Committee publication · Correspondence · 3 March 2026
Correspondence from The Crown Estate following the evidence session on Fisheries and the Marine Environment on 28 January, dated 23 February 2026
From: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Fisheries and the marine environment
Summary
The Crown Estate provides follow-up evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on its marine and fisheries engagement, detailing stakeholder consultations across South West England, revenue transfers to the Treasury (27% retained for investment), aquaculture rent standardization plans, seabed aggregate extraction (19 million tonnes annually), and its Marine Delivery Routemap as an alternative to a statutory sea-use framework.
Key findings
- The Crown Estate engaged with 52 quayside fishers across South West and North East England and North Wales, including the Cornish Fishermen's Production Organisation representing 175+ vessels
- £152m underlying profit generated from marine business in year to March 2024, with net revenue paid to UK Consolidated Fund; 27% of revenue retained for statutory investment
- Aquaculture rent setting moving from varied approaches to standardized production-based model, to be proposed to industry in spring 2026
- 19 million tonnes of sand and gravel dredged from seabed in 2024; marine sources supplied 26% (13 million tonnes) of total sand and gravel used in Great Britain
- Crown Estate opposes additional sea-use framework, arguing existing Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 framework suffices; Marine Delivery Routemap designed to balance competing demands across fishing, energy, defence, and nature recovery
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
The Crown Estate, Alistair Carmichael MP, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Cornish Fishermen's Production Organisation, National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, Marine Management Organisation, HM Treasury, Olivia Thomas
Notable line
“… we continue with a project ‑ by ‑ project race for the same space, investment will stall, consenting will slow, and conflict will rise …”
Key Quotes
“In the last year we have engaged with communities up and down the country, through forums, workshops, and quayside events. As part of our Marine Delivery Routemap Engagement, we met with 52 quayside fishers across the South West and North East England and North Wales …”
“For FY26, this statutory transfer (the amount we retain) is set at 27% of revenue.”
“We will be proposing basing rent on production and will circulate our plans for comment through industry networks and channels in the spring.”
“The total amount of sand and gravel dredged was 19 million tonnes in the year to 31 December”
“It is The Crown Estate's view that the existing statutory marine planning regime provides a positive foothold from which to further prioritise action to achieve the shared outcomes required in the marine space.”
“Demand on the seabed is increasing, and nature is in decline. We recognise that if we continue with a project ‑ by ‑ project race for the same space, investment will stall, consenting will slow, and conflict will rise …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗