Labour on attack over drop in shellfish catches

The weight of shellfish that have landed in the UK has dropped by 44 per cent in the last year, analysis by Labour has found.

Vessels 10 metres and under brought in 1,813 tons in January 2022, but a year later this dropped to 1,012, the party said. The Government’s own figures showed a drop of 41 per cent.

Labour said the reduction in shellfish catches is having a big impact on jobs and livelihoods.

Jim Mcmahon, the shadow environment secretary, is to visit fishermen in Hartlepool, Co Durham, today where the fishing industry has reported a 95 per cent drop in their catches of shellfish such as lobsters and crabs.