Fishing and farming concerns raised with shadow minister

The Shadow Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Victoria Atkins, visited the Island on Monday. Hosted by East Wight MP, Joe Robertson, the visit was part of a nationwide tour aimed at highlighting the Conservative Party’s opposition to reports that the government plans to extend EU fishing vessels’ access to UK waters for another four years.

The contentious topic has come to the fore amid ongoing negotiations with the European Union covering issues including security, defence, and proposed reciprocal agreements to ease work and study opportunities in EU for young Britons.

Originally scheduled for later in the year, the visit was fast-tracked to allow Mrs Atkins to meet with fishermen and farmers, ahead of next week’s EU-UK summit, when the deal is set to be finalised. The current agreement, negotiated by Boris Johnson in 2020, guaranteed EU fishermen access to British waters until June 2026. The upcoming deal will determine policies from that point forward.

A trip with a local fisherman

Mrs Atkins began her visit with a hands-on experience aboard a fishing boat, with Cllr Ed Blake, leader of the Conservative group on the Isle of Wight Council. Departing from Ventnor Fisheries, the boat trip offered Mrs Atkins and accompanying journalists the chance to discuss key issues, while also viewing the Bonchurch landslip from the water. She even briefly tried her hand at fishing, although without success.

The Shadow SofS, who supported remaining in the EU, acknowledged the shortcomings of the current trade deal with the EU, conceding it had not lived up to the expectations of those who voted to leave. However, she said it was now important to secure Britain’s 12-nautical-mile exclusion zone and strengthen the rights of British fishermen in future agreements.

Cllr Blake, whose family owns Ventnor Fisheries, painted a stark picture of the industry’s decline. “We are a skeleton of the former industry. Forty years ago, there would have been 60 or 70 full-time boats operating on the Island; we are now down to six – of which we have two. This is life or death for us now,” he explained. He expressed frustration at the lack of enforcement of British waters, adding, “At the moment, we have French and Dutch trawlers hoovering up fish that we’re not allowed to catch. We see them regularly, their boats loaded down with our fish, heading back to Zeebrugge.”

A discussion with farmers

Later, Mrs Atkins joined a roundtable discussion with 15 farmers at the Braii restaurant at Nunwell Farm.

She shared her enthusiasm for her role, explaining that she had always wanted to be a DEFRA minister.

However, she expressed frustration with the current role’s negative campaigning nature, saying: “Although I have to oppose things right now, I welcome suggestions on how we can shape better policies.” She said she looked forward to the time when the Conservative Party would return to government, and praised Joe Robertson’s efforts and effectiveness as a new MP.

Farmers raised pressing concerns from the risks posed by policy inconsistencies to fears of being unfairly penalised for pollution during extreme weather events. Mrs Atkins criticised current plans that allow local authorities and Natural England to acquire land at below-market value, warning, “This could also apply to private gardens.” She assured farmers that the Conservative Party would scrap the controversial Family Farm Tax, which she said goes against the core principles of farming families. She also championed ‘farmer-led’ policies, emphasising that those in the field should have a greater say in shaping DEFRA’s decisions.

Concerns about increased public access to farmland were also voiced, with one farmer highlighting the disconnect between Health & Safety Executive policies and the realities of rural life.

Mr Robertson remarked: “It was good to see the Shadow Secretary of State on the Island raising awareness for UK farming and fishing. We are at another crossroads for both industries as the government enters talks to ‘reset’ our relationship with the EU. We have already heard how the French want greater access to UK waters, but the current agreement is already lopsided. Geoff Blake at Ventnor Haven Fisheries was explaining how mega-ton EU trawlers scour the English Channel of fish, and he is not allowed to catch from his small 30ft boat. We are sending a clear message to the Prime Minister: he should be trying to improve the deal for farming and fishing, not making it worse.”