Sussex IFCA runs regular consultations with its stakeholders as we develop regulations that protect our fisheries and conservation sites. We also run occasional informal consultations to gather views from the community on a variety of fisheries and conservation matters of interest. During these consultations we are keen to hear the views of all stakeholders so that we can build a good picture of evidence and opinions. If you have any questions about our consultations, then do not hesitate to contact us.
At the end of 2025, Sussex IFCA researchers held conversations with fishers to gather their views on the Shellfish Permit Byelaw 2015, ahead of the byelaw review taking place this year. Sussex IFCA is now preparing for informal consultation workshops, which will take place across the district from the end of September. Please see the promotional flyer for the workshop dates, times and venues. Shellfish permit holders will also be contacted directly with information about these workshops. We hope that you will be able to contribute your time by attending and helping to shape the future management of our inshore shellfish fisheries. We sincerely value your attendance and contribution. In advance of the workshops, we are sharing the feedback and outputs from the initial fisher interviews and the review process to date. Please see the Stakeholder Engagement Report below, which summarises the outputs from those interviews, including an external analysis and report from Newcastle University, as well as a shorter report focusing on the byelaw itself, completed by Sussex IFCA.We have also produced a video, available below, in which our researchers discuss the outcomes of the reports and conversations held with fishers, and the suggestions received to inform the byelaw review. We hope you have the opportunity to review the reports and video, which have been crucial in informing the review. Once again, we would like to sincerely thank all the fishers who have contributed to the review process so far.