Alongside particular challenges facing individual segments and sectors across their constituencies around the UK’s coasts, APPG on Fisheries Members highlighted a range of shared challenges affecting the fishing industry during a parliamentary debate on government support for UK fishing on Thursday, 22 January.
Secured via an application led by APPG Co-Chair Alistair Carmichael MP, with support from over 20 cross-party MPs, the debate, which took place in the main Chamber of the House of Commons, heard of pressing issues affecting the sector covering themes from spatial squeeze, funding, skills, labour, and safety at sea to international agreements, regulatory autonomy, and trade — alongside the urgent need for action in support of the industry’s future.
Opening the debate APPG Co-Chair Alistair Carmichael MP highlighted the diversity of the sector and the potential of fishing in terms of the UK’s food security, alongside issues surrounding the UK-EU fisheries deal, decision making, funding allocations, spatial squeeze, quota cuts and the lack of a strategy for the sector. Signposting the APPG’s work on an Action Plan to address this, Carmichael closed his opening speech with a call to Government to act before it’s too late.
In addition, a number of key points were raised by Members during the debate, as part of their interventions:
Highlighting the effect of climate change and warming sea temperatures, the impact of the octopus bloom off the South West on shellfisheries was outlined by APPG Member Caroline Voaden MP, who called for industry support against this backdrop.
Concern surrounding a three bag pollack limit for recreational fisheries was outlined by APPG Member Steve Darling MP.
The need to make the industry more accessible to new entrants, and the need to close persisting data gaps was outlined by APPG Member Anna Gelderd MP, who also outlined the importance and efficiency of industry-science partnerships here.
APPG Member Andrew George MP welcomed the Animal Welfare Strategy and the clarity it would bring, called for a portion of the UK Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund to be delegated to small projects, and regarding technical measures introduced by the EU as part of recent quota negotiations queried why consultation with industry on the matter had not occurred and why counter measures had not been proposed.
The ongoing failure to recognise the sector’s potential in terms of the UK’s food security was highlighted by APPG Co-Chair Melanie Onn MP, who also signposted the health benefits of seafood and called on support for initiatives geared at improving domestic consumption.
Highlighting looming threats in terms of Marine Protected Area designations and recruitment of new entrants to the industry – particularly for communities facing challenges around depopulation – APPG Member Torcuil Crichton MP signposted a disconnect between bureaucracy and island and fishing communities.
APPG Vice Chair, Seamus Logan MP outlined issues surrounding the ‘Barnettisation’ of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund allocations to devolved nations, and also warned of the implications of changes to Skilled Worker Visas for the sector, including processors, in the absence of a domestic workforce to close the gap that this would leave.
Alongside issues surrounding supporting new entrants to the sector, APPG Treasurer Charlie Dewhirst MP highlighted the misrepresentation of the industry as an issue — citing the narrative surrounding the sustainability of bottom trawling as an example, and also made the case that the introduction of technical measures by the EU as part of negotiations last year demonstrated the weak bargaining position of the UK.
You can watch the full debate (from 12:44) here, and read the full transcript here.