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The Shadow Environment Secretary says more fish should be landed in UK ports like Grimsby

The Shadow Environment Secretary says more fish should be landed in UK ports like Grimsby

The Shadow Environment Secretary says fishing communities like Grimsby deserve a better deal. Luke Pollard, who is the Labour & Co-operative Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, visited Grimsby Fish Market today saying more fish should be landed in UK ports in order to create more coastal jobs. He told 大象传媒 Political Reporter Sarah Sanderson: "In recent years, not enough effort has been put into creating the jobs and fishing in our coastal communities that we could have. That鈥檚 why Labour has tabled an amendment to the Fisheries Bill that would require two thirds of all fish caught under a UK fishing quota to be landed in the UK Ports. For every one job at sea there are ten jobs on shore so that would create more jobs in our coastal communities helping to create the coastal renaissance that we know we can achieve if we have the right policies in place.鈥 大象传媒 Research revealed earlier this year that foreign companies own the rights to catch more than 130,000 tonnes of fish every year that are part of England's fishing quota. Mr Pollard adds: "There are too many boats using UK quota and landing it in foreign ports which means all of the economic benefits of that quota is being lost to us as a country. But if we can land more fish in our UK ports that creates more jobs here and more jobs help create a stronger economy in these coastal towns." A spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says 鈥淎s a responsible independent coastal state, we want our fisheries managed in a way that protects our precious marine and coastal areas, while enabling our seafood sector and coastal communities to thrive. Commercial fishing vessels must demonstrate a genuine link with the UK economy to fish our waters, ensuring local communities benefit from the fishing activities of UK-registered vessels. We are considering options for strengthening this link, and expect to consult later this year.鈥

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