Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:07 pm on 3 July 2018.
Lesley Griffiths
Labour
5:07,
3 July 2018
I just mentioned the additional fish being a public good, so I think it's very much open to discussion and negotiations, and that's something we'll be taking forward.
The First Minister has recently announced funding to help the fisheries and aquaculture sectors prepare, including funding for the research and tactical analysis for EU exit. I want to be very clear: I expect a fairer deal for Wales as part of any future fisheries agreement. I am unhappy with the current quota system and the way it's managed, and I believe that any new system will need to provide a community good and any future fishing opportunities should address historical inequalities.
I expect the UK Government approach to Brexit should be done in a responsible way. I will also push for devolution equivalent to Scotland by gaining full legislative competence for fisheries in the Welsh zone. Welsh Government is responsible for managing fishing in that area but is not able to make primary legislation. It makes no sense to have an artificial line in the sea that prevents us from making consistent legislation for our sea area. There is a need for all parts of the UK to work together in some policy areas in the future—the so-called UK frameworks. The agreement reached by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance on the inter-governmental agreement recognises this and protects devolution as we exit the EU.
Fisheries management is one of the 24 areas identified where powers returning from the EU fall within our devolved competence and where common UK frameworks are likely to be needed. We are working closely with the rest of the UK to identify what this framework will look like, which parts require legislation, what we want to do together and what we want to do ourselves. Alongside this, we are working hard to prepare the industry for day 1 readiness, and we'll work to reduce any impact on businesses following the UK leaving the EU.
Fisheries are heavily regulated. Over 90 directly applicable EU regulations covering hundreds of pages of legislation have been identified as needing Amendment to make it operable. This is a mammoth task, and we are working closely with the rest of the UK to ensure the legislation work post exit, and also devolution, is protected. We're also well advanced in our preparations to amend our domestic legislation. Having a working legislative framework for our seas post exit is of vital importance, and I very much look forward to Members' contributions.
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