Government consults on new measures to boost the fishing industry and coastal communities
Package of consultations launched seeking views on opportunities for the fishing industry
New proposals seek to ensure more catch is landed in the UK.
The government is seeking views on new measures to boost our fishing industry, including how to fairly distribute the new opportunities from leaving the Common Fisheries Policy, and increase the economic benefits from fishing activity for our coastal communities.
The government has today launched a package of consultations which seek views on:
- a strengthened ‘economic link’ for English licenced fishing vessels to help ensure genuine economic benefits for our coastal communities – including plans for an increased landing requirement of 70%
- proposals on how to allocate the new opportunities the UK secures in negotiations with other partners will be split between Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, in a way that is fairer and more profitable for fishing communities across the four nations
- further proposals on how England’s share of those new opportunities would be distributed across the English fleet to benefit our coastal communities’ hard working fishermen and women
Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis said:
As we take back control of our fisheries, we are creating new powers to set fairer fishing opportunities for industry and coastal communities through our flagship Fisheries Bill.
We want your help to design a more profitable fishing industry. This includes ensuring that more fish are landed in UK ports, providing a boost to the whole supply chain, from auction houses to fish processors.
The strengthened ‘economic link’ proposals put forward for consultation would see English licenced fishing vessels land 70% of their catch in the UK - up from 50%. The plans would allow vessel owners to use a combination of the two criteria - landings and quota donation - to meet the economic link requirement, recognising the importance of flexibility to support ongoing business practices.
As the UK continues to negotiate with the EU and other coastal States, the UK government is seeking views on how new opportunities secured through these negotiations should be distributed, both across the UK and within England, in order to deliver maximum benefits to our fleets and coastal communities.
The three consultations are open from today for four weeks, until 10 November 2020.