Discards reform

Discarding is when unwanted catches of fish are thrown back to sea, dead or alive, during commercial fishing operations. This is a complex problem with no easy solution. There is a discarding ban in place, called the landing obligation, but it has not been effective in changing fishing practices. We need a different approach. The discards reform consultation sets out proposals to change the way we manage discards in England. This will contribute to achieving the bycatch objective of the Fisheries Act 2020 and more sustainable fisheries.