Luke Pollard MP, Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary, commenting on the Government’s financial support for England’s fishing businesses, said:

“Labour has consistently called for more support for fishing and Ministers have waited too long to provide it. There must not be any more delay in payments being made.

“With our near neighbours backing their fishing industries with bolder financial measures, their fishers will emerge from the coronavirus crisis in a much better position than many in the British fleet.

“Ministers claim they will negotiate a great new fisheries deal with the EU that will benefit our fisherman but there will be no point if British fishing boats have gone out of business in the meantime.

“Britain imports the vast majority of the fish we eat and exports the vast majority of fish we catch, so with export markets closed and those that are open severely disrupted, the prospect of an economic collapse in fishing is real and needs to be taken more seriously by the Government. This funding is a start but must not be the end of support for this iconic part of our coastal economies.”