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The APPG on Fisheries video compiles the views of MPs on what a post-Brexit future for the UK fishing industry could and should look like
- A report published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Fisheries in June 2022 revealed that significant negative impacts of Brexit had been felt by individuals and businesses from across the fishing industry and the wider seafood sector.
- A new follow-up video features the views of Parliamentary members of the APPG on the importance of the UK fishing industry and how it can be supported to thrive in a post-Brexit world.
June 2022 saw the publication of the APPG on Fisheries’ report, “Brexit: Voices of the UK Fishing Industry, which showcased voices from across the UK fishing industry speaking on the impact of Brexit on their livelihoods. Significant financial losses were a common experience for respondents, with fears widely expressed for the long-term viability of individual businesses, fishing fleets, and other parts of the industry including processors and transporters.
Respondents who fed into the report recommended various actions that the government should now take to support the UK’s fishing industry, which included investing in infrastructure and new markets at home and abroad, and ensuring effective and inclusive management of domestic stocks.
Tina Barnes, Impact Director at The Seafarers’ Charity, which co-funded the report, drew attention to the human costs of economic challenges to the fishing industry following Brexit: “The negative impacts of Brexit on the livelihoods – and therefore the welfare – of individual fishers has been significant. We have been delighted by the positive reception to the report, which provides compelling evidence that action should be taken to support the industry.”
In addition to being well-received by Parliamentarians and the fishing industry, the report was highlighted during the Parliamentary debate on post-Brexit fisheries management tabled by Alistair Carmichael MP on 13 October 2022.
Alistair Carmichael MP, who is Vice Chair of the APPG, said: “The recent parliamentary debate that I secured provided an important opportunity for myself and other MPs to emphasise the urgency of supporting the UK fishing industry.”
To complement and build on the report, the APPG subsequently interviewed a number of its Parliamentary members from four political parties. Their views on the importance of the fishing industry to the UK, and how government and policy can help the industry to thrive, have been compiled in a new video, “A Post-Brexit Future for UK Fishing”.
Speaking on this further output, Alistair Carmichael commented: “This video provides a concise but vivid overview of why the fishing industry is so important to the UK, and what can be done to ensure its long-term survival.”
Dr Eleanor Adamson, Fisheries Programme Manager with The Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust, the report’s other co-funder, added: “After the APPG’s report in June recommended pathways by which the government could take action, this video emphasises the appetite and passion among Parliamentarians for a thriving fishing industry in the UK in a post-Brexit world.”
Sheryll Murray MP, Chair of the APPG on Fisheries, concluded: “The strength of the APPG on Fisheries lies in its cross-party nature, with the needs of fishers, coastal communities and other marine stakeholders taking precedence over party politics. This timely video, bringing together voices from several different parties on how to support UK fishing for the benefit of all, provides a fantastic illustration of this.”
Both the video and report can be found on the APPG website.
Marine spatial planning, another issue with significant implications for the fishing industry, will be the subject of the next event of the APPG on Fisheries. The event will take a different format to past APPG events, with a strong focus on discourse and inclusivity. The event, which is open to all, takes place principally online from 10.00-12.00 on Wednesday 30 November – look out for the official event launch on the APPG’s Twitter channel and newsletter.
Source: Press Release
