The UK government is being urged to use its UK Seafood Fund to prioritise the ‘wild catching’ sector, which operates mainly offshore but also in some inland waters.
The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee also recommended that the size of the fund, which was established in December 2021 to support UK fisheries following Brexit, be increased by 50% to £150m to March 2025.
The committee’s recommendations came in a letter from its chair, Sir Robert Goodwill MP, to the Minister for Farming, Fisheries, and Food at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Victoria Prentis MP.
“I couldn’t agree more with Minister Prentis that we need to prepare the fishing fleet to catch the extra quota that is coming our way,” said Sir Robert in the letter. “It follows that the fishers braving all weathers to catch those fish must be prioritised when allocating the new funds.
“Our fishers must be given every help to maximise their opportunities. That means increasing the size of the pot and ensuring there is enough time to apply for the new money.
“If smaller operators need help filling out what are sometimes fearsomely complex application forms for these funds, we think they should be given that help.”
Sir Robert is also calling for the government to use the fund to improve the fuel efficiency of vessels, arguing that this will help fishers with increased fuel prices while also delivering environmental benefits.
