Fishing quotas, Christmas hampers and hunt monitoring

Farming Today

• Episode: Fishing quotas, Christmas hampers and hunt monitoring
• Website: Farming Today
• Feed URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj8q/episodes/downloads.rss
• Duration: 00:13:20
• Published: 2016-12-15 01:00

Fishing quotas have been set for the year ahead but what does the future hold post Brexit? And we join hunt monitors in Northamptonshire. Every year the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution gives away nearly 1,000 hampers to people its helped over the year. The charity has been helping farmers and farming families in need since the 1800's by giving grants and provides practical help and support. Emily Hughes went to meet one farmer who helps distribute hampers to his community in Devon. It's 12 years since the hunting ban came into force, but come Boxing Day, you can bet that country pubs will be thronging with as many hunters as they were before the ban. So this week we're asking what is really happening in the countryside when it comes to hunting. Every week hundreds of people follow the hunt, not because they enjoy the chase, but to check that the huntsmen and women aren't breaking the law - they call themselves hunt monitors. Sally Challoner joined Judy Gilbert as she set off to try to track down her local hunt in Northamptonshire. Also in the programme, next year's fishing quotas have been set. The EU fisheries council sets out who can catch what and the headlines from this year's meeting are that North Sea cod and whiting quotas for UK fleets are both up 17%. Also up are North Sea Pollock - up 53%, monkfish, 20% along with hake and prawns. But North Sea haddock is down by 46%. Bertie Armstrong, Chief Executive of the Scottish Fisheries Federation reflects on the outcome of the talks and Fisheries minister George Eustice looks to the future, beyond the Common Fisheries Policy. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Martin Poyntz-Roberts.