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Farming Today: 20/03/23 Calls to re-open inquiry into shellfish deaths; shellfish industry; seasonal workers

20/03/23 Calls to re-open inquiry into shellfish deaths; shellfish industry; seasonal workers

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 20/03/23 Calls to re-open inquiry into shellfish deaths; shellfish industry; seasonal workers

Calls to re-open shellfish inquiry; shellfish industry; new seasonal worker task force.

Fishermen say more shellfish are dying in their thousands and want the inquiry re-opened.
UK shellfish industry. Launch of taskforce to safeguard the rights of seasonal workers.

Fishing crews on Teesside say the government must re-open inquiries into the die-off of crabs and lobsters, they say further dredging in the area is causing problems and is now affecting prawn catches.  Thousands of crustaceans washed up on beaches in the autumn of 2021, and subsequently catches are massively down.  Fishermen blame old industrial chemicals released by dredging. DEFRA first blamed algae and then after an inquiry said dredging was not to blame and the deaths were 'most likely' down to a new disease or parasite. Fishermen from the North East Fishing Collective also say existing schemes to support the local fishing industry won't help the small boats.

Shellfish producers are still struggling with changes in the wake of Brexit and also face difficulties because of measures designed to protect native oysters.All this week we're looking at shellfish, from farming to exporting. The Shellfish Association of Great Britain says some parts of the industry are doing well, but for others it's much harder.

A taskforce has been launched to safeguard the rights of seasonal workers.  Retailers, growers, recruitment companies and employment experts have joined forces to improve the situation of people recruited abroad to work on UK farms. This year there are 45,000 visas available under the seasonal workers scheme, allowing people to come here for 6 months to work on farms or in food processing, with 10,000 more available if needed. However there have been concerns about the way the people are recruited and the potential for them to be exploited. The Seasonal Workers Scheme Taskforce believes they can make a difference.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney

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