Diana in Whitby

11.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 7th Oct 2006

The Liberal Democrat Euro MP for Whitby, Diana Wallis, came to the town on Saturday 7th October to see at first hand the developing shellfish industry.

Diana, along with local Parliamentary Spokesperson, Tania Exley-Moore, met with Dave McCandless, Chief Fisheries Officer, North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee, to discuss matters relating to fishing industry off the North Sea coast. Later they went on a short trip out to sea on the Committee's patrol vessel to 'V' notch some lobsters and release them back into the sea.

Diana Wallis said:

"Whitby is clearly an important shellfish port, moving away from its old tradition of being a whitefish harbour. This is good news because there are excellent markets for Whitby shellfish. Much of the catch along the North Sea coast goes to other European countries, especially France and Spain. It is critical therefore to get an understanding of how sustainable the shellfish fishery is in this region in the long term. There is a fear that otherwise over time one could see it going the same way as the white fish industry.

"The lobster V notching scheme is an excellent contribution to this long term sustainability of the industry. I, along with local Parliamentary Spokesperson, Tania Exley-Moore was delighted to get some first hand understanding from Dave McCandless Chief Fisheries Officer and the skipper and crew of the patrol vessel."

Note:

Lobster V notching is a scheme whereby a nick made in a lobster tail to indicate a breeding female. This is part of a programme to save lobsters from being over-fished.

(Photo shows Diana Wallis MEP with Dave McCandless Chief Fisheries Officer, North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee, 'V' notching a female lobster)