The "Future of Fishing," debate in Westinster, 5th November 2024, explores the challenges and opportunities facing the UK fishing industry after Brexit. Here's a breakdown of key points from the conversation:
Concerns:
Loss of access to EU waters: British fishermen worry about losing access to fishing grounds previously available under EU membership.
Foreign ownership of quota: A large portion of UK fishing quota is owned by foreign companies, raising concerns about profit motives conflicting with sustainable practices and local benefit.
Labor shortages: The industry faces a shortage of workers due to Brexit-related restrictions on freedom of movement.
Trade barriers: New trade barriers with the EU have increased costs for fish processing and transportation.
Overregulation: Excessive regulations from UK authorities are seen as stifling the industry.
EU leverage: The EU may use negotiations on energy access as leverage to secure more favourable fishing rights for its fleets.
Opportunities:
Taking back control: The UK regaining control of its waters presents an opportunity for a "great reset" of fishing policy.
Sustainable quotas: The UK can focus on setting sustainable fishing quotas to ensure healthy fish stocks in the long term.
Support for local communities: Re distributing fishing quotas and investing in processing facilities could benefit coastal communities.
New markets: The UK can explore new export markets outside the EU.
Key Figures:
Rupert Lowe (Reform): Believes leaving the EU presents a golden opportunity to rebuild the fishing industry and revitalise coastal communities. Advocates for stricter regulations on foreign fishing fleets and quota ownership.
Torcuil Crichton (Labour): Highlights the problem of foreign ownership of fishing quotas and the need to distribute quotas fairly to benefit local communities.
Jim Shannon (DUP): Emphasises the importance of visas for seasonal workers and worries about the Irish government's attempts to claim UK herring quota.
Seamus Logan (SNP): Expresses concern that the UK government will prioritize energy deals over fishing rights in negotiations with the EU.
Richard Tice (Reform): Believes "no deal" is better than a bad deal in negotiations with the EU and urges the government to decouple energy and fishing negotiations.
Caroline Voaden (LD): Represents a constituency with a significant fishing industry and highlights the importance of the sector to local communities.
Recruitment:
In the provided debate transcript, the following references were made to recruitment in the fishing industry:
- Need for investment and training: Rupert Lowe mentioned that fishing and fish processing would need extensive investment and that there was a risk of losing legacy fishing skills. This implies a need to attract new people to the industry and train them.
- Torcuil Crichton suggested the creation of a new pelagic fleet and new processing facilities. This would require recruiting people to crew the boats and work in the factories.
- Jim Shannon raised the crucial issue of visas for foreign workers in the fishing industry. He highlighted that the lack of access to foreign labor was hurting the industry and called for a visa system that works for the fishing sector, similar to the horticulture and poultry sectors.
- Seamus Logan also mentioned the loss of freedom of movement as a challenge for the fishing industry. This again points to the difficulty in recruiting workers, particularly for fish processing.
These references highlight that recruitment is a significant challenge for the UK fishing industry. The lack of access to foreign labour due to Brexit, coupled with the need to invest in training and revitalise the fishing fleet, necessitates a focused effort on attracting and retaining workers in the fishing sector.
Overall View:
The debate reflects the complexities of the future of UK fishing. While regaining control of waters presents opportunities, navigating negotiations with the EU, ensuring sustainable practices, and supporting local communities remain significant challenges. Collaboration between the government, fishing communities, and different political parties will be crucial in securing a prosperous future for the UK fishing industry.
You can read the full transcript from Hansard here.