Nigel Gooding, CEO of the MFA, is delighted that the MFA has been able to award this grant to help secure the future of Brancaster’s fishing industry. It is an excellent example of people working in partnership to secure important EU funded grant aid for the benefit of the community. Richard Winborn of the MFA explained that this new quay is testimony to this funding partnership but also a credit to the drive of Cyril Sutherland and Simon Letzer of the Brancaster Staithe Fishermen’s Society and to Simon Garnier and the National Trust for supporting their local fishing industry.
Winborn also said that the agency has provided a modern facility for a traditional fishery. There has been a quay here for over 250 years. The unique blend of wild fisheries and aquaculture is a fine example of sustainable inshore fisheries producing a high quality local product. Grants have been awarded to build harbour structures in order to modernise fishing vessels, for new safety equipment, and for ways to improve working conditions for fishermen; and grants for on-shore projects to improve the processing and marketing of fish.
It is said that the MFA has overall responsibility for the enforcement of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and its associated regulations within the 60,000 square miles of English and Welsh waters.
