Fishing
Recreational Fishing Quota Reform
Rebalance the catch: independent stock monitoring, a fairer recreational allowance, and a public dashboard so every quota decision is made in the open.
Hundreds of thousands of recreational fishers feel locked out of the decisions that govern our shared fisheries. Stock data is patchy, quota settings favour commercial pressure, and the people on the water have no meaningful say. This policy changes that.
What we propose
- Independent stock monitoring. Fund an open, sensor-assisted catch-reporting program so quota decisions rest on real data — not estimates no one trusts.
- A fairer recreational allowance. Review recreational limits annually against the live stock data, with automatic restoration as stocks recover.
- Quota decisions in the open. Publish every quota decision, and the data behind it, on a public dashboard within 30 days.
- A seat at the table. Guarantee recreational-fishing representatives voting membership on the quota review board.
How it will be paid for
Reallocating a portion of the existing monitoring-and-compliance budget to the shared data program, plus a modest voluntary subscription tier for premium catch-log features.
This is a living proposal — debate it below. Your reactions and arguments are read, counted and published, and they will shape the final policy.
Proposed by
The Policy Team
Have your say
How does this policy sit with you?
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The debate
Argue it out — the vote above decides, these are the arguments