THE First Minister has said it is “all-important” that shellfish caught off the north Wales coastline continues to be sold in Europe following Brexit.

Lord Elis-Thomas, the Independent AM for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, has pressed Carwyn Jones AM for support for the shellfish industry during negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.

During First Minister’s Questions in the Senedd last Tuesday, Lord Elis-Thomas took the opportunity to highlight the importance of the shellfish industry in Wales and the need to protect the market in the future.

Lord Elis-Thomas said: “The First Minister is aware, from his time as minister for fisheries and agriculture, how crucial the shellfish industry is to the Welsh coastline.

“But given that the shellfish industry was never part of the common fisheries policy or the common agricultural policy, isn’t it reasonable, therefore, that it could be expected that that industry could continue to sell into the European continent as it has done over the years?”

In response, Mr Jones said: “It is all-important — we know that shellfish is extremely important to the fisheries industry in Wales.

“The majority of the boats that we have are relatively small, they catch shellfish, and they don’t go very far from the coast.

“And they know, and we know, that there is a strong market for them in Europe.

“If anything were to happen to weaken their position in that market, well, they don’t have any alternative means of making the same profit.

“And that’s why it’s so important to ensure that the European market is open on the same terms in the future as it is now.”