The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has published guidance on bass fishing in 2018 for fishermen in England. This follows publication of Council Regulation 2018/120 within the Official Journal of the European Union.

The MMO implements fisheries regulations set by the EU and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The European Commission has detemined that bass stocks remain under pressure despite the measures taken in previous years. It has placed further restrictions on the commercial and recreational fishing sectors in order to address this.

The regulations apply to all vessels. The MMO guidance sets out how these regulations will be implemented in the seas around England where it has a fisheries management and enforcement remit. Each UK devolved administration will consider whether it publishes guidance for the implementation of the regulations for the fishing vessels it licenses.

Recreational fishing for bass

For recreational fishers, any bass caught during 2018 must be returned immediately. This applies if you are fishing from a boat or from the shore. The MMO will continue to work with the Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities in enabling and ensuring compliance with this control measure.

Commercial fishing for bass

Throughout 2018 commercial bass fishing from shore is prohibited. In addition, the guidance sets out the areas where commercial fishermen must not catch, retain, transship or land bass. Commercial fishing for bass in any restricted area is prohibited during February and March 2018.

Measures to conserve sea bass stocks were implemented by the MMO in 2017 by issuing bass fishing authorisations to eligible vessels; those that could demonstrate bass fishing within a defined reference period. During early 2018 the MMO will issue authorisations to all vessel owners that received one in 2017. In addition we will be running a representation process for those individuals who did not submit and have their case considered in 2017. Complaints about bass authorisations will be considered by the MMO.

Monitoring and enforcement

The MMO regularly monitors data on fishing activity, including bass catch levels, to ensure enforcement is targeted accordingly. It pursues reported breaches in the appropriate way, using a range of sanctions ranging from verbal or written advice through to prosecution in the most serious of cases.

Earlier in January 2018 the MMO advised fishermen that 2017 restrictions were to remain in place until this 2018 regulation was published.

On 15 February 2018 Highways England will launch a consultation on options to upgrade a three-mile stretch of the A417 near Birdlip in Gloucestershire.

Known locally as the ‘missing link’, this stretch of single carriageway road between the Brockworth bypass and Cowley roundabout restricts the flow of traffic on a key route which is otherwise dual carriageway. Upgrading this section to dual carriageway will help unlock Gloucestershire’s potential for growth and secure opportunities for housing and jobs, as well as improving life in local communities.

The A417 passes through the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and so any solution will be designed sensitively to meet the special character of the landscape, environment and history.

The improvement is being made possible by the Government’s £15bn investment in motorways and major A roads and will be delivered by Highways England.

Project manager Mike Goddard said:

Our plans will deliver reliable journey times between the Thames Valley and West Midlands, offer a safer journey for drivers and protect the special character of the landscape.

Upgrading this route has been a key focus for the community and we would encourage as many people as possible to share their views on the different options to help us shape the best possible outcome.

Highways England is holding a public consultation between 15 February 2018 and 29 March 2018. Once the consultation officially launches, full details of the options for consideration and feedback forms will be available online via the scheme website, along with dates and venues public information exhibitions.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will begin a phased launch of the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) in August 2018. CDS will replace the existing Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system, with all declarations taking place on CDS from early 2019.

CHIEF currently processes declarations to facilitate the international movement of goods between the UK and non-EU countries. CHIEF will continue to run for a time to aid the transition to CDS.

Why CDS is replacing CHIEF

CHIEF is one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated electronic services for managing customs declaration processes, but it’s nearly 25 years old and can’t be easily adapted to new requirements.

The decision to replace CHIEF with CDS was made before the EU referendum, however CDS will be scaled to handle any potential increases in the volume of declarations that may result from the UK’s exit from the EU.

How this will affect importers and exporters

If a trader imports or exports goods outside the EU, they or their agent will be currently using CHIEF to:

• process declarations for goods entering and leaving the UK or EU through ports and airports
• calculate and pay the correct duty and taxes
• complete customs information electronically

They will still be able to do these things on CDS, but there will be differences:

• they will need to sign into CDS on GOV.UK through a Government Gateway account
• CDS will offer several new and existing services in one place – for example, traders will be able to view previous import and export data on pre-defined reports, check the tariff, apply for new authorisations and simplifications, and check their duty deferment statement
• online help will include self-service tools, guides and checklists

Some additional information will be required for declarations in order to align with the World Customs Organisation Kyoto Convention, currently being implemented in the UK through the Union Customs Code (UCC):

• an audit trail of previous document IDs
• additional party types, such as the buyer and seller
• possible additional commercial references or tracking numbers
• levelling – change between ‘Header’ and ‘Item’ for some data items

To align UK customs data with international standards, there will also be changes to:

• location of goods identification (based on UNLOCODE)
• the warehouse type code list
• item tax lines, including method of payment codes
• unit of quantity codes (ISO)
• the way customs procedures are quoted
• the number of items on a declaration – CDS will allow a maximum of 999 items on a customs declaration instead of the current 99 items on CHIEF

An updated tariff manual will be available in April 2018.

Alerting importers and exporters about using CDS

HMRC is currently building and testing CDS with industry, software providers and Community System Providers (CSPs). CSPs operate computerised inventory systems that control the physical movement of import and export freight at UK ports and airports.

CDS will be phased in between August and early 2019, with CHIEF continuing to run during this time to aid the transition. Importers, exporters or their agents will be informed by their software provider when they need to provide the additional information in order to start making declarations on CDS.

To keep informed about CDS, please send your name and email address to communications.cds@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk to register for email updates.

The updates will provide regular information on CDS and any preparations you may need to make ahead of CDS going live.

There will also be regular updates about CDS on GOV.UK and through trade associations.

In our current multichannel retail world, where consumers have direct access to global markets, it is essential that hallmarking continues to be enforced. Jewellery represents a particular opportunity for deceit because the person buying the article has no way of knowing whether their 18ct bangle is gold to the core, the fashionstatus trademark on their bracelet is genuine, or their prized cufflinks are merely plated with a thin layer of gold that will soon wear away, to expose base metal below.

High precious-metal prices, the popularity of more expensive brands, and the difficulty in identifying whether an item is what it purports to be, are all driving criminal activity. This can range from a slightly maverick workshop using under-carat components for repairs, to serious organised crime, funded by the mass sale of counterfeited products such as Tiffany, Pandora and Links of London.

Spotting non-compliance

The situation is exacerbated by the lack of consumer understanding of hallmarking legislation. A survey conducted in April 2017, with a Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy consumer panel, found “spontaneous awareness of hallmarks was initially extremely low”. When prompted, many people claimed to understand it, but the survey showed their knowledge to be poor and largely inaccurate. So, the consumer is relying on the jeweller to be trustworthy. As a result, enforcement of the legislation depends upon continual trade vigilance and trading standards enforcement.

High street non-compliance is relatively easy to spot. Many Touchstone applications chronicle proactive campaigns that have started by checking that dealers: are displaying notices explaining hallmarks; have correctly calibrated weighing scales; and stock hallmarked items in store. Pursuing non-compliance with these basic requirements regularly reveals significant long-term offences, leading to prosecutions for trademark infringements, among others.

Online sales are far more difficult to monitor. There is undoubtedly a significant lack of compliance online, with goods without a hallmark or incorrectly described being offered by businesses and private individuals on their websites, as well as on specialised jewellery marketplaces and resale platforms, such as eBay. Policing and enforcing compliance within the increasingly significant global, online market is a universal problem across all sectors. Within this market, there is little control over quality, or the reassurance and legal verification of a hallmark.

Consumer detriment

With local resources overstretched, there is a worry that trading standards officers will focus on more obviously life-threatening or sinister sectors, such as counterfeit drugs, loan sharks or faulty electrical goods. However, every hallmarking investigation reveals evidence that the centuries’ old law is not being observed and, frequently, there are other illegal activities related to such infringements. These could be apparently minor, such as illegal weighing scales, but the level of cheating that can be achieved by this practice is significant.

At the other extreme, trading in counterfeit luxury jewellery items could be part of serious organised crime. There is always significant detriment to the consumer and, in many cases, it is the most vulnerable in our society who are being cheated.

Last year’s Touchstone applications, from across the UK, reflected complaint intervention, proactive enforcement projects and information operations. There was also evidence of positive longterm activity in hallmarking operations from all applicants. This is encouraging news, but much more is required if effective enforcement is to be exercised over the ever-expanding online offer of jewellery from around the world now accessible in the UK.

Celebrating success

The winning Touchstone application for 2017 came from the London Borough of Ealing. Its success was down to a well-planned and executed series of inspections, after information that jewellery without a hallmark was on sale in the area.

A range of activities in various high-street premises was headed up by team leader Peter Clark, assisted by enforcement officers Mohammed Tariq and Brian Gohery. Their investigations revealed major noncompliance with the Hallmarking Act 1973 by the jewellers inspected.

A carefully staged approach started with visits to advise all jewellers of their legal requirements. Subsequent visits led to jewellery without a hallmark being seized from several of the 24 premises visited. Inspection by the London Assay Office revealed that 82% of seized items were not hallmarked, and 22% were fraudulently described as 22ct, when they could only have been hallmarked as 18ct or – in one case – 9ct because of under-carated solder. Successful prosecutions followed, with non-compliant traders receiving more than £11,000 in fines. A hallmarking project is now embedded within the Ealing TS annual service plan and priorities.

As ever, the winning team was well rewarded for its efforts. The Touchstone Award was announced at the 2017 CTSI Conference dinner in Harrogate, and presented to Ealing by chair of the British Hallmarking Council Noel Hunter.

To engage the rest of the council and raise the profile of trading standards within the authority, the award was presented again at an event in Ealing in November. Finally, the team enjoyed its prestigious training day and excellent lunch with the London Assay Office team at Goldsmiths’ Hall.

The 2017 Touchstone applications demonstrated the importance of hallmarking enforcement. It is vital that our trading standards authorities continue to deliver this.

We look forward to receiving your applications for the 2018 Touchstone Award and recognising the hard work of trading standards teams in this area.

Author

Marion Wilson is a member of the British Hallmarking Council’s education and enforcement committee.

We are concerned by the rejection of Agnes Chow’s nomination for the forthcoming Legislative Council by-election. The right to stand for election is a fundamental right enshrined in Article 26 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights.

Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, and its rights and freedoms, are central to its way of life, and it is important that they should be fully respected.