Anthony led a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday 15th March on the UK’s Shellfish Aquaculture sector.
As Secretary of the Shellfish Aquaculture APPG, Anthony is a keen supporter of businesses in the industry, stating during the debate that they had long been overlooked and undervalued. Shellfish aquaculture businesses in his constituency include Offshore Shellfish, the largest mussel farm in Europe, as well as numerous oyster farmers.
The debate was well attended by Members of Parliament from all corners of the United Kingdom, demonstrating the importance of the industry across the country.
Anthony called on the Government to support the industry and ‘help create tremendous opportunities and address some of the very real issues that were outlined in Professor Chris Whitty‘s report on Health and Wellbeing in Coastal Communities.’
According to Anthony, a change of approach would create more jobs and boost local economies, protect the marine environment and create a sustainable food source. Despite the Government’s efforts to provide support through the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme, UK mussel production has decreased by 60% in the last seven years and UK oyster production has decreased by nearly a third in the last three years.
Challenges currently facing the Shellfish aquaculture sector include the classification of Pacific Oysters as an invasive non-native species, excessive bureaucracy restricting trade flows with the EU and the classification of harvesting waters.
The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, Mark Spencer MP, recognised the vital part that aquaculture plays in the UK’s seafood industry, stating that ‘shellfish aquaculture in particular holds an important place in our coastal communities, supporting local economies and providing sustainable, healthy, low carbon food.’
The Minister confirmed that the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is committed to working with water companies to improving water quality, which will have a significant role in improving the quality harvesting waters. The Minister told MPs he had met very recently with the Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency who shared his commitment to implementing reform to water quality testing to provide greater consistency and certainty for businesses.
The Minister confirmed that DEFRA would continue to work with the shellfish aquaculture industry to address ongoing challenges, but asked businesses to consider how they might adapt their operations to meet post-Brexit trading conditions and therefore ensure their own long-term survival.
On the subject of Pacific Oysters, DEFRA’s policy position on classification seeks to balance environmental and economic considerations, and the Minister shared his intention to meet with officials, regulators and scientists in the coming weeks to discuss this further.