About Us

Who are we

Scotland has five Regional Inshore Fisheries Groups where local fishers come together to explore local fisheries management initiatives.  

The five groups are:

• North & East Coast 
• West Coast 
• Outer Hebrides
• Orkney Sustainable Fisheries 
• Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation 

What we do

Each Group develops their Fisheries Management Plan with projects and initiatives designed to promote local sustainable fisheries.  Some example projects include.

• Short term pilot fisheries e.g. to test out gear separation or new fishing methods
• Trial fisheries to test a small scale fishery as a means of diversifying from main target species
• Setting up and getting voluntary closures with members to protect a particular stock or portion of the seabed, for a time, to allow for recruitment.

The network was established in 2016 and succeed the six Inshore Fisheries Groups that were formerly in place from 2013.

Our Aim

To improve the sustainable management of inshore fisheries and to give commercial inshore fishers a voice in wider marine management developments.