Fisheries Minister Benyon pledges to hand management to local communities.

Fisheries minister Richard Benyon chose his visit to Brixham's new fish market this morning to announce a radical reform of the way quotas are allocated to fishermen. The minister is very much in favour of local fishing communities forming CIGs (Community Interest Groups) as a way of taking control of quota management. These local groups would be able to represent themselves at a national level and therefore have a direct say in how fishing effort is managed with the ear of the government. 

An interesting precedent would have been set at Newlyn should the present harbour commissioners have given the go ahead to the Community Interest Group that was proposed would take on the running of a fish auction in Newlyn. CIGs were the previous Labour government's way of devolving power and innovation down to very local levels and giving the very communities that existed around commercial activities like fishing the opportunity to manage their own projects. In Newlyn's case, this option is still on the table. Now, not only could those with a vested and financial interest in making the port pay run their own fish auction but they could also set up a CIG to manage quota including those vessels not currently catered for in the under 10m sector.

Talking of the present quota system which he promise would be reformed by 2012, the minister said:

"We think it's broken and it needs absolute radical reform.

"Many fishermen are struggling to make a living and the current system for managing quota stocks isn't helping.

"It doesn't give all English fishermen the freedom to fish for a share of the catch at the most profitable time, which is what they need.

"We need a simple, straightforward system that gives fishermen more say and gives the communities that have such strong links to their fishing fleets the opportunity to invest and be involved in the way their local fleet is managed.

"I want to see a fishing industry that's much more integrated, without arbitrary divisions mandated by government.

"The industry needs to be freed to fish so that all fishermen and the ports that rely on them have the opportunity to thrive."