The North Sea produces an abundance of fish and shellfish that has provided food for the country for hundreds of years. Some species of fish are considered to be under pressure –however, shrimp is considered to be a fully sustainable stock and with careful management will be available to be fished well into the future.

The Wash shrimp fisheries are targeted by vessels from the ports of King’s Lynn and Boston. The vessels use light beam trawls over the fine sand, and work predominantly in the shallow inner channels of The Wash.

Sustainability

The fishing industry is aware of the importance of committing to sustainable practices, and there is an intention to demonstrate this commitment by undergoing assessment for a MSC accreditation.  Working closely with Eastern IFCA the fishermen are working towards a more sustainable future for all involved.

As part of the process of ensuring that the current good working practice within the fleet is followed as standard by all involved, vessels are asked to sign up to a Management Plan that will confirm they are operating under best practice guidelines. In addition, vessels are to be fitted with monitoring systems (iVMS) to demonstrate where they fish, contributing to traceability and the monitoring of fishing impacts.