8 April 2011
Waveney MP Peter Aldous today commented on the Government’s announcement of plans to overhaul fishing quotas.
Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon announced that fishermen will have more control over how they operate and better opportunities to profit under plans to overhaul the way fishing quotas are managed in England.
Proposals to simplify the way quotas (the amount of fish that fishermen are entitled to catch) are managed would let the industry plan better for the future, putting more control in the hands of small-scale fishing fleets and fishing communities.
Peter Aldous said:
“Lowestoft fishermen are continually telling me how they are struggling to make a living. The current system of quotas and discard has damaged the industry beyond recognition and it is high time it was reformed. I will be in touch with local fishermen in the coming weeks and will do all I can to ensure their views on the reforms necessary to revive the industry are heard by the Minister.”
Mr Aldous has been campaigning since being elected in May 2010 to secure a better deal for Lowestoft’s fishermen. Last year he led a delegation of Lowestoft fishermen to meet Richard Benyon at the Department of Food and Rural Affairs and he has spoken in the House of Commons regularly on fishing reform.
The proposals for community quota schemes focus on safeguarding small-scale fleets, enabling fishermen and other local businesses and organisations to work together to manage their overall quotas flexibly, along with increasing their ability to swap and purchase quotas and connect better with markets. These groups would also have a seat at the table in discussions with Government, regulators and industry.
The plans also include:
The consultation also seeks initial views on the potential introduction of a rights-based management system for shellfish, beginning with brown crab and lobster.
The consultation can be found at www.defra.gov.uk/consult/fisheries-1104/.
Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon announced that fishermen will have more control over how they operate and better opportunities to profit under plans to overhaul the way fishing quotas are managed in England.
Proposals to simplify the way quotas (the amount of fish that fishermen are entitled to catch) are managed would let the industry plan better for the future, putting more control in the hands of small-scale fishing fleets and fishing communities.
Peter Aldous said:
“Lowestoft fishermen are continually telling me how they are struggling to make a living. The current system of quotas and discard has damaged the industry beyond recognition and it is high time it was reformed. I will be in touch with local fishermen in the coming weeks and will do all I can to ensure their views on the reforms necessary to revive the industry are heard by the Minister.”
Mr Aldous has been campaigning since being elected in May 2010 to secure a better deal for Lowestoft’s fishermen. Last year he led a delegation of Lowestoft fishermen to meet Richard Benyon at the Department of Food and Rural Affairs and he has spoken in the House of Commons regularly on fishing reform.
The proposals for community quota schemes focus on safeguarding small-scale fleets, enabling fishermen and other local businesses and organisations to work together to manage their overall quotas flexibly, along with increasing their ability to swap and purchase quotas and connect better with markets. These groups would also have a seat at the table in discussions with Government, regulators and industry.
The plans also include:
- The allocation of more stable and predictable entitlements to fish across the whole English fleet, using Fixed Quota Allocations (FQA);
- safeguards to protect small-scale fishing rights and prevent concentration of rights in the large-scale fleet; and
- realigning fishing opportunities, moving some FQAs (including those associated with consistently unfished quota) to provide incentives for community quota schemes.
The consultation also seeks initial views on the potential introduction of a rights-based management system for shellfish, beginning with brown crab and lobster.
The consultation can be found at www.defra.gov.uk/consult/fisheries-1104/.
