Following my visit to our Bass fishermen based on the Hambke River, I learnt about the difficulties caused by excessive EU restrictions.. I was pleased to speak on their behalf in a Parliamentary debate on the subject.
EU regulations which came into effect at the New Year have placed severe restrictions on the fishing of Bass, and the Warsash fishermen are concerned about the effect this will have on operators of small inshore fishing vessels like theirs.
We can all understand the need to prevent over-fishing, and we’re told these measures have been taken to ensure bass fishing can be sustainable in future, but it does seem the restrictions are causing real problems. I held a meeting with representatives of our local inshore fishing fleet towards the end of last year, and have now had a further opportunity to hear from them when I visited their boats in Warsash. They strongly feel that this ban is too stringent, and question the assumptions on which it was based. The real threat to Bass stocks seems to come from the larger French fleets operating further out, so I share the concerns that operators of smaller, low-impact vessels like ours locally are being hit too. I was pleased to raise their concerns with Ministers in Parliament and see what might be done to address the specific points they’ve raised.
My visit also provided me with the opportunity to thank them for their contribution to the local community, and learn more about the work they do. I’m proud that we have fishermen operating in Fareham, continuing a long maritime tradition, and I want to help support them into the future.
For a full version of my speech:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2016-02-11a.1819.0&s=speaker%…
For more information: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/business/fishermen-in-warsash-raise-concern…