6. Debate: Brexit and the Fishing Industry

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:15 pm on 3 July 2018.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mr Neil Hamilton Mr Neil Hamilton UKIP 5:15, 3 July 2018

Well, Pembrokeshire lobster is extremely palatable, I can tell you. But, yes, I realise that the industry is very dependent upon exports, but there's a massive opportunity for us here, because we have a massive imbalance in our trade in foodstuffs with the EU and if tariffs are idiotically imposed by the EU—not because the British Government won't be interested in doing so—then, we have huge opportunities for import substitution and changing, perhaps, the tastes of the British public to take advantage of the opportunities that will arrive.

Sadly, I haven't time to go into all the complicated arguments of trade imbalances, which I'm sure there'll be other opportunities to go into, but it is important to recognise that this gives us huge opportunities, also, to remedy the environmental disaster that has befallen the British fishing industry over the last 40 years, and I welcome the intention of the Welsh Government to play its full part in that process.