We are all now aware of the mess that the UK Government has made in dealing with the shellfish industry. We don't need to rehearse that sad history, but it is having a detrimental impact on the viability of the sector here in Wales. Prior to Brexit, shellfish producers could export their produce to the Netherlands so that it could be prepared there for the main market, namely the nations of the European Union. Under the new regime, of course, that's not possible. As a result, one of the main markets of the sector has shrunk almost entirely, and that's happened overnight. We must, therefore, develop a new market for this produce, which contributes tens of millions of pounds to the Welsh economy every year and maintains thousands of jobs and the families of those working in the sector too. We must look to promote the produce in the domestic UK market, but to date there's no sign that the Government is taking the proactive additional steps necessary in order to deliver against that.

As part of that, we, of course, need to increase the ability to process. We must get more produce into pre-prepared foods and onto shelves on our doorstep here in Wales and in the wider UK. There is huge potential to develop this sector. Yes, the sector at the moment is relatively small, but, despite its scale, or perhaps because of that, Wales can lead the way and become an example of how sustainable fisheries can work in a way that works for the environment, but also works for the fishing industry. Because sustainable fisheries are crucial to the fishing industry and the sustainability of that industry. A report by the Wales Centre for Public Policy provides some ideas and provides us with a blueprint of how we can develop work and policy of Government in this area. But what work has been done by the Government itself to consider some of these proposals with the sector? And the report itself makes it clear that we must have collaboration with the sector if any plans are to succeed.

If I can conclude with one frightening statistic shared with me by the Welsh Fishermen's Association, the Welsh balance sheet would show that this sector is worth around £250 million to the economy, and the cultural and social value is far greater, of course, but it's difficult to reflect that on a balance sheet in a way that actually does justice to that contribution. But we should look beyond that stark figure, because it is estimated that some 83,000 tonnes of produce is landed from Welsh seas every year, but only 10 per cent of that—between 5,000 and 10,000 tonnes a year—are landed by Welsh fishers. Now, of course, I mentioned in another contribution yesterday in the Senedd how half of Welsh milk goes over the border to be processed, and how losing abattoirs has led, over the years, to more and more meat being processed outside of Wales. Well, our food economy is an extractive economy.

We can add seafood to that list now, of course. The Welsh economy is missing out on 90 per cent of the produce coming from Welsh seas. This highlights the huge potential that exists, of course, off our coastline to create a viable industry in Wales and to develop the contribution of that sector hugely. If the pledges made during the Brexit debate had been delivered and we had more control of our seas—and 'take back control' was the mantra, of course—then we could build a very different future. But that was a pipe dream, of course, and Boris Johnson's disastrous agreement made the situation much worse.

Rather than the pledge of reducing the number of fish taken by foreign vessels, while also ensuring that the indigenous sector had greater control of the seas—something that would have been better for our marine environment and for the Welsh economy—what we have, of course, is a situation that will lead to damaging the marine ecology of Wales and undermine our economy, and I don't feel that the Welsh Government has responded sufficiently to that situation, or has shown enough desire or ambition to do anything constructive about that, and that is why I have brought this short debate before the Senedd this afternoon. It's an opportunity for the Minister and the Government to show the ambition that the sector is so keen to hear, and, of course, that ambition that is so necessary to ensure that the sector does actually survive. We need to invest in the sector, to create infrastructure for processing and to build a new domestic market, as well as resolving the problems that will ensure that there is access to foreign markets in the future. Even without the climate crisis and without Brexit or COVID-19, there would be a strong case for this Government to turn over every stone possible to create a more sustainable future for our sea fishing sector here in Wales. So, rather than being willing to see that wealth flow out of Wales, we need to ensure that the tide has turned and that wealth flows back into our communities. Thank you.