Hastings and Rye MP invited the DEFRA Select Committee to Hastings on December 8th 2011.
The committee was gathering evidence with the aim of reforming the Common Fisheries Policy and meeting the needs of the UK fishing industry.
Amber Rudd sits on the Committee and suggested that they come to Hastings to speak to local fishermen. The meeting, held at Hastings Old Town, addressed issues such as fish discards, centralisation and the plight of the smaller under ten metre boats that fish from Rye and Hastings. But top of the list of concerns was the unfairness of the quota system, which sees small boats being squeezed out and getting just three percent of the quota.
The committee heard evidence from:
- David Scott, FPO Board Member and past President of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations,
- Bill Brook, South Western Fish Producer Organisation,
- Paul Joy, co-chair of the New Under Ten Fishermen’s Association and South-East representative
- Graham Doswell, New Under Ten Fishermen’s Association South-East representative and chairman of Eastbourne’s fishermen’s association;
Amber is pictured from left to right with Paul Joy, Anne Macintosh MP (Chair of the DEFRA Select Committee) and Neil Parish MP (member of the DEFRA Select Committee).
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