Research Plan

Kent and Essex IFCA has a statutory duty under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 to promote the sustainable exploitation of sea fisheries resources and to seek to ensure that the conservation objectives for marine protected areas (MPA) are furthered. Decision making should be based on evidence.  All IFCAs are supported by officers who pool their expertise and share best practice as a Technical Advisory Group (TAG).  A programme of research activity and monitoring is planned, developed, and updated in consultation with partners.  The programme informs management decisions and supports justification for additional research and evidence gathering.

Research activities within KEIFCA are diverse, ranging from fisheries or MPA feature surveys to fishing activity data gathering and analysis. During 2024/2025, research will focus on:

• continued development and implementation of robust management measures for MCZs in KEIFCA’s district
• providing evidence to support sustainable fisheries management for cockles, whelks, oysters and clams
• streamlining the infrastructure and process to provide more efficient access to evidence to support sustainable fisheries and MCZ management.