A plan is in hand to raise the profile of the East Yorkshire port of Bridlington by linking its fishing industry to tourism.
The development stems from a study carried out by University of Hull, ‘Project Pincer 2’, commissioned by the North Eastern IFCA and funded by the Holderness Coast Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) to look at the future of the local lobster industry.
The FLAG covers the East Riding of Yorkshire, from Flamborough Head to Spurn Point on the Humber estuary.
Bridlington is the largest shellfish landing port in the UK, and is the hub of a major shellfish fishery for lobster, crabs and whelks carried out along the Holderness coast, including the smaller towns of Hornsea and Withernsea, where boats work from the beaches.
Lobster landings in 2018 were 300t worth £4.4m, according to MMO figures. Crab landings were 2,612t worth £5.4m, and 652t of whelks were landed, valued at £710,000.
The Hull University Business School study said there was scope to add value to the lobster catch, which is currently mostly exported live to France, Spain and Portugal, with little local processing
