Our Submission to EFRA's Call for Evidence on Fisheries

In September, the APPG on Fisheries submitted evidence to the EFRA Committee’s call for evidence, launched in response to the announcements made at the UK-EU Summit on 19 May, including relating to a fisheries access deal with the EU and the UK Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund. 

Set within the context of these announcements, the call invited submissions on how the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund should be designed and delivered to best meet the needs of the sector and communities, and how the UK can provide comprehensive and coherent support for its domestic fishing sector and fishing communities beyond this Fund.

Submissions were invited across the following questions:

  1. What should be the key priorities for the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund to ensure it delivers meaningful impact across both the fishing industry and communities? 

  2. How should the Fund be structured and delivered to reflect the diversity and needs of fishing communities across the UK, including inshore fleets and more isolated areas?  

  3. What role should the devolved administrations play in the design and delivery of the Fund 

  4. What lessons can be learned from previous funding schemes, such as the UK Seafood Fund, to improve the effectiveness and accessibility of the new Fund? How can the new Fund work to complement and not duplicate currently available schemes?  

  5. What additional measures, beyond the Fund, are needed to support the long-term viability and resilience of fishing communities? 

  6. How can the UK ensure a skilled and future-ready workforce in the fishing and seafood sectors, including through training, apprenticeships, career development and visa policies? 

  7. What has been the impact of recent policy developments —such as the proposed ban on bottom trawling in more Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), the roll-out of Fisheries Management Plans and the extended EU-UK reciprocal access arrangements — on fishing communities? 

APPG on Fisheries Submission

This submission by the APPG on Fisheries was prepared based on the Group’s activities and work with the fishing and seafood sector since October 2024.

Outlining a response across each of the question areas of the call, it collates information and the viewpoints of key stakeholders relating to key priorities for the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, and provides insights as to how the Fund should be structured, drawing on feedback with respect to past funds, including with reference to devolution. In addition, it outlines briefly the impacts of recent UK policy developments on the UK fishing and seafood industry, and makes the case for the development of a National Fishing Strategy by the Government. 

Read our submission here.

The All Party Parliamentary Fisheries Group
Office of Alistair Carmichael MP
Houses of Parliament
Westminster
London SW1A 0AA

secretariat@fisheriesappg.org

@FisheriesAPPG

Please note, The All Party Parliamentary Fisheries Group is not responsible for the content of external websites.

This is not an official publication of the House of Commons or the House of Lords. It has not been approved by either House or its committees. All-Party Parliamentary Groups are informal groups of Members of both Houses with a common interest in particular issues.