Ms Rebecca Hunter:

Fishing communities in Northern Ireland are also very concerned and this links to what was said about climate change. Many of the big issues facing tje environment are broader than one country. That requires continued co-operation on a large scale. Whether that is through the Paris Agreement or the European Union, we need these frameworks to help us work together. One of our big concerns is how to continue to have that framework to work on the big issues affecting the environment.

The committee has mentioned that it is glad to see us here. We welcome those comments because we agree the environment is very often at the bottom of the pile of issues to discuss. Within that, the marine environment is often forgotten because it is unseen, out of sight and out of mind. It is particularly important to remember it. When we spoke about how a healthy environment underpins our agrifood industries, that applies also in the marine environment and fishing industries. As an example, in 2014, the first marine stewardship council certification for a fishery was awarded to the Irish sea herring fishery. This shows the fishery is being sustainably managed, something that it is hard to attain and requires hard work. The herring is a highly mobile species, and tagging studies have shown that the juveniles of the Celtic Sea stock will move into the Irish Sea. Similarly, many of the juveniles spawned in the Irish Sea will move into the Celtic Sea. This is an important resource with mixed populations. It is an example of how co-operative management is vital for the health of that population and for working together. If we join up to manage it, we will avoid over-exploitation of our resources and environmental damage and will ensure long-term sustainability of the stocks. That is what we need to ensure security of employment.

The Irish Sea is historically a mixed fishery with multiple species. A mixed fishery is a very strong one for coastal communities to rely on because the different species and populations will reach the best time to be fished at different periods in the year and the industry is more secure. Many of the stocks in the Irish Sea have collapsed. For example, the cod has been under recovery measures from the Europeam Uniom for a long time. We are now seeing signs of improvement, which is a good news story. We need to continue that improvement to try to rebuild our mixed fisheries which will not only benefit the environment but also employment and the economy.