View: Letter to Daniel Zeichner MP, Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs

06 November 2024

Daniel Zeichner MP
Seacole Building 
2 Marsham Street 
London SW1P 4DF 
RE: Fisheries Negotiations


Dear Minister, 

As the UK enters the autumn rounds of fisheries negotiations with our neighbouring states, we would like to stress the importance of a positive outcome for the UK’s historic distant waters fishers, based in and around Hull, Grimsby and the wider Humber region. Prior to 2019 the fleet was bringing home one in eight portions of the cod and haddock sold in Britain’s fish and chip shops – good-quality fish from the waters of Norway straight to our chippies.
 
At that time they typically landed around 20,000 tonnes of whitefish annually from the Barents Sea in Hull, contributing to the food security of the UK and the economy of the North East in the form of good quality jobs and investment.

Last year, after five years of bungled negotiations by the previous administration, that figure had collapsed to under 6,500 tonnes, with just 500 tonnes caught in Norwegian waters, and just one vessel of the former three still able to catch fish for the UK.

The gap in the fish and chip shop supply chain has been filled by Norwegian, Icelandic and even Russian fish. We are assured that a thoughtful negotiaton with Norway could rebalance this outcome to bring back jobs and millions of pounds in investment to Hull and surrounding areas, and respectully request that you task your team with reprioritising this national resource in this year’s talks with Norway to bring home  British fish for our country and restore the health of our industry.

Yours Sincerely, 


Melanie Onn MP 
Martin Vickers MP 
Karl Turner MP 
Alison Hume MP 

Videos

'KIRKELLA' THE MOVIE - from naming in Greenwich to the far distant waters
Emma Hardy, Labour candidate for Hull West and Haltemprice
Jane Sandell, CEO interview
Kirkella tour
Kirkella in Hull
Kirkella on the Humber
Kirkella Port 2
Kirkella Bow 2
Kirkella Birdseye 2
Kirkella Naming Ceremony and VIP Reception
Kirkella lunch party at Cutty Sark Museum
Kirkella Great British Fish & Chips event at Greenwich
Kirkella speech by HRH The Princess Royal
Kirkella passing through Tower Bridge
Kirkella BBC News
HRH The Princess Royal names Kirkella
Kirkella cutaway animation
Sir Barney White-Spunner, UK Fisheries Ltd, Interview
Kirkella General Tour
Kirkella Factory Tour

Images

Kirkella trawling
Kirkella on Humber
Kirkella drone footage
Kirkella drone footage
Kirkella drone footage
The Kirkella Naming celebration lunch at the Cutty Sark Museum
The Fish Fryers free fish & chip event at Cutty Sark Gardens for 2,500 locals
The City of Hull Brass Band at Cutty Sark Gardens
Sir Barney White-Spunner, Chairman of the Advisory Board, UK Fisheries, at the Kirkella Naming celebration dinner at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Kirkella sailing upstream through Tower Bridge
Kirkella sailing downstream through Tower Bridge
HRH The Princess Royal with Graham Barney, Factory Manager, Kirkella
HRH The Princess Royal with Charlie Waddy, First Mate, on the bridge of Kirkella
HRH The Princess Royal unveiling a model of Kirkella presented by UK Fisheries to the National Maritime Museum
HRH The Princess Royal Naming Kirkella at Greenwich
HRH The Princess Royal meeting Stig Maersk, Musical Director, and players in the City of Hull Brass Band
HRH The Princess Royal making her address at the Kirkella Naming Ceremony in Greenwich
2,500 local people in Greenwich enjoying free Kirkella-caught cod & chips
Sir Barney White-Spunner, Chairman of the Advisory Board, UK Fisheries Ltd
UK Fisheries infographic
Kirkella poster
Cutaway illustration of Kirkella
UK Fisheries Ltd logo