The UK’s Fishing Minister learned about the issues affecting the South West fishing industry after a visit with fishermen and staff at Plymouth Fisheries.
Defra Minister George Eustice MP met with Pete Bromley, manager of Plymouth Fisheries, and Jason Schofield, chief executive of Sutton Harbour Holdings plc, the second largest fish market in England.
They outlined the company’s vision to develop the fisheries complex into a world-class fishing hub and a key part of the visitor experience in Plymouth, similar to Sydney Fish Market.
Mr Bromley, explained: “It was a really positive visit and Mr Eustice was extremely receptive as we outlined the position of the local fishing industry, what is needed, and what we hope to see achieved in Plymouth.”
He added: “The point we wanted to get across was that given the way the industry is going, the amount of fish likely to be coming could increase so substantially that harbour authorities will need more investment to provide the infrastructure necessary to accommodate it.”
Plymouth Fisheries is viewed by many as the fisheries hub of the South West, supporting 565 jobs and contributing £22.6million a year to the local economy.
The Vision for Sutton Harbour was published over two years ago considers the potential to redevelop some currently under performing and largely unoccupied fish processing merchants’ units at the entrance to the fisheries complex, with this development able to help the company ‘significantly protect and enhance the fish market’s operational requirements’.
“We’d like to see parts of the fisheries complex which aren’t being used to their full potential be reconfigured, to make Plymouth Fisheries much more accessible to the public and the centerpiece of a thriving waterfront, on a par with somewhere like Sydney Fish Market in Australia and many other fisheries around the world,” said Mr Schofield.
He concluded: “It was very helpful to have a chance to outline this concept to Mr Eustice, and to discuss with him the growing pressures impacting on the region’s fishing industry and the ways in which we are seeking to address those. We also highlighted to the Minister the unfair burden which high rates can place on smaller ports.”
