Clean Catch UK: Joint Action to Reduce Wildlife Bycatch (Clean Catch UK) is a collaborative research programme, drawing on specialist and local fishing industry knowledge to gather robust data and develop practical mitigation solutions to reduce bycatch.

By gathering data in a robust manner and working collaboratively across three key stakeholder groups – including representatives from the fishing industry in South-West England, scientists, policy and NGOs from across the UK – Clean Catch UK hopes to facilitate the Government’s aim to reduce, and where possible – eliminate – bycatch of sensitive species.

With such a diverse range of stakeholders involved in the programme, internal communications between the stakeholder groups are managed by strong governance structures that are overseen by the Cefas programme team and Defra policy lead.

The approach of the Clean Catch UK programme is collaborative and participatory and so the communications approach for the programme is inherently value-led as it is based on an understanding of what are the ‘common issues’ that are important to all stakeholders.