PM urged to move on distant-waters fishing deals as huge trawler remains in port

PM urged to move on distant-waters fishing deals as huge trawler remains in port

There are concerns over availability and the price of fish in UK chip shops

An MP has urged the Prime Minister to step in as the trawler which normally catches up to 10% of all the fish sold in the UK’s fish and chip shops remains tied up in port waiting for new distant-waters fishing deals.

Hull East MP Karl Turner said it seems the Government “is hell-bent on putting the last nail in the coffin of distant-waters fishing” as the 100-strong crew of Kirkella wait for negotiations to be completed with Norway and others.

Kirkella – which has been described as the pride of the UK’s distant-waters fishing fleet – has been tied up in St George’s Dock, Hull, since returning from its last trip at the beginning of December.

Despite the Brexit trade deal having much to say about the UK-EU fishing arrangements, it meant agreements are still needed with the non-EU countries involved in the distant-waters arrangements.

The £52 million state-of-the-art Kirkella can freeze up to 780 tonnes of cod and haddock on each of its trips to the seas off Norway, Svalbard and Greenland.

Published: by Radio NewsHub
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