Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect and promote the UK fishing industry; what his timescale is for providing details of new measures to boost capacity to attract new entrants into the industry to sustain and improve employment opportunity; and if he will make a statement.

Opportunities for new entrants are essential for safeguarding the UK fishing industry’s future. It is important to recognise that the industry itself has many of the levers it needs to attract people into the sector, with many of the more far-sighted organisations taking active measures.

In addition, the Government is working closely with regional fisheries groups, Producer Organisations and representative bodies to understand how best to encourage more resource into the industry while also considering examples of best practice from around the world.

The £100 million UK Seafood Fund was announced by the Prime Minister on 24 December 2020 and includes a Skills and Training pillar to support industry’s efforts, by providing new courses to fill gaps and augmenting existing courses to improve take-up and retention of new entrants. In addition, funding support is available across the UK from fishing administration funding schemes. In England, the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme supports industry with funding for a variety of areas, including job opportunities and support for new entrants, apprenticeship schemes and lifelong training.