I have met local fishermen in Filey, including Rex Harrison who is pictured above, to discuss the Environment Agency’s proposals to stop the fishing season during the months of July and August and they are understandably worried. The Environment Agency says it will allow salmon and trout stock to recover during these months, but I believe that it will have little effect.
It would be not only be economically unviable for local fishermen but it would also have severe consequences for the wider local population. Tourism in the area relies on the fact that Filey is a fishing town with a healthy and visible fishing industry. Visitors are able to watch the boats returning to the harbour and make the direct link to the fresh fish they eat in restaurants and hotels along the coast. I believe that it would have a detrimental effect on the resort’s ambience and atmosphere if tourists were to arrive in peak season, July and August, to see no marine economic activity.
These proposals are going to consultation and I have today met the Minister for Fisheries, George Eustice MP, to urge him to intervene. July and August are key months for the tourist trade and the tourist trade is vital to the local economy. If there has to be a break, I have asked them to consider April and May instead. I shall do everything I can to ensure the Environment Agency revisits these proposals and takes local needs into account.