Unfortunately, within the programme for government in this sixth Senedd, there is no mention of fisheries and aquaculture at all. It is as though they did not exist at all. We can only conclude, therefore, that the sector is not a priority for the Welsh Government. The Wales fisheries strategy 2008 and the strategic action plan for the sector for 2013 are now out of date.

The Welsh Government may wish to draw our attention to the 'Welsh National Marine Plan' as an indication of progress in this area. Fine, the plan does contain two specific sections on aquaculture and fisheries. However, these are not sufficiently distinct strategies with enough focus to drive significant progress in the sector. And the sector itself, very interestingly, certainly doesn't think that this is as good as having a comprehensive action plan. 

It is worth noting that the environment committee in the previous Senedd produced a report on the impact of Brexit on fisheries in Wales in 2018. The first recommendation in the report called on the Welsh Government to publish an ambitious strategy, with a focus on growing fisheries in Wales. Although the Welsh Government accepted the recommendation at the time, the reality is that very little has been done to deliver on this commitment since then. It may well be that the Welsh Government will again highlight the 2018 consultation, 'Brexit and our Seas', which I've already mentioned. However, while stakeholders have invested considerable time in responding to the consultation, once again, little has happened since then.