Cornwall Council has voted to show its support for Cornwall’s fishing industry, but some councillors have criticised the motion as saying it says “nothing new” and will have no practical impact.
A meeting of the full council on Tuesday, July 25 voted in favour of a motion put forward by councillors from across the chamber, including Mebyon Kernow, the Independents and the Conservatives, that its members recognise and note “the significant contribution made by Cornwall’s fishing industry to the Cornish economy, Cornwall’s ports and harbours, and our maritime communities”.
The council committed to “sustaining strong partnerships with Cornwall-based industries engaged in fishing, processing and distribution of Cornish fish and shellfish worldwide, thereby supporting and sustaining the growth of our fishing industry” and “commits to supporting our fishing industry through encouraging locally caught produce to be served in our schools, colleges and care homes”.
The council also agreed to continue supporting Cornwall Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority (IFCA), working in close collaboration with Cornish fishermen and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), to ensure the conservation of fish and shellfish stocks and the preservation of the seabed and our coastal waters.
However, the motion was criticised by some councillors as a sop that doesn’t actually offer anything new in support of the beleaguered fishing industry.
The council’s Liberal Democrat leader Colin Martin said after the meeting that his party supported the motion but said it would have no “practical impact” and called on the Conservative-run council to carry out an online survey asking people how they have been affected by changes to the fishing sector over the past five years and what specific, practical changes they would like to see.