Hastings and Rye MP Michael Foster has invited the Fisheries Minister to join him out at sea with local fishermen.

The local MP last week held a high level meeting with Minister Huw Irranca-Davis at the Department Headquarters in London. The MP stressed the dire situation faced by local fishermen caused by quota allocation and demanded action. He also invited the Minister to join local fishermen on a trip out to sea so he could see for himself the plentiful cod that is being discarded because of the unrealistic quotas being applied.

The UK fishing fleet is divided into two sectors. The under 10 Metre (which includes almost all local vessels) employs over 50% of the fishing workforce but only receives 3% of the quota while the over 10 Metre sector, dominated by industrial scale Producer Organisations, receives 96% of the total.

Michael Foster MP said:

“The current quota system is manifestly unfair. We cannot continue with a system that hands all the quota to the bigger boys at the expense of small scale local fishing boats like those in Hastings and Rye.

“I want the Minister to come down and join us on one of the boats for the day. That way he’ll be able to see just how difficult it is for the local guys. I want to see action on the fundamental issue of quota allocation. All they ask for is a fair chance.

“At present none of the political parties at the national level are prepared to help. The Minister is publishing a new review this month but I want to see immediate action.”