The general election campaign is a prime opportunity for campaigning parties to clarify their intentions towards the UK fishing industry, The National Federation of Fishermen''s Organisations (NFFO) has said.
Urging political parties to declare their plans for the UK fishing industry ahead of the general election on 8th June, the NFFO said that the UK fishing industry will be looking for manifesto commitments that include a future UK fisheries policy that is designed for and tailored to UK fleets.
The NFFO said: “It is widely recognised that fishing has an iconic status, within the context of the UK’s departure from the EU, mainly because of the shabby way our industry has been treated in the past. Brexit provides an opportunity to move swiftly away from the CFP and the slanted table that has worked to our severe disadvantage since 1973. The General Election and specifically the party manifestos, provide an opportunity for the parties to spell clearly spell out their policies on fishing.”
It stated that those in the industry are also seeking an exclusive 12-mile limit to protect the UK’s inshore fleet, renegotiation of shared stocks to ensure that the UK’s shares broadly reflect the resources in its waters and maintenance of unimpeded access to markets and external waters fishing opportunities.
With Brexit negotiations underway and the imminent departure of the UK from the Common Fisheries Policy, the industry is also calling for manifestos to incorporate the UK’s status as an independent coastal state, the NFFO emphasised.
