Call For Government Support for Whitby and Scarborough Fishing Industry

Thursday, 1 December 2022 06:00

By Matthew Pells with additional reporting from Anttoni James Numminen, Local Democracy Reporter

Financial support should be made available to fishermen whose livelihoods have been impacted by shellfish deaths on the Yorkshire coast according to local politicians.

Scarborough and Whitby MP, Sir Robert Goodwill has been updating County Councillors on progress with the investigations into last year's shellfish mortality event.

Thousands of dead crustaceans washed up on Northeast beaches and local fishermen say their catches are still a fraction of what they were.

Mr Goodwill has updated councillors about what he's been able to do.

There's a call for more financial support to be made available to Yorkshire Coast Fishermen whose livelihoods have been affected by last year's shellfish mortality event.

Borough Councillor Janet Jefferson and the borough’s harbour executive have called for a dedicated fund to support those affected

Councillor Jefferson has thanked the borough's MP for his work pushing for a fresh inquiry into the event which she says has impacted fishers throughout the borough

According to Cuuncillor Jefferson, the crustacean deaths “led to fishers being unable to support their families” and “career fishermen forced to leave the industry”.

In a letter to Mark Spencer, the minister of state for farming, fisheries and food, the borough’s harbour executive said that “given the scale of the devastation to our fishing communities” proposals should be brought forward to support those “who have been so severely impacted by these events”.

A new independent inquiry is set to examine the deaths of thousands of shellfish that washed up on the Yorkshire and North East coast, including Robin Hood’s Bay.

However, the Government has been urged to offer financial support to those whose businesses have been particularly affected by the considerably reduced catches of shellfish.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Scarborough and Whitby MP - Robert Goodwill said:

“Unfortunately, there is no off-the-peg scheme, as for example, if you were in a flooding situation and the Government’s Bellwin scheme would help.

“Obviously, things do happen to affect fisheries over time. But we have asked that they look at that and it may be that as part of the money that the Government is investing in fishing, things such as shellfish, lobster hatcheries, or equipment on boats and that sort of thing could be there. It really is a problem.”

Regarding the new inquiry, which will involve the Government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, he said:

“Hopefully, before too long, we’ll get their view as to what is the most likely cause.”

“I don’t think we’ll ever get a definitive, absolute answer, but hopefully the most likely cause. And meanwhile, we’ve asked that they do more testing in the estuary of the Tees.”

Responding to the calls for further funding to help affected fishermen earlier this month, the minister of state, Mark Spencer said:

“Defra analysts are continuing to assess the economic impacts of this incident including a comparison with landing data from previous years and with other parts of the country for the affected species.”