Centre For Environment Fisheries Aquaculture Science
A harvest standard specification (HSS) sets out the broad framework within which individual harvest strategies can be developed for Englands fisheries. Rules developed for each fisheries management plan (FMP) about how many fish should be caught under certain circumstances should adhere to this common framework.
This framework is intended to provide advice and guidance on how the objectives of the Fisheries Act 2020 can be translated into the operational language required for FMPs by the UKs fisheries policy authorities.
The HSS is not a statutory document and does not create any obligations for UK fisheries policy authorities.
The HSS has been produced by Cefas (the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science). It is an iterative, evolving document, which will be used to guide the design, implementation and review of fisheries management, primarily in the context of FMPs. It will be developed in stages as further FMPs are published.