Fishing and Farming (Fiona Hall MEP)

Fiona Hall MEP <info@fionahall.org.uk>

Fishing and Farming

Euro candidates Neil Bradbury and Fiona in Northumberland

Fiona has stood up for North East fishermen on a number of occasions. Fiona lobbied Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw MP to fight for greater herring and mackerel quotas for North East fishermen at the European level. She also voiced her particular concerns for inshore fishing vessels under 10m in length, who from 1st May 2008, have been prevented from catching Whiting and Cod, key contributors to their livelihood, by new fishing quotas brought in by Defra. In contrast, vessels over 10m in length have been actively encouraged to fish, in some cases being handed 99.8% of total fishing allocations, leaving smaller vessels distributed with just 0.2%*, and the prospect of a bleak future. At the moment, Fiona is keeping a close eye on proposals of bringing recreational fishing under the direct control of the EU´s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

Fiona also stands up for North East farmers. She has written to Defra, and signed a cross-party resolution by MEPs, raising concerns about the practical difficulties surrounding compulsory electronic tagging of sheep. She has spoken out to restrict a Foot and Mouth Ban only to the areas affected. Fiona also took up the concerns of local farmers over imported beef from Brazil (affected by F&M) lobbying for a total import ban. She secured EU legislation that encourages farmers to produce biofuels while not harming food production or biodiversity.