Lyme Bay

Lyme Bay is a Blue Marine flagship project, proving that sustainable fishing can co-exist with conservation. One of the largest marine protected areas in the UK, with over 90 square nautical miles protected from dredging and trawling, the Reserve preserves rocky reefs and the largest colony of pink sea fans in the British Isles. The collaborative model, initiated in 2012 by Blue Marine and local fishermen, brings fishermen, conservationists, researchers and regulators together to manage the Lyme Bay Fisheries and Conservation Reserve, and support local small-scale, static gear fisheries within sustainable limits. Lyme Bay is used as one of Blue Marines many BLUEprints for creating and managing MPA for projects all around the world.

In the summer of 2022, the fisherman from all four ports West Bay, Lyme Regis, Beer and Axmouth worked together with the support of BLUE to form a Community Interest Company, The Lyme Bay Fishermen’s CIC (LBF). For the first time, the fifty small-scale, low-impact fishermen from across Lyme Bay will be able to have their voices heard, lobby for what is important to them and have a say on what happens on their fishing grounds.  

This type of representation is normally the preserve of well-funded big fishing interests that have teams of staff able to engage with regulators. The opportunity for our fishermen to help shape policy as the UK’s Fisheries Management Plans are being developed is vital to the continued health and prosperity of our inshore waters. From spatial squeeze to displacement, management of MPAs and piloting Highly Protected Marine Protected Areas, changes to quota management, to the use of Remote Electronic Monitoring, regulators will now have a better understanding of how these fleets are impacted because they will hear from those affected most, the inshore fishermen. The LBF will collaborate and engage with local communities, schools, regulators, scientists, stakeholders, and community groups to demonstrate that the local fleet is empowered and capable of creating and supporting a more sustainable and resilient sector for future generations and our oceans. 

With support from London to Monaco 2022 funding, a brand-new top of the range ice machine was installed in Lyme Regis in March 2023. A regionally important harbour for small scale sustainably caught fish. Access to ice right on the quay-side can be loaded directly onto the boats and allows the catch to be immediately iced on the boat. This keeps the fish at their freshest from, the moment it lands on deck to the moment it arrives at market, ensuring that the fishermen who support the Lyme Bay Reserve gain the best market price for their sustainably caught seafood.