The new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Shellfish Aquaculture hosted its inaugural meeting earlier today, with Simon Fell MP elected as chair and Anthony Mangnall MP as vice-chair.
Over the last 12 months, Fell and Mangnall have both been working closely with industry bodies and shellfish aquaculture businesses in their coastal constituencies and speaking up on their behalf to bring awareness to the issues they face.
The duo hope this APPG will further raise the profile and knowledge of shellfish aquaculture in Parliament, bridging the gap which shellfish farmers feel exists between the industry and government.
Since the end of the post-Brexit transition period, many producers of live bivalve molluscs (LBMs), such as mussels and oysters, saw their European markets closed overnight. LBM exporters continue to face structural problems in the industry, with live bivalves from waters classified as Grade B by the Food Standard Agency, not being allowed to be exported live to the continent without being depurated first.
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https://thefishsite.com/articles/mps-unite-to-support-british-shellfish-farmers