Our most recent event explored the role of regional decision-making and governance in UK fisheries management and support for fishing communities, such as through the work of local councils and community-led initiatives. We shed light on the balance between local and national decision-making, and how management at both levels can intersect. The panel consisted of Tudor Evans of Plymouth City Council, Chris Williams of the New Economics Foundation, Tim Smith of the North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NEIFCA), Fisheries Network Coordinator Mike Simmonds, and Peter Aldous MP speaking on the Renaissance of the East Anglian Fisheries.
You can catch up on all that happened in our recording of the event here:
Following the presentations, Parliamentarians and attendees put their questions to the panel. Written responses to all questions are provided below.
LOCAL GOVERNANCE AND DECISION-MAKING
Do you believe that regional decision-making should only apply to issues that are genuinely specific to a single region?
Chris Williams said yes, but that for fisheries in the UK, this will almost always be the case. Tim Smith on the other hand said that very few issues will apply only to a single region - he said most will have at least some relevance to multiple regions, but often need to take into account specific regional conditions, such as environment, existing management and socio-economic context.
Tudor Evans added that interactions between regions could be dangerous if decisions were largely made at the national level. For instance, government funds diverted towards a priority region could lead to other regions receiving less funds than expected, which can affect prosperity.
Will there be a public document for lessons learned (thus far) and recommendations for solutions that others can have at hand, to take on board for their own work?
Chris Williams said he would be very happy to contribute to such a document, but that it should be led by the MMO, with input from grant recipients, including unsuccessful projects.
What approach do you feel would be most effective in enabling increased knowledge-sharing and scaling-up of best practice across the UK?
Tim Smith stated that forums and groups were needed along with stakeholder engagement at the local level. Peter Aldous MP noted that Defra could become more involved with scaling up and devolving their own resources - e.g. by operating a network of regional offices whereby Defra employees would work in local communities and feed back to the central government. Tim agreed with Peter, and said that that is the approach the IFCAs are trying to implement by working with Defra.
Tudor Evans said that there is no central site for spreading knowledge of innovation and successes. He said we need to gather and collate positive changes, make them accessible across the country, and get the word out to councils that the sector is important and interesting. Mike Simmonds added that there needs to be more funding for innovative solutions to help ‘circularise’ the industry, as not everyone can rely on Defra and the central government.
What was it that set you off on your ambition to make Plymouth an exemplar for how local authorities engage with local fishing?
Tudor Evans explained that Terri Portmann made him realise that fishing in Plymouth had a big future, but was a sector that at the time his Council had no relationship with - not with the industry, its workers or owners. He said that slowly but surely, the Council are beginning to understand its needs and opportunities.
Leaving fisheries issues to local councils can mean that smaller, quieter authorities are left behind. Can the central government give a clear direction to fishermen as the transition period nears its end?
Peter Aldous MP answered by saying that the Fisheries Bill is a framework bill, and we need that overarching vision from the government that the industry and local authorities can then respond to. Chris Williams said that after 10 years of austerity, these councils are not always resourced in a way to be able to respond to these issues. Fisheries are very specific, and each regional council may not have the resources to deliver the requisite time, capacity and attention.
BREXIT, TRADE AND POLICY
What proportion of your landings go for export, as opposed to the domestic market? Do you have a local plan for Brexit?
Chris Williams responded that 95% of whelks from Eastbourne are exported, as is the majority of crab, mainly to China. He continued to say that things have changed a lot following Covid-19, and we are now in a position to change our model to shorter, local supply chains. What is not well understood, he continued, is that these current exports (such as whelks to South Korea) are agreed as part of EU FTAs, which we will no longer be party to after Brexit. He added that there is a need to consider how fisheries can adapt to suit the demands of local consumers in the face of export market losses. He also noted that luxury seafood items are taking a back seat in the wake of the global recession.
Does the panel see industry having a greater say in developing policy and implementing fisheries management once we have left the CFP, going beyond a top-down approach to involve stronger industry engagement to create a co-management approach - and if so, how can this be achieved?
Chris Williams noted that there is a new team at Defra working hard to address historic problems which have engendered a lack of trust. He noted that co-management means different things to different people, but emphasised that good policy relies upon having the people who are impacted by those policies are closely involved with their creation. He stressed that he thought Defra does understand this, and is working to develop a new approach accordingly.
Peter Aldous MP added that the Renaissance of the East Anglia Fisheries (REAF) group is a sustained attempt at reversing that approach, and that there is an exciting future for coastal communities who can play a role in levelling up. He warned that this is a challenging prospect.
There needs to be a careful analysis of the impacts of requiring UK-registered vessels to land their catch in the UK. There may be some downstream benefits, but is there also the potential for oversupplied markets to cause prices to crash? How can fishers get the best price for their catch?
Chris Williams said a shift from wholesale and export to retail and shorter supply chains has been shown to increase prices. He said there are examples from the UK (such as Sole of Discretion or Call 4 Fish in Plymouth) as well as the USA where CSFs (community supported fisheries) have resulted in higher prices and a better connection between producers and consumers. Chris added that the EU FARNET unit also has numerous case studies from within the EU that have been successful.
FUNDING
What impact is the loss of the EMFF and the loss of funding certainty having on fisheries?
Tudor Evans noted that there is a wider ongoing conversation around this issue. He said that Plymouth takes a sector-led approach, which needs a funding scheme that enables innovation and experimentation, which will be difficult post-Brexit. Tudor continued to say that the most concerning issue at the moment is establishing the baseline for the industry, and knowing where the sector stands - essentially, the impacts can’t be established until the wider conversations are concluded.
Peter Aldous MP confirmed that there is government recognition that new funding streams need to be provided, and the details need to be provided as soon as possible. Coastal communities funds need to be adapted and changed, and the government needs to set out a clear vision of where it wants the industry to go.
Commercial fishing is consistently held out as a major economic driver for coastal areas. If the sector is inherently viable, why do so many projects require investment from scarce public resources rather than private funding from those who will ultimately benefit?
Chris Williams said that the question is about where the value is captured. He stated that the sector is viable, but that benefits may not stay in the community where the fish is landed due to a reliance on wholesalers. Chris continued by saying that this is what the project in Eastbourne seeks to change, to ensure that the value accrued is captured locally, and that this also extends to employment gains.
INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT
Do you ever find fishers are reluctant to share data if they think the findings may result in quota limits or restrictive bylaws? How do you reconcile this?
Tim Smith stated that, in his experience, the vast majority of fishers are very conservation-minded and care about the future of the stocks that they rely on. As such, most are happy to supply the necessary data to improve fisheries management.
Is support continuing for initiatives such as Call4Fish, that supply seafood to local people?
Tudor Evans said that support is continuing for Call4Fish, and mentioned his own personal support through seafood cooking videos. He said that supporting fishing is very much part of the city’s plan for economic recovery following the pandemic.
RECREATIONAL FISHING
How do you see recreational and sea anglers being involved going forward, given that they have been left out of the decision-making process in the past?
Chris Williams stated that infrastructure and planning being done for the U10m sector should also be done for the angling charter sector, and that this sector needs to be viewed as a coastal business and not just a hobby. Chris continued to say that representation for angling has a loud voice and are able to attend consultations as it often occurs during people’s spare time anyway. He added that if commercial fishermen are going to miss a day’s income to attend meetings or consultations, a balance needs to be struck between ensuring that fishermen can be at the table, as well as using public money wisely. He said that many IFCAs have heavier angling interests represented than commercial fisheries, which is skewed.
Tim Smith noted that it is difficult to include a breadth of experience on IFCA committees. Tudor Evans said that support during the Covid-19 outbreak did not extend to charter owners, recreational fishing or activities such as marine life tours, which was disappointing. He said this sector needs to be treated more kindly in the event of a second wave, in terms of its relationship to fishing and its relationship to tourism. Mike Simmonds added that he didn’t contact Recreational Sea Anglers UK during the establishment of the network, but was aware of them.
Please note that these answers reflect the views of the panelists rather than the APPG Secretariat or its Members. We are seeking written answers to those questions for which there was no time to answer during the event, and will update this post as we receive them.