Tim Loughton MP has warmly welcomed the Government’s announcement last week of further measures to help fishermen whose lives have been badly affected by the recent storms across the UK.
Funding will be made available towards the cost of replacing lost or damaged fishing gear, such as crab and lobster pots and other static gear, which could be worth up to £5,000 to fishermen.
The Government will also continue to pay lighthouse dues for another year, saving the industry up to £140,000.
This is in addition to measures already promised, such as:
- Flexibility on quota allocations to allow fishermen to make up lost income when conditions return to normal
- Access to a £10 million business support grant for flood-affected businesses.
These measures followed a meeting that Tim had with local fishermen in Shoreham to discuss what could be potentially implemented to help alleviate the effect of the storms of their livelihoods. Subsequently Tim wrote to the Chancellor and Fisheries Minister and suggested a number of measures such as temporary payment holidays from Government and banks to help with mooring fees and boat loans; assistance for replacing lost pots and nets as well as flexibility with quotas.