Before we begin this debate on the future of the fishing industry in Wales, I would like to take a moment just to remember the three fishermen from north Wales who are still missing today, and to send our best wishes to the family. Allan Minard, Ross Ballantine and Carl McGrath, as well as their boat, Nicola Faith, disappeared in January off the north Wales coast, and I would like to extend my sincerest sympathies, as well as this Senedd's sympathies, to their family, and to note that we are thinking about them as they grieve. 

Wales, of course, has a long and proud history of sea fishing. The tradition goes back a number of millennia, with seafood having been a central part of the diet of people in this part of the world across those many centuries. Archaeological work shows piles of shellfish going back to the Mesolithic age in Prestatyn, and we know about the fish traps across the Welsh coasts, which can also be seen along the Menai Straits. So, fishing and seafood has played an important role in the development of Wales, and the sector continues to make an important contribution economically, environmentally, socially and culturally too. There are hundreds of small vessels under 10 metres fishing from Welsh ports, and making a living directly for thousands of people and families, and indirectly to thousands more. And these people working in the industry do see themselves as the stewards of our seas, and the wealth of food that our seas provide in Wales. Like farmers on land, these fishers recognise the sea beds, and how the seasons impact on those different areas. 

So, what's the future for this historic and important sector? Well, like all sectors, of course, they are facing numerous challenges, but there are three main challenges facing sea fishers in Wales, and these three challenges are facing broader society too. Namely, in the first instance, climate change. Brexit, of course, has brought challenges, as well as COVID-19. Climate change has meant that the seas have become far more stormy during the winter months. We are seeing far fiercer storms, and many more storms than we have perhaps been experiencing in the past, and this is a very real threat, particularly bearing in mind that the Welsh fleet relies on small vessels. 

Brexit means that one of our main markets that the sector's relied on over the past 40 years has changed overnight, as some species of fish which were exported daily, such as mussels, are prevented, as this state is no longer within the borders of the European Union. COVID-19 has brought the hospitality sector to a close, a sector which the industry is reliant on in selling its produce here at home, in the domestic market. So, those are some of the challenges facing the sector. 

The COVID threat is the most apparent in the short term. We often hear spokespeople on behalf of the Government declaring how the Welsh Government has provided more generous support to businesses here in Wales than any other Government in the UK, but that's not the view of the fishers that I've spoken to, those who feel that they have almost been ignored during this crisis. Now, there is one grant payment of up to £10,000 per vessel, which has been offered, based on the average fixed costs, and that's to be welcomed, of course it is, but that's all that's been available in a 12-month period. And it's true to say that the UK Government has contributed some millions of pounds recently to seafood exporters, but that shouldn't mean that the Welsh Government doesn't have its own responsibility to listen to the sector and to respond to what they hear from the sector in order to make sure that it doesn't contract as a result of the current crisis. 

The Scottish, Northern Irish and the Isle of Man Governments have provided additional support to the sector, but that's not the case here in Wales. So, I want to make one call in this afternoon's debate to ask the Welsh Government to provide additional support to this sector, particularly, of course, given the current circumstances, and I very much hope that the Minister can respond positively to that in her reply to this debate. 

And then, of course, there's the impact of Brexit. Historically, only two EU vessels would fish Welsh seas, although up to 10 had a right to do so. But under the single designation, or the single issuing authority of the UK rather, the suggestion is that up to 76 vessels will now have permission to fish in Welsh waters. Of course, this raises major questions on the sustainability of our sea fisheries on the one hand, never mind the possibility that the indigenous industry in Wales will be squeezed out of our seas even further. Is this really in keeping with the aims of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015? Is it in keeping with the Environment (Wales) Act 2016? So, I want to hear this afternoon what steps the Welsh Government has taken to ensure that this doesn't happen. What discussions has the Government had with the Westminster Government to ensure that the voice of the industry in Wales is heard in the corridors of the UK Government?