Fisheries Policy

David Simpson Excerpts

Thursday 3rd December 2015 Westminster Hall

[David Simpson (Upper Bann) (DUP)]

It is good to speak in this debate, and I may now have a few extra minutes available. As a new member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, like the hon. Member for South Down (Ms Ritchie), I have a lot of terminology to use. Despite the fact that I have been in the agri-food industry for some 35 years—if it comes to beef, lamb or pork I could probably hold my own—in relation to fisheries I am dependent on my Northern Ireland colleagues to keep me right on much of the terminology.

In recent days, I strayed into the hon. Lady’s constituency to visit one of the ports in Kilkeel. It was an interesting visit. Although some of the facts shocked me, I was greatly encouraged by the vibrancy and positive attitude of many who were employed around the harbour. I met trawler owners, fishermen, marine engineers and boat builders, all of whom see a future for themselves with the industry. The blue, marine-based economy of Kilkeel is developing, and it is an honour to give them some level of recognition today. I heard about the challenges that are of great interest to the fishermen, and the rising barriers that are being faced in the industry.

In terms of the recent reform of the common fisheries policy, promises of decentralisation have failed to deliver much, albeit we are only two years into a 10-year programme. Industry representatives voiced their growing frustration with the advisory council, and the feeling that they are being disfranchised by the system. Will the Minister give his opinion, if he dares, on how to encourage our most important fishing stakeholders to continue active participation in the advisory council?

During my visit to Kilkeel harbour, I received a presentation about the development of the fishing industry in the 32 years since the creation of the common fisheries policy. It was interesting to see how the industry had changed from a profitable, mixed fisheries approach to one that had been struggling with dependence on a single species—nephrops or prawns. Now, thanks to the leadership shown by the industry, many are trying to turn the corner and redevelop the mixed fisheries model that has been so successful in the past, albeit with little help from the European Union.

On 10 November, the European Commission proposed its fishing opportunities in the Atlantic and in the North sea for 2016. The numbers for the aforementioned stocks were published by the Commission last Thursday and did not make good reading. Depending on how we interpret the Commission’s proposal for area VII prawns, it advocates a 10% or 17% cut for the stock. For Irish sea haddock, the proposal is for a 52% reduction in the next year’s total allowable catch. If the proposals were based on rational arguments they might carry some more credibility, but the fact is that, despite the promises of the reformed common fisheries policy, the Commission continues with its outdated approach to the annual negotiations by turning out numbers that have absolutely no basis in reality.

Will the Minister explain how the Commission justifies a proposed 52% cut in the Irish sea haddock quota when scientists state that, year on year, there has been an increase of some 400% in the number of those fish in the Irish sea? I hope he agrees that Northern Ireland’s fishermen have made tremendous sacrifices over the past few years to comply with EU regulations. The use of highly selective fishing gear, a reduction in the size of the fleet and a range of other measures have combined to reduce fishing effort in the Irish sea by around half.

Fish stocks, including the iconic cod, are showing encouraging signs of recovery. Local fishermen want to return to a mixed fishery form of management—a goal that the Commission claimed to share. However, the annual debacle that surrounds the EU’s December Fisheries Council really calls into question any confidence in the Commission’s ability to effectively remain in control of our fisheries. With that in mind, I ask the Minister to aim to secure a deal for the Irish sea when he goes to Brussels in a few days for the annual quota negotiations. The deal should recognise the socio-economic dominance of the prawn sector and the realistic goal, based upon fisheries science, of re-creating a mixed fishery with haddock at its core.

I would like to take a few minutes briefly to discuss the issue of recruitment and current crew shortages—a subject that has been touched on. When I spoke to a number of people in the Kilkeel harbour area, including in businesses owned by fishermen, it was made clear that there is a major difficulty in recruiting local staff or workers for the boats. I think we have a meeting with the Immigration Minister next Wednesday to discuss trying to get permits to allow some people from outside the EU to come to work on the fishing boats because young people do not believe that there is a future within the industry that can sustain long-term salaries for them.

A company in the Kilkeel area, called Sea Source, has recently run courses for young people and has tried to encourage them. On one occasion, the chief executive met one of the young men who had been on the course. He was working in a car-wash. When he was asked why he was working in a car-wash after getting top marks on the course, he simply said that he did not believe that the industry and life on a fishing boat could sustain his life—marriage, buying a house and even just a full-time salary. Those are issues that we greatly need to address.

I wish the Minister every success over the next few days. I do not envy his job. He has done a sterling job since he became Minister of State and I know that he has the industry at heart, but it is vital that we get a common-sense approach. There is a good future for the industry and the industry will acknowledge that, but there must be a common-sense approach, so that everyone can get a livelihood.