Every fishing rod cast toward the horizon symbolises the millions of recreational anglers with a stake in our seas. Yet under the MMO’s marine licensing rules, those anglers are effectively second-class citizens.
The UK’s Fisheries Act 2020 finally gave sea angling equal legal standing to commercial fishing, even mandating government support for the “promotion and development” of recreational angling. In theory that means anglers should have a seat at the table when decisions are made. In practice, the MMO’s advisory list still includes environmental and heritage regulators (Natural England, Historic England, JNCC, MCA, etc.) and even the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) (the commercial fishers’ group), but no one from the angling community. Instead, sea anglers can only chip in under the general “public consultation” rules, a relative and less weighted afterthought in the process.
The imbalance is stark. By law we are equals, but the MMO’s consultation structure doesn’t reflect that. In fisheries plans the Angling Trust has pointed out that recreational fishing “is now a recognised stakeholder in UK fisheries and has a seat at the table on all Fisheries Management Plans”. The MMO even praised the Trust’s input on fishery plans, noting that recreational anglers “provide us with a much broader understanding of what the plan should cover”. Further angling organisations like YourAnglingVoice are already helping clubs translate local concerns into policy submissions, attending dozens of MMO-chaired fisheries groups on issues like bass management. In short, anglers can and do collaborate on sustainable fisheries. Yet none of this is reflected in the marine licensing arena.
Under the MMO’s own guidance, the only bodies guaranteed a hearing on a licence application are those statutory advisers it names by default. As the MMO notes on its website: “The primary advisors that MMO consults includes Natural England, Environment Agency, Historic England and Maritime and Coastguard Agency”, but note this as non-exhaustive and they frequently reference the NFFO. Anyone not on that list, anglers included, can only submit comments during the generic public consultation phase. In other words, while the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (commercial fishers) has a direct channel in, sea anglers are lumped in with “members of the public” and local interest groups. This is a clear slap in the face to the recreational angling sector.
The numbers alone make the case for change. Sea anglers inject huge value into coastal communities. Over £1.5 billion is spent annually and supports roughly 15,000 jobs. Most of that is off-season spending on tackle shops, charter boats, B&Bs and pubs, the lifeblood of many shrinking seaside towns. The Fisheries Act itself expressly recognised that sea angling brings social and economic benefits and even obliges government to help grow the sport. Yet the MMO’s licensing regime treats those billions and jobs as irrelevant details. Why has the hundreds-of-thousands-strong angling public been reduced to writing letters after the fact, while the smaller commercial fishing economy interests get a pro-forma consultation seat?
The MMO can’t have it both ways. We welcome that the Agency is finally engaging anglers on fishery management plans (as it should). Its officials have repeatedly acknowledged that anglers’ local knowledge and conservation-minded ethic help shape better policies. If sea anglers are truly partners in marine stewardship, as the law now demands, they must be treated as partners in licensing too. That means amending the consulting structure. At minimum, the MMO should add at least one recreational fishing representative (for example, the Angling Trust or a YourAnglingVoice appointee) to its list of primary advisors for marine licences.
Our argument is simple: Equal stakeholders deserve equal status. The Fisheries Act makes sea anglers an equal pillar of UK fisheries. Every time the MMO sits down to weigh a licence, anglers should not be shunted to the sidelines. They should not have to scramble through public adverts or social media just to be heard. When developers propose dredging, reef-building, or other activities that can deplete fish stocks and wreck angling spots, grassroots anglers will be ready with facts and concerns, but only if the MMO invites them in. We urge (and will watch) the MMO to fix this. Sea anglers have been patient; the time for second-class representation is over. Our waters, our fish, our communities, they all demand a fair representation.
