The Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority(IFCA) and North Devon Biosphere are asking for help from fishers in NorthDevon and North Somerset. If you fish commercially and/or recreationally,specifically for herring,bass, whelk, squid, and skates and rays, please get in touch.

We are conducting a series of telephone interviews focusing ondifferent issues or patterns that you have noticed while fishing and how thesehave changed over time. The purpose of these interviews is to gather and makethe most of local knowledge from fishers (past and present) operating along theNorth Devon and North Somerset coast to feed into Fishery Research andManagement Plans (FRMPs).

This is a real chance to ensure that the views of local fishersare accurately represented in these plans and are incorporated into any futuremanagement, where appropriate.

These plans aim to bridge the gap between current, singlespecies style fisheries management and enable the shift towards a more naturebased, local approach for commercially important species in North Devon, whereappropriate.

If you would like toknow more or are interested in being interviewed, please get in contact withMartin Peverley at m.peverley@devonandsevernifca.gov.uk