The NFFO has taken the industry’s position to government, holding a lobby day in Parliament, pushing for fishing to remain a priority issue for the UK government as key stages in the UK/EU withdrawal negotiations approach.
During the event, which took place in a Committee Room 10 in the Palace of Westminster, a team of ten NFFO port representatives briefed MPs and Lords on all aspects of the UK’s withdrawal, as they affect their particular region or sector.
Approximately 45 parliamentarians and researchers attended the event with representation from all political parties (excluding the SNP), with a number of prominent MPs and peers attending, including the influential DexEU minister Steve Baker.
Holly Lynch, Shadow Minister for Flooding and Coastal Communities is also influential on the Labour front bench and Neil Parish, chair of the EFRA Select Committee were key parliamentarians, as well as Lord Grantchester, the shadow front bench lead in the House of Lords for Environment and Rural Affairs.
Political representatives from Northern Ireland were particularly well represented, with both DUP and Sein Fein attending in numbers.
‘We’ve had a number of commitments from parliamentarians, with over 30 parliamentarians signing our pledge board. There were also a number of MPs who agreed to write to the Secretary of State in support of the fishing industry. Nine MPs have currently signed the EDM tabled by Ben Lake. More are expected to sign,’ the NFFO’s spokesman said.
The Federation had private meetings with Brexit Minister Steve Baker, shadow Minister for Flooding and Coastal Communities Holly Lynch, and Labour Friends of Fishing MPs Luke Pollard and Melanie Onn, as well as the Liberal Democrat lead on fishing Alistair Carmichael. Future meetings have been arranged with shadow Brexit Minister Jenny Chapman and with environment secretary Michael Gove.’
In addition to contact with influential Members of Parliament and the House of Lords, the NFFO lobby day also attracted a number of key journalists for national newspapers.
‘The lobby day has been judged a great success by all those who participated, and the Federation plans further events through the summer and autumn to remind the government that fishing is indeed a totemic issue for Brexit,’ the NFFO’s spokesman said.
