£10m Brexit boost for fishing
FISHING and coastal communities are to receive a £10million boost to help them make the most of Brexit.
The cash will be used to improve skills in the seafood industry and attract new recruits.
It comes as relations with France fester over French demands for dozens of new fishing licences for British waters.
The Government is instead focused on the end of the five-year transition which lets EU boats take 25 per cent of British fish stocks.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We are now an independent coastal state and our new status has seen us gain additional quota and resume quota exchanges. But we must go further.we want to level up coastal and fishing communities to ensure that they are well equipped to make the most of the opportunities ahead.
“This is a major investment which will create a sustainable, highly skilled workforce and a sector which offers new entrants long-term career opportunities.
“The schemes are the second and third instalments of the £100million UK Seafood Fund designed to rejuvenate the sector.”
Earlier in the year, £24million was announced to fund cutting-edge tech and test productivity-boosting new fishing gear.
The new fund, part of £100million to maximise the opportunities of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement with the EU, will see £10million to boost skills within the seafood workforce. It will also be used to attract new people and retain this talent.
The investment is needed to ensure that the industry can land, process and sell additional quota gained from exiting Europe’s Common Fisheries Policy.
The announcement comes as two Brexit Party MEPS who defected two years ago to help the Tories win the 2019 election have questioned whether they did the right thing.
On Express online John Longworth and Lance Forman highlighted questions over the Northern Ireland protocol and the fishing industry, with continued EU access to British waters as two major problems.
And they criticised the emphasis on big rather than family-run firms. They said: “The Conservatives’ claim that they are the party of business has also gone up in smoke.”
They went on: “Cross-channel migration is at its highest level in years, despite the Government promising major crackdowns.
“Planning reform appears to have been shelved, despite the desperate need for more housing across many parts of the country.
“Net-zero has been prioritised over energy security for the here and now and the most expensive route has been chosen, leading to the prospect of soaring bills for millions.”