Compulsory weekend reading - Brexit - voices of the fishing industry.

 

The UK fishing industry was frequently highlighted during the process that led to the UK’s departure from the EU. Since Brexit was fully brought about from the beginning of 2021, the fishing industry has seen a range of impacts, many of which industry members have reported to be unexpected and unwelcome. Although the industry is diverse in terms of geography, scale, and fishing methods, detrimental impacts on livelihoods, business turnover, labour, exports, and access were reported across various segments of the sector. However, there is hope that the situation could be improved. 

The recommendations within this report highlight pathways that may bring this to reality. This report presents a synthesis of views gathered from the UK fishing industry based on their experiences in the 12 months after the UK officially left the EU. While respondents are not representative of the entire sector, their answers provide useful insights into the direct effects of Brexit on individuals, businesses, and communities. Six key recommendations have been drawn from industry responses:

Main recommendations:

• Ensure that quotas are distributed and managed more fairly. 
• Implement further restrictions on non-UK fishing fleet access to UK waters, and sooner than 2026. 
• Ensure effective and inclusive management of UK stocks. 
• Implement measures to increase the efficiency and reduce the costs of exporting.
• Work with the EU to free up trade and remove regulatory and financial barriers. 
• Invest in infrastructure and new markets both at home and abroad.