Call for aid on shellfish deaths effect
Financial support should be made available to fishermen whose livelihoods have been impacted by shellfish deaths on the Yorkshire coast, according to local politicians.
Scarborough Council’s cabinet member for corporate resources, Janet Jefferson, and the borough’s harbour executive have called for a dedicated fund to support affected fishermen and the regeneration of crab and lobster stocks.
It follows the deaths of thousands of shellfish that washed up on the region’s beaches last year.
According to Cllr Jefferson, the crustacean deaths “led to fishers being unable to support their families” and “career fishermen forced to leave the industry”.
In a letter to Mark Spencer, the minister of state for farming, fisheries and food, they said that “given the scale of the devastation to our fishing communities” proposals should be brought forward to support those “who have been so severely impacted by these events”.
A new independent inquiry is set to examine the deaths of thousands of shell
fish that washed up on the Yorkshire and North East coast. The Government has been urged to offer financial support to those whose businesses have been particularly affected by the considerably reduced catches of shellfish.
In October, the environment, food and rural affairs committee held a hearing “about the mass deaths of crustaceans on the North East Coast, including its potential causes, and the profound and long-lasting impact that it is having on fishing communities”.
Scarborough and Whitby MP and chair of the committee, Sir Robert Goodwill, also wrote to Thérèse Coffey, the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs,
stating that “the Government should reconsider its position on providing financial support to affected communities”.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, hesaid:“Unfortunately,there is no off-the-peg scheme, as for example, if you were in a flooding situation and the Government’s Bellwin scheme would help.
“Obviously, things do happen to affect fisheries over time. But we have asked that they look at that and it may be that as part of the money that the Government is investing in fishing, things such as shellfish, lobster hatcheries, or equipment on boats and that sort of thing could be there.”