Marine

29 June 2023

CHART 2023 Confirmed

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has today (Thursday 29th June 2023) confirmed to the Angling Trust and The UK Bluefin Tuna Association (UKBFTA) that the funding for the English CHART (Catch and Release Tagging) programme in 2023 has been signed off and the programme has been given the green light.

Given the severe funding constraints we – the Angling Trust and the UKBFTA – have highlighted previously, the process for approval took longer than we would have liked. Throughout the spring we continued to push hard for CHART to continue into 2023, including writing to the Minister and raising the matter with politicians directly. We are pleased the Minister recognised the importance of ensuring CHART will continue this year in England.

Those funding constraints have required some streamlining of costs and one way in which that is being done is via removing the workshop and training element of the programme this year. This means that for 2023 only those skippers who have previously completed the training element and operated in CHART beforehand will be eligible to apply. It is anticipated that up to 25 vessels will again be authorised from the pool of “CHART graduates”.

Fish welfare is of the utmost importance to many skippers and anglers, who fought hard for the workshop and training element to be included in order to pass on this crucial knowledge to new entrants, so the lack of funding for this prior element of CHART is disappointing.

We understand that there will be some disappointment from those who wished to join the programme this year for the first time. DEFRA has indicated that the only way in which CHART could go ahead within the funds available was to adopt this approach. More information will be provided by CEFAS in the coming days to the “CHART graduate” pool and more widely via social media platforms. Specific questions regarding the operational protocols etc should be directed to CEFAS once they go live.

England joins Wales and Northern Ireland now in approving programmes for 2023 which will result in up to 40 charter vessels being authorised to legally fish for Atlantic Bluefin across the UK’s western waters.

We are very grateful to those skippers, crew members and anglers who have supported our efforts to ensure some form of legal fishing continued in England this year. We continue to work with Defra on the introduction of a world-class recreational catch and release fishery in 2024. We are hoping a public consultation on this will take place before the autumn.

Good luck to the anglers and skippers participating in CHART 2023. Thank you for your continued support and tight lines.

18 June 2026

Benjamin’s Comber confirmed as new British record

The British Record (rod-caught) Fish Committee (BRFC) would like to announce the ratification of a n…

11 June 2026

New British Carp Record

The British Record (rod-caught) Fish Committee (BRFC) would like to announce the ratification of a n…

03 June 2026

IFFA Spring Loch Style Fly Fishing International at Llyn…

The international is fished from free drifting boats with anglers from England, Ireland, Scotland an…

28 May 2026

Angling Trust Calls for Recreational Sea Fishing to Be…

The Angling Trust has submitted detailed evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Fis…

27 May 2026

Learn, Coach, Support, Welfare: Explore Opportunities with the Angling…

As the National Governing Body for angling in England, the Angling Trust is committed to supporting…

26 May 2026

Sea angling greats Sam Collier and Saul Page named…

Two of sea angling’s most respected match fishing figures have accepted invitations to become Anglin…

14 May 2026

New British Barbel record ratified

The British Record (rod-caught) Fish Committee (BRFC) would like to announce the ratification of a n…

08 May 2026

Mersey Basin Species Hunt Returns for 2026

The Mersey Basin Species Hunt is BACK and better than ever! Following the success of the inaugural e…

07 May 2026

Angling Trust sets out vision for coastal growth in…

The Angling Trust has launched a new Welsh Sea Angling Manifesto, setting out a clear plan for how p…

06 May 2026

Angling Trust and Environment Agency evolve volunteer support for…

Volunteers remain central as fisheries enforcement support moves to broader community model The Angl…

29 April 2026

Tench Masterclass 2026: scenes from a stunning 48 hours…

This year’s Tench Masterclass at Medway Valley Fishery was another stunning event. From misty…

28 April 2026

Tackling mink on club waters: a real-life success story…

Eric Prescott, Chair of the Angling Trust, is also Chair of a couple of local angling clubs near his…

You might also like