Independent Chair Daniel Zeichner MP, alongside local MP and APPG on Fisheries Member Caroline Voaden MP, visited Brixham on 23 April to hear first-hand about the practical realities facing fishing and its related sectors, as part of the Group’s work on an Action Plan for a thriving and sustainable UK fishing industry.
Development of the Action Plan is being overseen by the former Fisheries Minister, alongside APPG Co-Chairs Melanie Onn MP (Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes) and Alistair Carmichael MP (Orkney and Shetland). As part of this work, the cross-party parliamentary group recently launched a Call for Evidence to help inform the plan.
The visit to Brixham was intended to provide an opportunity for those working in and alongside the sector to share their views directly with the Chair and the APPG, helping to ensure that on-the-ground realities and the needs of different regions and fisheries are reflected in the process.
During the visit, the Independent Chair and the MP for South Devon visited local businesses, spoke with fishermen and women on the quay, and heard about sector-led sustainability initiatives – including gear innovations, selectivity improvements, and net recycling.
A workshop also brought together voices from across the South West, including representatives from the shellfish, beam trawling, and processing sectors, alongside women in fisheries, net makers and welfare organisations who shared day-to-day realities, current pressures, and priorities for management, improved understanding, and a thriving future.
Reflecting on the meeting, Daniel Zeichner MP said, “As an island nation, fishing has an important role to play in our future food security. In Brixham, we heard first-hand about sustainability initiatives and the strong commitment across the sector to its future. While priorities vary across this vibrant industry, there are clear areas of common ground. Our hope is that this Action Plan will capture both and deliver practical proposals to Government that support the sector’s future. Nobody understands the industry better than those who work in it every day.”
Caroline Voaden MP added, "Fishing remains hugely important to coastal constituencies like mine. But for the sector to thrive, it needs both understanding and support. Listening to people on the quayside and those working locally is essential to ensuring that support is properly tailored to the realities of the industry, and we are committed to that through our work on the APPG on Fisheries."
There are several ways to respond to the APPG’s Call for Evidence. You can send a written submission to secretariat@fisheriesappg.org, or complete the online form here. Alternatively you can contact the Secretariat to discuss other ways to share your views if email or the online form are not suitable. The call will remain open until 20 May. More details at: https://www.fisheriesappg.org/action-plan/call-for-evidence