Fridays Westminster Hall fishing industry debate.

This summary compiles the key points made by each speaker in the Westminster Hall debate. The session addressed various challenges faced by the fishing industry, including Brexit’s impact, labor shortages, quota management, renewable energy conflicts, and the need for sustainability and mental health support. Generated by AI.

The full text from Hansard can be read here.

Clive Efford (Chair):

• Chaired the session, emphasised procedural expectations for attendance and participation.

Mr. Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD):

• Highlighted risks and sacrifices made by fishers.
• Focused on UK-EU-Norway negotiations, Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), access to fishing grounds, and labor shortages.
• Criticised the annual negotiations model, advocating for multi-annual agreements.
• Addressed inadequacies in fisheries science funding and data deficiencies.
• Critiqued the post-Brexit TCA, emphasising quotas favouring the EU.
• Discussed the "spatial squeeze" from offshore wind projects.
• Urged reforms in visa policy to address labor shortages and more pragmatic language requirements.

Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP):

• Applauded Carmichael’s work and stressed labor shortages.
• Suggested minor tweaks to Home Office policy could benefit fishing communities.

Andrew George (St Ives) (LD):

• Supported multi-annual quotas and ICES science for stable management policies.
• Criticised unfulfilled promises to fishermen during Brexit.
• Highlighted offshore wind challenges and the need for collaboration.
• Discussed the impact of quota cuts on local fishermen.

Wendy Chamberlain (North East Fife) (LD):

• Emphasised promoting fishing as a career, citing local efforts like the Scottish Fisheries Museum.

Seamus Logan (Aberdeenshire North and Moray East) (SNP):

• Called for a ministerial visit to discuss visa challenges and labor shortages.

Melanie Onn (Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes) (Lab):

• Expressed concerns over reducing English language standards for visas.
• Mentioned ecological benefits of offshore wind farms like increased crab populations.

Anna Gelderd (South East Cornwall) (Lab):

• Highlighted the importance of small-scale fishing in Cornwall’s heritage.
• Praised organizations supporting fishers and advocated for sustainable practices.
• Urged collaboration to ensure a just and sustainable future for the fishing industry.

Harriet Cross (Gordon and Buchan) (Con):

• Emphasised Scotland’s fishing industry’s critical role for food security.
• Raised concerns over spatial squeeze from renewable energy projects.
• Urged review of TCA to prioritize UK fishers.

Lorraine Beavers (Blackpool North and Fleetwood) (Lab):

• Discussed the decline of Fleetwood’s fishing industry and the need for proper negotiations to reverse economic decline.

Jayne Kirkham (Truro and Falmouth) (Lab/Co-op):

• Highlighted Cornwall’s dependence on fishing for jobs and culture.
• Criticised Brexit’s impact on fishing, especially shellfish exports.
• Advocated for a balanced approach to renewable energy and fishing.

John Cooper (Dumfries and Galloway) (Con):

• Defended fishermen as custodians of the sea and criticised Scottish Government policies.
• Discussed Brexit opportunities for the fishing industry.
• Warned about spatial challenges from offshore wind and marine protected areas.
• Emphasised the importance of TCA renegotiations.

Seamus Logan:

• Suggested the need for TCA negotiator visits to Scotland for industry input.

Melanie Onn:

• Emphasised the importance of involving the fishing industry early in renewable energy consultations.

Andrew George:

• Countered suggestions of industry resistance to conservation, citing self-proposed conservation efforts.

Torcuil Crichton (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (Lab):

• Praised fishermen's resilience, reflecting on past tragedies.
• Discussed Western Isles fishing, labor shortages, and quota management.
• Advocated for community quota systems and relaxation of restrictions on certain fisheries.

Caroline Voaden (South Devon) (LD):

• Emphasised fishing’s cultural and economic importance.
• Criticised the Brexit deal’s impact on fishers, advocating for transparent, science-based negotiations.
• Proposed streamlined processes, infrastructure investment, and visa reforms.
• Advocated for balanced marine spatial planning and environmental sustainability.

Dr. Neil Hudson (Dr Neil Hudson (Epping Forest) (Con)):

• Emphasised fishing’s importance to coastal communities and celebrated increased UK quotas post-Brexit.
• Criticised potential EU negotiation tactics.
• Advocated for stricter bycatch regulations and marine mammal protections.
• Focused on mental health issues in the fishing community.

Daniel Zeichner (he Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs (Daniel Zeichner)):

• Acknowledged the challenges facing the fishing industry.
• Emphasised the government’s commitment to sustainability and economic viability.
• Stressed the need for collaborative policymaking and stakeholder involvement.
• Addressed concerns raised by Hudson, including safety, bycatch, and mental health.
• Reaffirmed opposition to whaling and commitment to marine ecosystem protection.

Fishing Debate in Parliament - read the full transcript.

The editor of BC Radio 4's  Business Programme told Through the Gaps many years ago that sge found the fishing industry to be the most complicated and least understood of all the sectors in the British economy that she covered. This extract from the fishing debate in the House yesterday is a perfect illustration of the such complexity in the industry:

Barry Gardiner (Brent West) (Lab)

I want to clarify something in relation to pollack. My understanding is that the scientific advice given out in June was that the total allowable catch should be set at zero, but it was not set at zero. The quota was set at 925 tonnes; even now, the stocks are much lower this year because the decision was not in line with the scientific assessment.

Andrew George (St Ives, Cornwall)

I will come to that in a second. The nature of what happens off the Cornish coast, and certainly in the south-west and other areas, is that pollack is caught in a multispecies environment. It is impossible not to catch pollack even when targeting other species—the hon. Member helps me to make the point—so my constituent went and targeted hake. The first thing to bear in mind is this. While he was targeting pollack, he was between 8 and 20 miles off the coast. To target hake, he had to go 40 miles or beyond, and that placed his small boat in significantly greater danger. In other words, it put him at greater risk to pursue an alternative fishery. That is point No. 1 to bear in mind.

The second point is that there is a pollack by-catch if someone is targeting hake. During one month—March of last year—my constituent caught more than 100 kg of by-caught pollack, which he was entitled to land in the market. Indeed, he was required to land it in the market; he could not throw it overboard. He was obliged to land this fish, as a result of which his licence was frozen by the Marine Management Organisation. Following some dispute, he was fined £1,000, and he then had to move out of that fishery. Of course, he was not targeting pollack at the time; he was trying to avoid it as best he could. The MMO did not offer him any kind of solution to the problem that he found himself with.

As a result of all that, my constituent has come out of that fishery and has since been targeting crawfish, of which the industry itself had undertaken voluntary measures to increase the minimum size and to help to recover the stock. Indeed, the minimum size proposed by the industry and implemented in Cornwall has since been picked up, adopted, in national legislation. The crawfish season is now over, so we now have a fisherman who has tied his boat up and is no longer able to fish.

The point is that I hope that the Minister, when looking at this issue, bears in mind that when we propose regulation affecting the industry, that is in effect a two-dimensional policy affecting three-dimensional reality. That is the problem. I hope that the Minister will reflect on the lessons learned just from that little anecdote when considering how policy is implemented, and on the unintended detrimental consequence. The measure does not actually help even the species that it is supposed to protect.

I hope that we are not coming back here in 10 years’ time, gnashing our teeth about the same issues and continuing this annual bunfight in which we do not even know what the quotas will be in just a few weeks’ time; I hope we have multi-annual quotas. One of the best ways of helping the industry is to provide it with all the capacity to manage itself better and for us politicians to try to stand back and keep out of it.

The transcript from the Fisheries Debate in Hansard is available here - use key words to find a subject you want to know more about that saves reading the whole document use CRL+F.  

Final November #FishyFriday in Newlyn.

As winter approaches the skies darken evermore frequently over Newlyn...

as the porters busy themselves picking up the morning's purchases...

there's plenty of hot air blowing across the auction floor...

with so much hake from the Stelissa...

and Silver Dawn...

the Enterprise spent a week at sea and this is the sum of all the cod she caught...

and a handful of bream...

stack 'em high...

yet more squid...

and monk tails...

though John Dory are noe becoming more scarce...

unlike Dover sole, staple diet for beam trawlers...

the dogs of yore...

a senior citizen of the lobster world, this guy would definitely qualify for a bus pass...

a slack box of scad...

more cephalopods...

and some cracking inshore gurnard...

a handful of handline mackerel men braved yestardy's weather in the apty named. The Storm Child...

and the Sea Spray, of which there must have been plenty when these were hauled aboard...

just the one big bluefin to finish off the week...

a small return for a hard morning's work with the jigging gear for young Gary on te Bethshan...

market tour over, there's a little more light in the sky...

with two of the top boats gracing the ed of the Mary Williams pier...

the sardine boats have returned from working out of Falmouth and Mevagissey for now...

good to see Bleach of Lavant's family trucking history showcased in artwork on the side of the truck.

 

Fisheries debate in Westminster - good turnout from Cornish and coastal MPs.

In today's Westminster Fisheries debate Cornish MP Anna Gelderd asked for all sectors to work together.

Anna Gelderd MP for South East ornwall

"Thank you, it is a pleasure to serve under your Chairmanship Mr Efford. I also thank the Honourable Member for Orkney and Shetland for securing this important debate.

Listen to the full debate here

As South East Cornwall’s MP, I am proud to represent a constituency with a rich fishing heritage. Our iconic small-scale fishing fleets and charter vessels from Looe and Polperro, and from Fowey in the neighbouring constituency, are the life blood of our communities—a proud tradition passed down through generations, tying our communities to the sea.

I want to pay tribute firstly to those who support our brave fishers and their families: the harbour master and port authorities, the RNLI that I had the privilege of working for previously, SEAFARERS UK, and the Fishermen’s Mission. If you haven’t bought your Christmas cards yet, may I suggest these fantastic charities that do so much when things go wrong. I would also like to pay tribute to Cornwall Seafood Training, especially Clive Palfrey of Looe, for his tireless work to raise safety standards and still makes time to helm the Looe Lifeboat.

This Labour Government is rightly committed to tackling climate change and biodiversity loss. Damaging practices have taken a significant toll on the marine environment and urgent action is needed to secure the sustainability of the fishing industry and restore the health of our seas.

Offshore wind is essential to achieving home grown, clean energy, but developments must be carefully sited to minimise disruption to ecosystems, sensitive habitats, and historic fishing grounds. Marine spatial prioritisation provides a framework to balance these competing needs, but our fishers must be included in decisions. I urge the Minister to ensure that consultations are held in local ports, scheduled around tides, so that fishers can attend without sacrificing a day’s income or missing the chance to be heard. This should become the norm, rather than the exception. It is a simple ask, but I know it would mean so much to our fishers and improve Government engagement, which is vital.

Sustainable fisheries management is also essential. Catch limits should be set using the latest available scientific advice, but the UK lacks robust data on many commercial species. I wonder if the Minister agrees that prioritising a roadmap to improve stock assessments and working with partners on shared stocks to secure sustainable management, is essential.

Better monitoring and enforcement are vital to compliance, but issues with CatchAPP and Inshore Vessel Monitoring must be urgently addressed. Could the Minister seek assurances that the MMO will address this, ensure transparency and timelines on fixes, and adopt a pragmatic approach until these systems are fully operational.

Globally, management and enforcement of marine resources are often poor. Stronger labelling laws could block IUU fish from entering UK markets and protect our domestic fleets. I would be grateful if the Minister would commit to a review of the existing labelling laws to protect not just the world’s oceans, but our markets too.

Locally, buying UK products helps to boost incomes for our fleets. I pay tribute to fishmongers like Pengelly’s of Looe, who do a great job of supporting their local fleet and offer an overnight service for those without a local shop.

I also want to highlight the work of local Looe fishers; Murray Collins, Dan Margetts, and David Bond on the tuna tagging programme, and most recently with Dr Bryce Stewart and Dr Simon Thomas on pollack data gathering. I would welcome the Minister’s support in expanding fishery science partnerships to fill the knowledge gaps and secure robust data for all of our commercial stocks.

I support a transition away from damaging practices, alongside advancements in vessel safety and technology. Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) offers a cost-effective way to improve transparency, sustainability, and data integrity while creating jobs. Better data means better management, which benefits everyone.

Fishing is central to the jobs, culture, and identity of South East Cornwall, a region grappling with low income. Our fishers are ready to play their part in regenerating our seas, but they need a fair deal that respects their knowledge, safeguards their livelihoods, and protects the marine environment.

I am proud to see this Government working with our fishers, and I urge the Minister to continue working closely with fishers, scientists, and all involved to secure a just and sustainable future for our seas."

For fishermen - Catch app news

Update on the CR app - Catch Recording App. 

A new version of the Catch Recording App is available in app stores. Once users have updated the app, logging out using the small log out icon in the top right corner of the app and logging back in should push through any catch records that are stuck.

Quick guides - 

Logging out

Adding a website shortcut to your mobile homescreen 

Those with older devices may still be experiencing issues, if this is the case it is advised they use the web service at https://record-catch.service.gov.uk/sign-in.

For ease of access, it is now possible to save a shortcut to the web service on device home screens. Alternatively, the catch recording helpline is available 24hrs a day on 0300 0203 788, with agents available between the hours of 7am and 8pm Monday to Friday. 

Please note, when using the automated service to log catch records, it is important that users stay on the line until a record ID is received at the end of the call.

Further guidance is available in catch recording quick guides.

Tagged blue shark's journey this summer.

Remember Tasha the blue shark tagged back in July with Chippy from FV Bite Adventures, The Fish Locker and our project partners at NOAA Fisheries, the University of Exeter, the Marine Biological Association, the University of York, the Shark Angling Club of Great Britain and the Pat Smith Database?   Well, here she is! 

Above, you can see a track of her satellite tag pings off the coast of France since we tagged her in July. 

Thank you so much to the skippers and anglers participating in this huge collaborative tagging effort to understand more about blue sharks in the Northeastern Atlantic and their potential response to climate change. 

Learn more: https://fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/noaa-partners-uk-anglers-and-scientists-learn-more-about-blue-sharks

The Board of Peterhead Port Authority (PPA) has approved the introduction of an Electronic Auction within the fish market.

 

The Board of Peterhead Port Authority (PPA) has approved the introduction of an Electronic Auction within the fish market. PPA launched a wide-ranging consultation process on the subject earlier this year, and the results showed overwhelming support for its introduction. 

The consultation also highlighted a number of challenges, which PPA has been reviewing and seeking solutions to. PPA chief executive Graeme Reid said: 

“This is an exciting moment for the Port and Peterhead community. Peterhead Port Authority has invested around £70m on facilities in the Port in the last 10 years, and this next investment will further reinforce and future-proof Peterhead Port’s position as the leading fish port in Europe.” He said PPA staff had met with some representatives from stakeholder groups to consider how challenges could be resolved. “The Board of Peterhead Port Authority are now content solutions to these challenges have been found.” 

Work will now commence on detailed design of the E-auction system, involving further engagement with stakeholder groups, with a view to it going live in early spring next year.