Close
A Conservative government would champion conservation on the High Seas, in the polar regions and in Britain’s Overseas Territories as well as a legal regime for domestic waters, post Brexit, that would increase fish stocks.
In their manifesto, published yesterday, the Conservative party said:
“When we leave the European Union and its Common Fisheries Policy, we will be fully responsible for the access and management of the waters where we have historically exercised sovereign control. A new Conservative government will work with the fishing industry and with our world-class marine scientists, as well as the devolved administrations, to introduce a new regime for commercial fishing that will preserve and increase fish stocks and help to ensure prosperity for a new generation of fishermen. To provide complete legal certainty to our neighbours and clarity during our negotiations with the European Union, we will withdraw from the London Fisheries Convention. We will continue our work to conserve the marine environment off the coast of the United Kingdom.”
“We will champion greater conservation co-operation within international bodies, protecting rare species, the polar regions and international waters. We will work with our Overseas Territory governments to create a Blue Belt of marine protection in their precious waters, establishing the largest marine sanctuaries anywhere in the world.”
Labour’s marine commitment earlier this week said:
“We will safeguard habitats and species in the ‘blue belts’ of the seas and oceans surrounding our island.”
“We will establish a science innovation fund, working with farmers and fisheries, that will include support for our small scale fishing fleet.”
Labour also made a general pledge:
“We will champion sustainable farming, food and fishing by investing in and promoting skills, technology, market access and innovation.”
The Liberal Democrats committed to:
“Protect and restore England’s lakes, rivers and wetlands, including through reform of water management and higher water-efficiency standards, and establish a ‘blue belt’ of protected marine areas.”
“Despite reform, the Common Fisheries Policy has failed to deliver the economic or environmental objectives necessary and has suffered from being remote, overly centralised and bureaucratic. Hard Brexit and the loss of export markets threatens to further damage the industry, which has long suffered from being used as a bargaining chip by UK governments. Liberal Democrats would defend and maintain our fishing industry by not allowing fishing rights to be traded away against other policy areas, and work with the industry and other stakeholders to develop a national plan for sustainable fisheries.”
“Provide greater resources for international environmental co-operation, particularly on climate change and on actions to tackle illegal and unsustainable trade in timber, wildlife, ivory and fish.”
The Green Party:
“We will ensure the completion of an ecologically-coherent network of well-managed marine protection areas around the UK, and in the UK Overseas Territories. In addition, any new fisheries legislation must contain a legal requirement to fish below a level that allows fish stocks to fully recover, should promote locally-led fishing that supports coastal communities, and bring an end to damaging fishing operations in protected areas. We will implement a Blue New Deal to regenerate coastal communities, harnessing the potential of our seas whilst protecting the marine environment.”
The Scottish National Party:
“Fishing is fully devolved and whatever future Scotland chooses, we will expect all powers over policy to be repatriated to Scotland when the UK leaves the EU”
