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Name: Kevin singleton
Hello, my name is Kevin Singleton and I am writing to the panel to voice my concerns over the new fishing agreement between France and the island. I fish for scallops in jersey waters for a living, as the panel is aware bivalves are no longer accepted into French ports because of an EU Heath certificate that may not even be available until April. In the past I have taken scallops into Granville and it has provided an income for me to support my 2 children and to pay a bank loan of for my boat. The reason I landed into France is because jerseys local market is so small and very difficult to compete with existing businesses that offer scallops.
What is deeply frustrating for me and other bivalve boats is the fact that French boats can work alongside us in jerseys NON-EU waters and take the same scallops we catch into French ports without filling in any health certificate or other documents that UK registered boats are legally obligated to.
The fishing industry here in jersey is on a cliff edge, I am happy that the fisheries department is only issuing permits to boats with a proven track record and this will help make sure there is a sustainable fishery for future generations to enjoy. However rushing into this agreement with the French really has left myself and other boats like mine at risk of going under because there simply is no options left for us and companies in the UK are not buying because of border issues on their side.
I feel as though the French would have given unrestricted access to markets if the government would have taken some time to engage with the fishing industry and realise that the Island was holding trump card with our rich waters.
Kind regards Kevin Singleton
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