Natural England - Quay visit to meet fishing industry
Quay visit to meet fishing industry
20 January 2010
Exploring how conservation organisations and the inshore fisheries sector can work closer together was the main topic of discussion when James Marsden, Director Marine at Natural England - the government’s independent advisor on the natural environment - visited North Shields today (Wednesday 20 January).
During the fact-finding tour of the North Shields Fish Quay James met fishermen and industry representatives. He was joined on the visit by Natural England’s Regional Director for the North East, Rob Aubrook.
They watched the latest catch being landed at the Fish Quay, attended the traditional early morning fish auction, and met local fishermen to discuss their views about proposals for new Marine Protected Areas and the future of the industry.
James and Rob were shown around the area by local boat owner and lifelong fisherman, Ned Clark. At the new food processing units on Tanners Bank they looked round the Coquet Island Shellfish Company premises and visited the Seafood Training Centre, where they met MD, Dennis Osborne, and some of the students at the Centre.
James Marsden said: “It is essential for us to get out and talk with the people who are at the sharp end of this industry and the visit to the North East was very valuable. North Shields is renowned for its long association with the fishing industry and I wanted to visit its famous Fish Quay to meet the people who work in the industry, learn more about what they do and listen to their views.
“Meeting local fishermen and fish processors, and following the journey that the catch makes from ‘net to plate’, helped us appreciate the issues that North Sea fishermen face and built a better understanding with the industry.”
England has some of the finest marine wildlife in Europe, with dramatic underwater habitats and landscapes, and over 10,000 types of plant and animal. Natural England wants to work with the fishing industry to help deliver a sustainable future for both the marine environment and fishing communities.
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Additional notes:
Natural England is the government’s independent advisor on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.
We establish and care for England’s main wildlife sites, ensuring that over 3,500 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.
We work to ensure that England’s landscapes are effectively protected, designating England’s National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and Marine Conservation Zones, and advising widely on their conservation.
We run England’s Environmental Stewardship green farming schemes that deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England’s farmland.
We fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds of conservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of England’s species and habitats. We have recently committed £6m to develop wetland areas and have detailed biodiversity action plans covering 75% of England’s species
We promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them.
The Marine Conservation Zone Project has been established by Defra, Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to identify and recommend Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) to Government. The Marine Conservation Zone Project will be delivered through four regional MCZ projects covering the south-west (Finding Sanctuary), Irish Sea (Irish Sea Conservation Zones), North Sea (Net Gain) and south-east (Balanced Seas). These regional MCZ projects will work with sea users and interest groups to identify MCZs and provide recommendations for sites within their regions to Government.
Natural England is the statutory conservation adviser for Government for England (including territorial waters) and is committed to delivering an ecologically coherent network of MPAs. It will commit time from its own specialist staff and research products to support the project as well as providing funding.
Joint Nature Conservation Committee is the statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature conservation, on behalf of the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside, the Countryside Council for Wales, Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage. Its work contributes to maintaining and enriching biological diversity, conserving geological features and sustaining natural systems. JNCC are also the statutory conservation adviser to Government for UK offshore waters (i.e. beyond 12 nautical miles). JNCC website.