Now, the responsibility for the management of marine fisheries in Welsh waters lies with Welsh Government's marine and fisheries division. This centralised delivery model was adopted over 10 years ago. It was anticipated this new consolidated delivery model would provide scope for the better use of resources, provide a coherent approach to managing Welsh fisheries and improve the fishing industry's involvement in decision making.

Unfortunately, despite best efforts, the perceived benefits of this centralised model have failed to materialise, even though budgets and human resources within the division have increased significantly in the last decade. The division has been without an up-to-date strategy or measurable plan to deliver coherent fisheries management since 2014. And to compound the situation, Welsh Government are currently without any formal stakeholder engagement mechanism with the sector.