Today in Parliament - questions on fishing aid and exports to the EU - especially live shellfish.

 

Questions on video in order:

Q16. What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on ensuring that fish products imported from the EU are subject to the same standards and requirements as fish products exported to the EU.

Rt Hon George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative) 

Sir Gary Streeter MP (South West Devon, Conservative) 

Rt Hon George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative) 

Topical Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 

Rt Hon George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative)

Paul Maynard MP (Blackpool North and Cleveleys, Conservative) 

Rt Hon George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative) 

1Luke Pollard MP (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, Labour (Co-op)) 

Rt Hon George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative) 

Luke Pollard MP (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport, Labour (Co-op)) 

Rt Hon George Eustice MP, The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Camborne and Redruth, Conservative) 

Luke Pollard Shadow Fisheries Secretary and Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport has called on the Secretary for State, George Eustice to apologise to the UK fishing industry for the mess they made of Brexit.

Speaking at today’s Defra orals in the House of Commons, Mr Pollard challenged the Secretary of State to the industry at a time when fishing businesses across the country are on the verge of collapse.

He told Mr Eustice, “Fishing boats are tied-up, exporters are tied-up with red tape. Fishing was promised a ‘sea of opportunity’, but the reality is that many fishing businesses are on the verge of collapse. Much of the so-called extra fish may not even exist or be able to call quite British boats.

“The fishing industry feels betrayed. “Isn’t now time for Secretary of State to apologise to the fishing industry for the Brexit deal his government negotiated?”

The Secretary of State replied, “I’ve made clear all along that the Government had hoped to get closer to a zonal attachment sharing arrangement in that first multi–annual agreement. But there is a significant uplift of 25% of the fish that the EU have historically caught in our waters that they’ve been required to forfeit as the price for continued access, And, that additional fishing quota is worth about £140 million.”

Brexit briefing event run by APPG on Fisheries sees unprecedented engagement

On Thursday 25th February, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fisheries heard from Secretary of State George Eustice and Anne Freeman of Defra about what the Fisheries Act and the Brexit agreement meant for the UK fisheries sector. Over 250 people listened in as the two key figures laid out future plans for the industry and answered pertinent questions from fishermen, industry representatives and marine scientists.

The Rt Hon George Eustice MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, and Anne Freeman, Deputy Director of Domestic Fisheries and Reform at Defra, spoke and answered pre-submitted questions from attendees. Topics covered included rules surrounding the 6-12 nautical mile zone, funding and support for the fishing industry, and likely further policy changes in the future.

"We were thrilled to be able to welcome both of our speakers to give authoritative answers to the UK fishing industry, and were so pleased about the unprecedented levels of engagement from the industry and Parliamentarians alike,” said Sheryll Murray MP, who chaired the session.

George Eustice MP spoke first, beginning by laying out the key powers of the Fisheries Act, including the focus on sustainability and socioeconomic well-being, fisheries management commitments from the devolved administrations, and licencing of foreign vessels. “The Fisheries Act gives us all the powers we need to take back control of our waters to be an independent coastal state,” he said. Moving on to the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation agreement, he admitted that “we did not get all of the things we wanted”, but highlighted that the UK is seeking to pursue a greater share of quota for UK waters in the coming years. He then answered questions submitted in advance by attendees that related to the concerns of much of the industry, covering topics such as quota negotiations, international partnership opportunities, and streamlining trade.

Anne Freeman spoke for the second half of the meeting, and voiced her hopes that Defra and the industry can work in partnership going forward, recognising that Defra “has a big job to do to rebuild trust”. She provided an overview of the next steps for domestic fisheries management, including the development of the Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS), which the four fishing authorities of the UK will be constructing over the next two years. “We are planning to develop the JFS openly and transparently, and hopefully with considerable constructive engagement with the fishing industry, NGOs and civil society,” she said. She then answered questions related to relevant topics such as funding, quota distribution, and marine planning.

Summaries of all the answers given by the two speakers can be found on the APPG website, along with the recording of the event. 

The APPG’s next event is entitled “Data, Tech and Innovation in UK Fishing”. The APPG seeks innovators from across the UK fishing industry to get in touch at secretariat@fisheriesappg.org, with the potential of speaking or featuring at this event. The meeting will take place on Wed 24 March at 10am. More information and sign-up can be found here.

Brexit update: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on fishing and the dual impact of Covid and Brexit.

 

Small fishing businesses will “probably” go under due to the increased costs of complying with Brexit red tape when sending their catch to Europe, industry experts have warned.

MPs were told that some fishing firms are even looking at relocating parts of their operation to the European Union in order to by-pass costs and bureaucracy, with Brexit changes expected to hit profits by as much as £500,000 per year. Some businesses have reported requiring more than 70 pages of paperwork to transport one lorry of fish into the EU.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee heard that the combination of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic had caused the “perfect storm”. “You just could not have written it any worse if you had wanted to for the industry,” said Sarah Horsfall, co-chief executive of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain.

Martyn Youell, a senior manager at south-west England fishing company Waterdance, said: “Sadly, there are some extreme forces operating on the supply chain and we probably will see some forced consolidation or business failure and that is impacting the fishing industry. “We are struggling to find markets for some of the products we previously had very good markets for through small-scale exporters. “Those at the more medium size, their costs have increased dramatically.” The former civil servant said Brexit was in danger of causing UK fisheries jobs to move elsewhere.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson had predicted that his Brexit deal would be ‘very beneficial’ to fishermen (Stefan Rousseau/PA) “The exporters we deal with are seriously considering relocating part of their processing business to the EU because of the difficulties we face at the moment,” he added. “It cannot have been the aspiration of Brexit, with fishing as the totemic issue and which a lot of people voted upon, to actually lose jobs within fishing and the supply chain, including boats landing overseas because the paperwork is easier. “We are at serious risk of doing the very opposite.” Donna Fordyce, chief executive at Seafood Scotland, said if smaller companies had to cease trading with Europe due to rising costs – with increases predicted to be between £250,000 to £500,000 per year for exporters – then it could be their “demise”, given the reliance on the continental market.

With customs and paperwork delays meaning it is taking as long as 39 hours to get products to market – up from 22 before the Brexit deal came into effect in January – the Scottish seafood chief warned the UK was in danger of being usurped by competitors due to the “reputational” damage being done to the country’s fresh products.

The cost of exporting fish into Europe from the UK is predicted to rise by as much as £500,000 a year for companies (Peter Byrne/PA) Ms Fordyce, giving evidence during Tuesday’s two-hour session, added: “There are other countries waiting to take up these contracts – the Norwegians are all over the salmon. These will be long-term losses.” The Prime Minister, who previously said his Brexit deal would be “very beneficial” in the medium to long term for fishermen, reportedly wants Britons to eat more of the fish caught domestically, with most of what is hauled in exported elsewhere. But Ms Fordyce said there were no “quick fixes” and that it could take two years to get new products on to supermarket shelves. Mr Youell said it was a “poor choice of words” for ministers to describe the current issues as “teething problems” and called for “political action” to solve problems that were “systemic issues of trade”. “Whilst some things have settled down, some obvious issues, we feel that we remain with at least 80% of the trading difficulties that have been encountered and are in existence today. “They are not teething problems for us,” he added.

MPs were told that allowing the “extremely excessive” amount of physical paperwork to be made electronic could help smooth the flow of moving seafood products, but it would still leave an “unwieldy” system without political changes. All three witnesses called for UK Government compensation to hard-hit businesses to continue and to possibly be widened to reflect added costs being incurred, not only profit losses.

The committee also heard from Nick Allen, the chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, who said: “We can’t get away from the fact that actually this system is creating delays and even when our members are getting it right – and a lot of them are starting to get it right and getting their paperwork right – there’s still delays built in.” He told the MPs “it feels as though we have stepped back into the 1950s”, with lorry drivers travelling around carrying “huge quantities” of paperwork. He added: “If there’s one quick fix I would like sorted at the moment, is for all the border control posts to be working off the same set of guidelines.”

Charlie Dewhirst, from the National Pig Association, said: “We couldn’t predict that Rotterdam wanted it in red pen and Calais wanted it in blue pen and if it was wrong it was going back. “Those are extreme examples but that was the sort of thing they were facing.”

Full story courtesy of Patrick Daly, PA Political Correspondent

Join the pioneering Clean Catch UK programme.

Clean Catch UK researchers have formed a unique collaboration with members of the UK fishing industry to produce an app designed to gather data on accidental wildlife bycatch.

Clean Catch UK have launched an innovative new app, developed with and for the fishing industry. The app, supported by Defra and developed by Cefas and AST, is designed to be easy to use alongside fishing as usual activities, enabling crews to record vital information about their catch, including bycatch (the unintended capture or entanglement of non-target species in fishing gear) whilst at sea. The Clean Catch UK programme is a UK-wide network of organisations invested in the monitoring and reduction of accidental wildlife bycatch, working at the national, regional and – in this case – local level with members of the fishing industry, scientists, policy makers, and conservation organisations.

App users can record accidental bycatch of sensitive marine species such as dolphins and porpoises, seals, seabirds, sharks, skates and rays. This data collected by fishermen will contribute to an ongoing Clean Catch UK study to learn more about wildlife bycatch in South-West England fisheries, including where and when bycatch occurs, and which sensitive species are most susceptible. This data will also help Clean Catch UK researchers assess the efficacy of mitigation measures to reduce accidental bycatch, and the programme has ambitions for the app to be used across several regional studies. 

 

Stuart Hetherington, a Senior Marine Biologist at Cefas and Lead for the Clean Catch UK Programme, explained the importance of designing and executing research studies in partnership with fishermen. “Accidental capture of sensitive species of marine wildlife is an important issue to address, and the Clean Catch UK team works closely with the fishing industry to find solutions. Fishing crews themselves are best-placed to collect data on bycatch – they are on the water and know their catch and bycatch better than anyone. By working in partnership with skippers, we’re ensuring the new CleanCatch UK app is easy to use, to streamline data collection without disrupting or adding undue burden to usual fishing activities.”

The data collected by fishing crews using the app will contribute to Clean Catch UK’s study on wildlife bycatch in South-West UK fisheries, and the research team are also keen for the app to be developed and used in research further afield. The current study looks at wildlife bycatch in South-west fisheries, as well as the efficacy of various mitigation measures in reducing this bycatch. Skippers in the Clean Catch UK Local Focus Group, who helped to develop the app, are using it to collect data in a common dolphin and harbour porpoise bycatch reduction study. They’re also providing vital feedback to ensure that the app is fit-for-purpose and easy to use whilst fishing as usual. 

Victoria Bendall, Marine Scientist for Cefas and Co-Lead for Clean Catch UK, is keen for more fishing crews to use the app as part of this study. “The data already being collected by Cornish fishermen using the app is vital to understanding patterns of bycatch of sensitive marine species. Knowing more about these patterns, we can work closely with our dedicated skippers to determine the best ways to help reduce accidental wildlife bycatch,” she said. The Clean Catch UK programme hopes the new app will make it easier for more vessels to take part in this study. “More crews using the app means a more detailed picture about how to reduce bycatch across UK fisheries. We’re keen to work with more vessels and would love to hear from anyone interested in getting involved.”

Any fishing crews interested in finding out more about the app, or taking part in a Clean Catch UK study, can contact Stuart and Victoria at secretariat@cleancatchuk.com.

Clean Catch tutorial video.

More information on the broader, collaborative work of the Clean Catch UK programme is on the new website www.cleancatchuk.com. Visit the Clean Catch UK Youtube channel to watch an introduction to the app, as well as a video tutorial for fishing crews on how to use it.   

Dutch and French seiners seen fishing south west of Newlyn.

Three seine netters are currently fishing around 45 miles south west of Newlyn, the French boat Arpege...

and the Dutch boats Polar and...

Lub Senior. Historically, there have only been two Cornish boats using the same fishing gear, both worked form Newlyn in the 1980s...

Jim Nixon's very traditional wooden Scarlet Thread...

and Robert George's more modern Sputnik steel-hulled Dew-Genen-Ny...

neither of those vessels compare to the huge modern seiners that have become the norm in recent years, all capable of travelling and fishing in heavy weather and with much larger nets.  

AIS picks out the tracks of the diamond pattern of each seine net 'set'.

Seine netting requires relatively clean ground to fish as the combination sweeps cover a huge area during the hauling process as they herd fish towards the net as it is drawn closer to the boat. There are plenty of WWII wrecks and patches of hard and stone-laden grounds in the Western Approaches that restrict seiners from operating in many areas.

These boats are already coming under scrutiny from many French inshore fishing organisations fearful that they will adversely affect the fishing viability of day and short trip French boats working close inshore, many of whom are between 10-15m and heavily restricted by weather and tides as all inshore skippers know only too well.

Falfish sold to Morrisons.

 

The Bradford-based supermarket has bought the family-owned wholesaler of sustainably sourced seafood based in Cornwall, which has been a supplier of fresh fish and shellfish to Morrisons for over 16 years.

Approximately 50 per cent of Falfish’s circa £40 million turnover is with Morrisons and the firm also owns a 30ft trawler, the Jacqui A, which means that Morrisons will, we believe, become the first British supermarket ever to own a fishing boat.

A spokesperson said: "For customers, the acquisition will mean further improvements to the range, quality and availability of fresh fish and shellfish at our Market Street counters and represents another significant investment in fresh food and foodmaking when others are retreating from counters. Following the deal over 80 per cent of Morrisons fish and shellfish - both in our 497 stores and in our online business - will come from Morrisons wholly owned seafood operations."

Falfish operates from two sites in Redruth and Falmouth docks on the south Cornish coast and is owned by the founder Ian Greet and his son Mark who is the Managing Director.

The business has long-term relationships with the owners and skippers of over 70 partner boats in the South West who land their total catch direct to Falfish. Falfish’s buyers also buy direct from the three key South West fish markets in Newlyn, Plymouth and Brixham.

Andrew Thornber, Morrisons Manufacturing Director said: “Falfish is a great fit with Morrisons; not only is it a great British company supplying high quality fish and shellfish, but they also share our passion for sustainability and for local sourcing.

“Bringing Falfish into Morrisons further strengthens our position as Britain’s biggest foodmaker. Our manufacturing operations employ c. 9,000 people at 19 sites throughout Britain, providing around 25 per cent of everything that Morrisons sells. The acquisition of Falfish means that over 80 per cent of our fish and shellfish will now come from our own operations.”

Mark Greet, Falfish’s Managing Director, said: “Falfish has been a supplier to Morrisons since 2004 and over the years this has become a very strong partnership. For my father Ian and our family, as part of the Cornish community, this acquisition ensures the continuing ethos of Falfish in upholding our relationships and values, and strengthens this for our colleagues, for the South West fishing fleet, and for all of our customers and stakeholders. The acquisition is great news for Falfish’s Cornish operations and the wider community, bringing investment and access to many new opportunities.”

Falfish processes a range of 56 wild and farmed frozen and fresh seafood from British waters and the South West coastline. Its fish range includes turbot, sea bass, monkfish, Dover sole and hake and its shellfish range includes lobster, king scallops, crab, cuttlefish and whelks. Falfish’s customers include Morrisons, the UK restaurant trade and significant exports to Europe and the Far East.

Squire Patton Boggs advised Morrisons on the acquisition, with lawyers Hannah Kendrick and Louise Parker providing the counsel.

Ed. Morrison's of Penzance is now the only supermarket in Penwith to run a wet fish counter.

Industry Questions DEFRA Complicity With ENGOs

 

In an open letter to fisheries minister Victoria Prentis and her colleagues at DEFRA, South-West FP chief executive Jim Portus has questioned the value of a dialogue with the UK authorities, since they appear to be complicit in failing to act when presented with clear lawbreaking.

‘The Captain of the Greenpeace vessel Esperanza, dumped large boulders illegally on the seabed off Brighton. This follows earlier action on the Dogger Bank,’ Jim Portus wrote to the Minister.

‘This action was witnessed, but not prevented, by the fisheries protection assets under the control of the MMO,’ he said, adding that there has also been no action taken in response to previous similar stunts on the Dogger Bank.

‘The boulders are a hazard to the lawful operations of UK and EU fishing vessels. You have a duty to protect the fishing industry from such hostile activities. Your lack of action against Greenpeace is seen as dereliction. Greenpeace 1, fishing industry nil!’

He commented that there appears little point in the industry engaging with officials in any form of co-management when they see what looks to be evident support for eNGOs that take the law into their own hands.

‘We have a meeting with your officials and those from the devolved administrations on Monday 1st March. The point of that meeting is being questioned. It is our hope that we receive by then a powerful signal that you wish for the success of meaningful dialogue that leads to the establishment of sustainable fisheries management plans that are not only created as a genuine partnership but are also intended to enable the fishing industry to prosper,’

 Jim Portus said in the industry’s open letter to the Minister and DEFRA.

‘It is my hope that withdrawal from such dialogue can be averted. look forward to your response to Greenpeace.’