Beith takes fishermen's fight to Minister

11.15.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 13th May 2008

Alan Beith has demanded action from the Fisheries Minister to help our local fishermen.

Alan Beith, whose Berwick-upon-Tweed constituency includes around 50 miles of coastline, has taken local fishermen's fight for a better deal to the Minister for Fisheries.

Mr Beith has stressed the urgency of bringing in new measures in the Under 10m sector, for boats under 10m in length, to save jobs and prevent bankruptcies. In a letter to the Minister, Alan Beith tells the Minister that fishermen in the Berwick-upon-Tweed constituency want to see the immediate release of 170 tonnes of Hague preference Whiting quota, as originally suggested by DEFRA; changes in banking rules to be implemented this year rather than 2009; interim aid measures, allocating additional quota by swaps and uncaught 2007 stockfish; and the removal of restrictions on additional quota when these restrictions are based on the Department's historic failure to collect catch data on under 10m vessels.

Alan Beith said

"Fishing in the north east needs the full support of DEFRA and the Minister must make it a priority unless he wants to see job losses and people facing bankruptcy. I will continue to fight for these changes and to support our fishing industry.

"The fact that DEFRA has failed to collect catch data on vessels under 10m in the past means the Minister must listen to the people who understand the work and what is involved - the fishermen themselves."