Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority - 12 June 2026

At its meeting, the Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) began by electing Tony Tomlinson as Chairman and Councillor Kenny as Vice-Chairman, both without opposition. Two members, Nick West and Ben Eglinton, declared pecuniary interests in Agenda No. 8 concerning the Octopus Potting Emergency Byelaw, as they are fishermen in the octopus fishery, and left the room during that debate. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved and signed.

The Authority noted the Budget Outturn Report for 2025/26, including a favourable variance that will be returned to reserves. The financial position and audit report were formally adopted.

A significant portion of the meeting was devoted to the Octopus Potting (Vessel Specification) Emergency Byelaw 2026. During debate, officers clarified that the byelaw aims to support sustainable management of crustacean stocks by limiting potting effort from larger vessels, complementing an existing 2024 byelaw. Monitoring will rely on enforcement data, vessel tracking, and landing samples, though outcomes may be affected by wider environmental factors. Some members questioned whether the measure sufficiently addressed overall fishing effort, particularly total pot numbers rather than vessel size alone. The proposal was described as precautionary due to limited data on octopus fishing activity, as vessels targeting octopus are not currently required to hold permits or submit returns. Officers confirmed that longer-term effort-management measures, including potential pot limits, remain under development.

The Authority adopted an updated version of its Constitution. The Chief Officer’s report covered several operational updates, including the securing of £1.2 million in capital funding from DEFRA towards a replacement patrol vessel (estimated total cost £2.8 million), with discussions ongoing with Cornwall Council on the remaining funding. Other matters included a temporary operational arrangement for deploying a RIB during the refit of the vessel Saint Piran, consideration of a policy to withdraw shellfish permits from repeat offenders, and updates on enforcement cases and staff recruitment. The officers’ report was noted by the Authority.