MPs’ wave of support for fishermen

A byelaw which will require gill-net fishermen to stay with their nets at all times is being consulted on by the Environment Agency.

The proposal came about after gill-net fishermen in the north east, who have to operate under the regulations, complained that their southern counterparts were able to leave theirs between tides.

Fisherman Shaun Wingham, from Withernsea, one of only six remaining shore fisherman in the East Riding, said the move would put him out of business. He said: “How is it possible for one man to sit at the top of the cliff for 23 hours, 5 days a week? The size of my catch is so small that it would simply make the whole process unviable and I would have to give up.”

Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart wants the proposals deferred until the end of the current net limitation order in 2017, when other options could be considered. East Yorkshire MP Sir Greg Knight, who is meeting some of those affected this week, said he wanted to see common sense which would “allow traditional Yorkshire fishermen to continue to make a living in the way they previously have done.”