Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:50 pm on 24 February 2021.
Thank you to Llyr for bringing this short debate forward on such an important issue. And I would like to echo his very kind sentiments and condolences to Carl, Alan and Ross, their families, in terms of the very sad and tragic circumstances. And in close working with the family now, we need to find out exactly what happened on that dreadful day that they went missing.
Now, Minister, you may be aware that, under the proposed bylaws put out for consultation by Britain's Marine Management Organisation, bottom trawling, which involves weighted nets being dragged over the seabed, would be prohibited in four English marine protected areas. It is considered that such action sets a precedent now for the devolved administrations. So, what discussions have you had around limiting or banning bottom trawling off Wales?
And turning to shellfish, whilst I'm sure you will all join with me in welcoming the news that the UK Government has expanded the eligibility criteria for the £23 million fund to target catching and shellfish aquaculture businesses, within the industry, they do feel there are steps the Welsh Government can take to tackle the crux of the dilemma. Will you explore whether a review of water classifications can be undertaken so as to establish if areas can be classified as 'A'? Because it's regrettable that, in the Menai strait, those waters were 'A' and now they're 'B', and so they need purification. What plans have you got for developing purification capability here in Wales? I'll speak to you again outside this debate, but there are some proposals coming forward from a company that wants to go forward, working with you, about having a purification unit. I'd like to think that the Welsh Government could work with the UK Government on the latter point as well, especially as the UK fishing and seafood sector is also set to benefit from significant Government investment, with a £100 million fund to help, for example, with modernising the fish processing industry.
As a keen Brexit supporter, I believe that we are well placed now to actually take the benefits of Brexit and move forward collectively with the Welsh Government and the UK Government. Thank you and thank you, Llyr.