today announced a
strengthening of the law and new money to ensure the whole of the
UK’s fishing industry prospers as we become an independent
coastal state.
The Government will table an amendment to the Fisheries Bill
which will enshrine its commitment to secure a fairer share of
fishing opportunities for UK fishermen.
The amendment would place a legal obligation on the Secretary of
State, when negotiating a fisheries agreement with the
EU, to pursue a fairer share of fishing opportunities than
the UK currently receives under the Common Fisheries Policy
(CFP).
This would overhaul the current system where UK fishermen have
received a poor deal that is based on fishing patterns from the
1970s. On average between 2012 and 2016
other EU Member States’ vessels landed in the region of 760,000
tonnes of fish (£540 million revenue) annually caught in UK
waters; whereas UK vessels landed approximately 90,000 tonnes of
fish (£110 million revenue) caught in other Member States’ waters
per year in the same time period.
As well as strengthening the law, the Environment Secretary
announced £37.2 million of extra funding to boost the UK fishing
industry during the Implementation Period. This is in addition to
the existing European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) funding,
which at €243m over seven years is broadly equivalent to £32m a
year. The Government and Devolved Administrations have already
committed to match the EMFF funding with around £60m, so the
extra funding will support more projects and the sector will
benefit by a total of £320m.
Mr Gove has also committed that the Government will put in
place new, domestic, long-term arrangements to support the UK’s
fishing industry from 2021, through the creation of four new
schemes comparable to EMFF to deliver funding for each nation.
The Devolved Administrations will lead on their own schemes.
Environment Secretary said:
“We are taking back control of our waters and will secure a
fairer share of fishing opportunities for the whole of the UK
fishing industry as we leave the EU. The amendment to the
Fisheries Bill will give legal weight to this commitment.
“New funding will boost the industry as we become an independent
coastal state, preparing it to receive a greater share of future
fishing opportunities.”
The new schemes will be introduced after EMFF has closed in
2020. Details of these will be set at the 2019 Spending
Review. In England, the scheme will:
-
support innovation - in technologies to
enhance economic growth, reduce environmental impact and
improve fishing safety
-
improve port infrastructure - so more
fish can be landed in UK ports, and help the sector take
advantage of new export opportunities after exit
-
boost coastal communities - by providing
benefits to areas that depend on a vibrant and profitable
industry, and
-
help the sector adjust - to new
arrangements on access and fishing opportunities by improving
capacity and capability to exploit new export opportunities and
markets.
ENDS
Notes to editors
European Maritime and Fisheries Fund
The EMFF is the fund for the EU's maritime and fisheries policies
for 2014-2020. Funding from the EU budget, along with funding
provided directly by Member States, is used to:
- help fishermen in the transition to sustainable fishing
- support coastal communities in diversifying their economies
- finance projects that create new jobs and improve quality of
life along European coasts
- support sustainable aquaculture developments
- make it easier for applicants to access financing.
Enhanced funding pre-2020:
EU EMFF funding is co-financed by the UK,
and the government can increase its funding share to provide
additional resources within the framework of the programme. The
£37.2 million increase will enable the scheme to remain open
until December 2020. In line with the current EMFF allocations,
funding will be distributed across the UK according to the scale
of the seafood sector. Indicatively, £37.2 million would be split
with £14.6 million for England, £16.4 million for Scotland, £2.4
million for Wales and £3.6 million for Northern Ireland over the
implementation period.
Post-2020 commitment:
Today the Government has announced that the Spending Review will
provide funding for the seafood sector from 2021 to replace the
EMFF, and will set out detailed proposals as part of the Spending
Review taking into account the current levels of investment and
the needs of the sector.
