On 4 July, the UK government published a Fisheries White Paper, as part of its efforts to promote a sustainable and profitable fishing industry that will regenerate coastal communities and support future generations of fishermen. Responding, the British Ports Association stressed that the paper should have more focus on ports and infrastructure, noting that these gateways are vital enablers of the Government’s post-Brexit vision but key concerns for the industry remain unanswered.
The Fisheries White Paper – ‘Sustainable Fisheries for Future Generations’ – charts the government’s course for managing fisheries after Brexit. It outlines how powers to be proposed in the Fisheries Bill, which will be introduced in this session of Parliament, will give the UK full control of its waters and the ability to set fishing opportunities such as quota.
In particular the paper sets out how, as an independent coastal state, the UK will have the opportunity to move towards a fairer share of fishing opportunities – overhauling the current system where UK fishermen have received a poor deal that is based on fishing patterns from the 1970s.
On the occasion of the release, UK Environment Secretary Michael Gove said:
Leaving the EU creates a sea of opportunity for our fishing industry. Outside the Common Fisheries Policy we can take back control of our waters and revitalise our coastal communities. We will be able to put in place our own systems, becoming a world leader in managing our resources while protecting the marine environment.
However, commenting on the paper, Mark Simmonds, Policy Manager at the BPA, explained:
This Bill lacks a focus on the UK’s fishing ports, which are often at the heart of coastal communities and hubs of employment and economic activity for the fishing industry. Many of our fishing ports and communities have suffered under the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) for 40 years yet the British Ports Association, which represents almost all of the top 50 fishing ports in the UK, has not been properly consulted on any of these proposals despite repeated attempts to engage with Government. As a result, many of our chief concerns remain unanswered.
According to Mr. Simmonds, the paper lacks details on fishing ports, as there is not a single reference to infrastructure in any of the 60 pages.
Whilst there is a provision to enable Ministers to create a domestic successor to the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), we are very disappointed that there is no firm commitment to do this and no details on its size or what it might look like. The importance of this critical funding is not recognised: 72% of ports rely on EMFF to fund expansion of new services and facilities and 94% have used it in the past to fund expansion. If Ministers continue to place restrictions on the market – as sustainability demands and as is right – then they must be prepared to support the consequences of that. The Bill does contain provisions for a new scheme and we urge the Government to engage with fishing ports to ensure it is fit for purpose and matches the industry’s ambition.
Further, Mr. Simmonds emphasized that there is very little on strengthening the ‘economic link’ between coastal communities and UK fisheries.
We are also deeply concerned about the UK’s access to foreign markets for fish following Brexit. The UK exports around 75% of the fish that is landed in the UK and it is vital that tariffs and non-tariff barriers in particular are minimised or removed after Brexit.
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