Council leader Tudor Evans has vowed to continue his fight for more support for the fishing industry brought to the brink of collapse by the COVID-19 lockdown.
While he welcomed last week’s announcement of £10 million for fishing and aquaculture businesses in England as ‘a step in the right direction’, he said much more needed to be done to keep the fishing fleet - and its supply chain - above water.
Councillor Evans said: “We’ve been lobbying hard to support the fishing industry so we do welcome this as a step in the right direction.
“While it rightly acknowledges there was a problem, this announcement doesn’t solve it.
“Fishing is part of our city’s heritage. It is a Plymouth success story. We will not sit by and watch it fade away. Sadly £10 million shared across the country is a drop in the ocean and without the full details of the scheme, we aren’t confident that it will be simple for businesses to access.”
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council has campaigned alongside the local fishing industry to lobby Government for urgent additional support.
The Council gave a cash grant to the Call 4 Fish initiative, which connects the public and organisations directly with suppliers who deliver fish direct to doorsteps.
Councillor Evans continued: “It’s been a phenomenal success. And it has gone from strength to strength, spreading nationwide to support fishers across the country and proving that the nation has an appetite for fresh fish.”
Fishing is a key sector in the South West and supports more than 2,000 jobs in Plymouth alone. Over £110 million of fish are landed across the three ports of Plymouth, Newlyn and Brixham every year.
The £10 million Government scheme will be administered by the Marine Management Organisation, with more information still to be announced.