devonandsevernifca.gov.uk/monitoring-of-the-whelk-fishery/

09/04/2026

Formal Public Consultation – Changes to the Mobile Fishing Permit Conditions. D&S IFCA is inviting all stakeholders to respond to the formal public consultation on proposed amendments to the Category One Mobile Fishing Permit Conditions.

D&S IFCA is inviting all stakeholders to respond to the formal public consultation on proposed amendments to the Category One Mobile Fishing Permit Conditions.

27/03/2026

D&S IFCA’s Annual Plan 2026/2027. Read about the work to be undertaken by D&S IFCA in its Annual Plan 2026/2027.

D&S IFCA has the largest of the ten IFCAs’ districts and has two separate coastlines.  D&S IFCA’s District includes the areas of Devon and Gloucestershire County Councils; Bristol and Plymouth City Councils; North Somerset District Council; Torbay, Somerset and South Gloucestershire Councils an...

26/03/2026

Formal Public Consultation – Changes to the Netting Permit Conditions. D&S IFCA is inviting all stakeholders to respond to the formal public consultation on proposed amendments to existing Commercial and Recreational Netting Permit Conditions.

D&S IFCA is inviting all stakeholders to respond to the formal public consultation on proposed amendments to existing Commercial and Recreational Netting Permit Conditions.

26/03/2026

Code of Conduct for Torbay MCZ
Devon & Severn IFCA has published a new Code of Conduct for fishing with pots and traps in Torbay Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ). Read full article here:

Devon & Severn IFCA has published a new Code of Conduct for fishing with pots and traps in Torbay Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ).

19/03/2026

New Mobile Fishing Permit Byelaw 2022
The new Mobile Fishing Permit Byelaw 2022 is confirmed by Defra and came into force on 18th March 2026

On 4th March 2026, D&S IFCA received a signed copy from Defra of the Mobile Fishing Permit Byelaw 2022. The new Byelaw came into force on 18th March and this concludes over seven years of work by Officers and Members of D&S IFCA’s Byelaw and Permitting Sub-Committee (B&PSC). Read more here:
https://www.devonandsevernifca.gov.uk/new-mobile-fishing-permit-byelaw-2022/

10/03/2026

The Association of IFCAs has released their March edition of IFCA Insights.
https://www.devonandsevernifca.gov.uk/ifca-insights-march-2026-aifca-newsletter/