A Fair Deal for Our Coasts: The Liberal Democrat Plan for the Fishing Industry.

The Liberal Democrats have positioned themselves as the champions of coastal communities, arguing that the UK fishing industry was fundamentally betrayed by the Conservatives’ Brexit deal. Our policy is focused on reversing the economic damage, enforcing strict environmental protection, and ensuring a more equitable future for small-scale fishers.  

​The Betrayal: Reversing the Damage from the Brexit Deal

​The Liberal Democrats maintain that the promises of full control and a "sea of opportunity" were broken, replaced instead with crippling bureaucracy and a continuation of long-term EU access to UK waters.  

​Our plan to fix the broken deal includes:
​Rebuilding Trade: We are committed to mending the broken trade relationship with the EU to support seafood exporters. The current border checks and red tape have caused significant financial losses.

​Trade Scrutiny: We will introduce mandatory democratic scrutiny for all international trade deals to prevent UK fishing standards from being undercut by cheaper, lower-standard imports.  

​Alistair Carmichael MP Lib Dems spokesperson on fisheries. ​"The stench of Boris Johnson's bungled 2020 deal will linger over us for a generation." He believes the deal was a failure to protect fishing interests, leaving the industry feeling "let down and used."  

​Future Focus: Sustainability and Fair Quotas
​A sustainable fishing industry is dependent on healthy seas. Our policies, detailed in our environmental and nature manifestos, focus on long-term ecological and economic viability.  

​Quota Reform: We will fundamentally reform the current quota system to ensure fairness and sustainability. This reform will be designed to:
​"...distribute quota more equitably so that generational family fishers don't continue to lose out to corporate industrial trawlers."  

​Protecting Marine Ecosystems: We support strong conservation measures and will expand the protection of our seas. Our commitments include:  
​Expanding Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): Our goal is to expand the "blue belt" of MPAs to cover at least 50% of the UK territorial waters by 2030.  

​Banning Destructive Practices: We will push for a ban on bottom trawling and other destructive fishing practices in Marine Protected Areas to safeguard fragile habitats. (See our policy commitment on Tackling the Nature Crisis).

​Tackling Spatial Squeeze: We demand fair treatment for fishers who are losing access to traditional grounds due to offshore developments (like wind farms). This requires local input from the start:  
​“Decisions about Shetland’s waters must involve Shetland from the very start, with safeguards that protect key fishing grounds and ensure our communities benefit fairly.” Emma Macdonald, Shetland Liberal Democrats.  

​The Liberal Democrats believe the fishing industry deserves a government that prioritises its long-term health and the wellbeing of its coastal communities.

​For a comprehensive overview of the Liberal Democrat commitment to a fairer, greener future, please see the A Fair Deal for Our Environment and Food and Farming sections of our official policy documents. 

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