I spoke about shellfish aquaculture at the Aquaculture Common Issues Group

It was great to speak about the amazing potential and challenges facing the shellfish aquaculture sector at the Aquaculture Common Issues Group on Thursday.

As Chair of the APPG for Shellfish Aquaculture, I am committed to spreading the word about this incredible industry which has been overlooked and undervalued for years.

It has huge potential for growth, but to make this a reality several challenges must be addressed. Issues around export red tape and water quality are well-known, and remain damaging, but something that is truly holding the industry back is a lack of government support.

The government’s commitment to the industry is unclear. By contrast, France’s investment into the industry is significant, which has had a considerable impact on overall shellfish production.

While the former Fisheries Minister did engage with the sector on occasion, there is no record of his replacement mentioning the word ‘shellfish’ in parliament. The new Secretary of State appears to be even less engaged, with no mention of the words ‘shellfish’, ‘fish’ or ‘fishing.’

This is something that should concern many of us in South Devon. We are home to the historic fishing towns of Brixham, Dartmouth, and Salcombe, as well as many shellfish aquaculture businesses that operate in and around our estuaries and bays. With the right support, these businesses and the overall sector could flourish.