A Fair Deal for Our East Yorkshire Coasts: The Liberal Democrat Plan

​The Liberal Democrats of East Yorkshire stand with our fishing communities in Bridlington, Withernsea, Hull, and across our coastline. The past government's Brexit deal was a fundamental betrayal, swapping the promised "sea of opportunity" for an ocean of red tape and economic devastation. The failure of this deal is not a remote statistic, it is a reality felt by every family and business along the Humber and Yorkshire coast.

​The evidence is clear: the East Yorkshire fishing sector, which was once the second-largest in the UK outside of Scotland, has been utterly failed. Our shellfish and lobster industries were particularly hit, making Bridlington the lobster capital of Europe. The introduction of new EU checks and bureaucracy leading to rejections and delays. This culminated in the heartbreaking news that one of Europe's largest shellfish ports and lobster capital, Bridlington, saw a major exporter, Baron Shellfish, cease trading in February 2021, directly citing the difficulties exporting to the EU.

The fishing industry in East Yorkshire also facing another crisis as younger generations increasingly favor stability over tradition. Long-standing "family legacies" are fading because the struggle of veteran fishermen often discourages the next generation from entering a sector plagued by high entry costs, unpredictable income, and rigid quotas. Furthermore, the grueling physical demands of the job struggle to compete with the region’s  sector, which offers younger workers more competitive salaries, regular hours, and safer working conditions.

​The Tory Betrayal: Reversing the Damage.

The notion that we would regain full control has proven to be an empty promise. Instead, our fishers are grappling with broken trade links and a continuation of long-term EU access to UK waters until at least 2026. This lack of control has seen Hull's deep-sea fleet significantly impacted, with UK Fisheries forced to lay off 74 loyal crew members—losing their skills and experience—after reduced access to Arctic cod grounds. The deal hasn't even delivered on quotas for Hull, with a former crew member stating in 2021, "The deal doesn't mention quotas and there is no benefit to the fishermen of Hull."

​To fix the broken deal, the Liberal Democrats will:

​Rebuild Trade: We will immediately work to mend the broken trade relationship with the EU, slashing the bureaucratic red tape that has crippled our seafood exporters. This isn't a "teething problem," as Boris Johnson claimed; it's a structural failure costing jobs and livelihoods.

​Trade Scrutiny: We will introduce mandatory democratic scrutiny for all international trade deals to prevent UK fishing standards from being undercut by cheaper, lower-standard imports.

​Alistair Carmichael MP, Liberal Democrat spokesperson on fisheries, is right when he says: "The stench of Boris Johnson's bungled 2020 deal will linger over us for a generation."

​Sustainability and Fair Quotas: A Future Focus

​A sustainable and profitable future for East Yorkshire demands a healthy North Sea. Our policies are designed to put generational family fishers ahead of corporate interests.

​Quota Reform: We will fundamentally reform the current quota system to ensure fairness and sustainability, working to:

​"...distribute quota more equitably so that generational family fishers don't continue to lose out to corporate industrial trawlers." This is crucial for our small-scale inshore fleet, which historically represents the majority of vessels but has access to only a fraction of the quota.

​Protecting Our Seas: We will expand Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to cover at least 50% of the UK territorial waters by 2030 and will push for a ban on bottom trawling and other destructive fishing practices in these protected zones.

​Tackling Spatial Squeeze: Our fishing grounds are increasingly threatened by offshore developments, such as wind farms. We demand fair treatment and proper compensation for fishers losing access to their traditional grounds, ensuring local input is mandatory from the very start of any development.

​The Liberal Democrats believe our coastal communities deserve a government that prioritises the long-term health of the industry and the wellbeing of our people. It's time to choose a Fair Deal for our East Yorkshire coast.