Portsmouth projects granted government funding to boost fishing industry hailed by MP

Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan has hailed three projects, which were awarded £1 million of government funding, which, he said, will boost the fishing industry in the south coast city.

The awards included a £362,975 grant to regenerate Camber Dock Fish Market’s onshore facilities to create an ice plant for fishers to use at sea to keep the catch fresh and improve facilities at the market to boost sales.

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The grants are from the £100 million UK Seafood Fund, which former UK prime minister Boris Johnson launched to fill the gap created by the loss of European Union funding for the sector after Brexit.

The MP said: "Portsmouth’s fishing community has been integral to our city for generations, but too often ports, harbours and fishing infrastructure are ignored when it comes to government funding.

"I have long called for investment into our city to create jobs and boost the local economy. This funding will also help provide a healthy marine environment for years to come."

Meanwhile, the University of Portsmouth was awarded £569,361 for a project to collect data on five data-poor species/group, namely sea bass, black sea bream, skates and rays, tope and smooth hound to improve the management of the fisheries.

And the Langstone Harbour board has also been awarded £233,450 to upgrade the Eastney pontoon to increase the quantity of catch landed in the harbour.

On July 17, the government’s department for the environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) set out further measures to help the fishing industry to thrive and deliver a healthy marine environment, which it said marked a "clear departure" from the Common Fisheries Policy.

They also build on investment and uplift in fisheries opportunities worth more than £200 million, it said.

Secretary of State Thérèse Coffey said the UK was now "an independent coastal state" and the reforms will deliver the UK’s ambition to build a "modern, resilient and profitable fishing industry underpinned by sustainable fish stocks and a healthy marine environment for the future".

The announcement included a boost for the small vessels under 10 metres, making use of the post Brexit quota increases by removing a cap on the amount of quota they can use and opening up more potential income for smaller businesses.

There will also be a consultation over the government’s vision for the use of remote electronic monitoring (REM) in English waters. This technology can gather data while fishing boats are at sea, including about the amount, size and species of fish which are being caught.

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