Commentary on provisions of Act Fisheries objectives, fisheries statements, and fisheries management plans Section 1: Fisheries objectives
This section lists and defines the UK fisheries objectives. The objectives are the subject of the Joint Fisheries Statement which is provided for in section 2. In this section, as in the rest of the Act, fishing includes recreational as well as commercial fishing unless otherwise specified. Where specified, objectives and other provisions in the Act also relate to aquaculture.
	Subsection (1) lists the fisheries objectives. These are (a) the sustainability objective, (b) the precautionary objective, (c) the ecosystem objective, (d) the scientific evidence objective, (e) the bycatch objective (f) the equal access objective, (g) the national benefit objective and (h) the climate change objective. Objectives (a) to (d) replace equivalent objectives in Article 2 of the Common Fisheries Policy Basic Regulation while (e) to (h) reflect other priorities for the UK after it leaves the CFP.
	Subsection (2) provides the meaning given to the "sustainability objective" which is to ensure that fishing and aquaculture activities are environmentally sustainable in the long term, and managed in a way that is consistent with the objectives of achieving economic, social and employment benefits, and of contributing to the availability of food supplies. It also seeks to ensure that the fishing capacity of fleets is managed to ensure economic viability without over-exploitation of stocks.
	Subsection (3) provides the meaning given to the "precautionary objective" which is to apply the precautionary approach to fisheries management, and to ensure that exploitation of marine stocks restores and maintains populations of harvested species above biomass levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield.
	Subsection (4) provides the meaning given to the "ecosystem objective" which is to implement an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management so as to ensure that negative impacts of fishing activities on the marine ecosystem are minimised, and to ensure that incidental catches (e.g. of cetaceans) are minimised and eliminated where possible.
	Subsection (5) provides the meaning given to the "scientific evidence objective" which is to contribute to the collection of scientific data, to work between the fisheries administrations where appropriate and share data, and to base fisheries management policy on the best available scientific advice.
	Subsection (6) provides the meaning given to the "bycatch objective" which is, where appropriate, to avoid or reduce catches of unwanted bycatch, including undersized fish, to record and account for all catches, to ensure catches of fish are landed (rather than discarded at sea) but without incentivising the catching of undersized fish.
	Subsection (7) provides the meaning given to the "equal access objective" which is to ensure that the access of UK fishing boats to any area within British fishery limits is not affected by the location of the fishing boat’s home port, or any other connection of the fishing boat, or any of its owners, to any place in the UK.
	Subsection (8) provides the meaning given to the "national benefit objective" which is to ensure that the activities of British fishing boats bring social or economic benefits to the UK or a part of the UK (e.g. by requiring at least some catches to be landed in UK ports, etc).
	Subsection (9) provides the meaning given to the "climate change objective" which is that the adverse effect of fish and aquaculture activities on climate change is minimised, and that fish and aquaculture activities adapt to climate change.
	Subsection (10) provides definitions for the terms "ecosystem-based approach" and "precautionary approach" to fisheries management for the purposes of section 1.