A MOTION for Cornwall Council to give more support to the shellfish businesses while they struggle to survive after Brexit has been tabled by a Falmouth county councillor.

Jayne Kirkham, who represents the Smithick ward in Falmouth, has tabled a motion for full council when it meets on March 23 to support the shellfish industry which has been severely hit by rules which apply to mollusc exports now Britain has left the EU.

Coun Kirkham says so far the motion has cross party support from some members of the Independent Group, the Lib Dems and MK.

"I am calling on the government via their secretary of state, George Eustice, to do more to move this on," she said. "But I also think there are actions Cornwall Council could take, more quickly than they are, as it seems we really can't rely on central government to get anywhere fast with sorting out the mess their Brexit deal has made."

The motion calls on central Government to offer direct financial support to the shellfish industry to cover capital and revenue grants toward the costs of depuration tanks, staff, boat improvements, maintenance and marketing and support grants to cover lost income that businesses have incurred due to the inability to export bivalve molluscs since January 1, 2021

It calls on the council to lobby Government for further funding to allow the council to provide Export Hygiene Certificates for a further 12 months at a reduced rate.

Consider offering rent holidays or deferrals to its tenants that operate in the shellfish sector in order to help the shellfish industry through this period of uncertainty and will offer to vary leases with relevant businesses to allow the industry more flexibility to sublet or assign leases where this can aid long term viability.

Agrees to contact all stakeholders in the Fal Oyster Fishery and offer to co-ordinate a project for the fishery to reduce the impact of the current post-Brexit restrictions and build a stronger industry in the future. Through either infrastructure improvements, marketing and/or building on the Protected Name status of the Fal Oyster.

It also calls on the Council’s Environment Service will work with the Local Nature Partnership, DEFRA, South West Water and landowners/land managers around the Fal in order to increase the likelihood of achieving Class A water status in the Fal as soon as possible.

Since the UK left the EU on December 31 last year, shellfish caught in class B waters, which the Fal is, cannot be exported into EU unless they have gone through a process of what's known as 'depuration'.

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