 English and Welsh waters within British Fishery Limits covered approximately and extended up to from the coast, or to the meridian line with other Member States' waters, where the distance between the countries is less than .In 2007, according to The Marine and Fisheries Agency official statistics, there were 12,729 active fishermen using 2,673 vessels in the UK

In 2009 the Marine and Fisheries Agency were part of an expert advisory group during an report into UK offshore wind farms and their potential disruption to commercial fishing activities.The report cited statistics provided by the Marine Fisheries Agency and concluded that there should be early consultation between offshore wind farm developers and fishermen during the planning process.