? WATCH: Today I asked Theresa May to take action to improve fishing infrastructure, to expand the fleet and to support the local communities reliant on the fishing industry.
The Prime Minster recognised “the importance of the fishing industry” and said the UK Government is committed to securing a “sustainable and profitable fishing industry that will regenerate coastal communities and will support future generations of UK fishermen”.
She added that “it is a priority of this Government to make sure we have an innovative, productive and competitive food supply chain and work to consider the long-term future of all funding programmes that are currently managed by the EU is underway.”
I welcome that the UK Government is taking steps to support the fishing industry after we leave the European Union. It is time our fishermen are given the fair share they deserve after decades of disadvantage in the CFP.
Thanks to the CFP, the fishing industry has been in decline for decades. It is vital that governments in Westminster and Holyrood act to support the sector’s recovery, and that of the local communities which have been affected.
As well as ensuring the best Brexit deal, I will continue push the Government to take action on boosting local infrastructure, training more young people and expanding the fleet, so that the Scottish fisheries sector is ready to grasp the opportunities open to it.