Boris Johnson visit to Truro Cornwall

Mr Johnson spoke to Packet reporter Paul Armstrong during a visit to Truro this afternoon to coincide with the announcement of the £23.6 million Deal for Truro.

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Boris Johnson visited Lemon Street Market

Asked what he would say to shellfish fishermen who have lost their livelihoods since Brexit, Mr Johnson said they were working flat out to get the problem fixed.

"The first thing that you've got to do is recognise the anxiety that some fisherman have had as result of the changes," he said "and we are working flat out, and I know Cherilyn [Mackrory] is working flat out, with George Eustice the Secretary of State to sort it out eventually.

Boris Johnson visited Lemon Street Market

"Of course there will be significant opportunities for the fishing communities. The fishing industry, particularly here in Cornwall, there have been problems in the last few months.

"It hasn't been helped by the collapse of the restaurant trade on the continent because of Covid and indeed in our own country with the difficulties of selling into restaurants are unquestionably additional problems we have had to iron out.

"That's why we have put in the £23 million fund for short term problems, I think a £10,000 for individual businesses suffering from logistical problems and what we want to do is use the £100m long term fund really to strengthen the fishing industry in Cornwall and across the whole of the UK and build on in future.

Boris Johnson visited Lemon Street Market

"In a few years time we are going to have the ability to fish all the fish in our waters, frankly we need to train people and for our fishing fleets and communities to be ready for that."

Mr Johnson toured the Lemon Street Market in Lemon Street and spoke to local business owners there who will be reopening on Monday as lockdown restrictions are lifted.

Boris Johnson visited Lemon Street Market

"So important people opening up on Monday as they are in Lemon Street Market where all the shops are getting ready and hoping there will be long term benefits from a great, great season," he said.

He also told reporters that the G7 meeting in Carbis Bay should be going ahead in June but he couldn't guarantee it.

He said: "At the moment that is our expectation obviously you know you have to be humble in the face of nature the roadmap is there but at the moment it is looking OK and the data in the UK certainly would support that."

He said the G7 would bring great benefit and lasting benefit not only to the Carbis Bay and the St Ives area but also the wider Cornwall area and he had just been to Newquay Airport to see the changes being made so President Biden's Airforce One and all the other world leaders could land properly and could be something to use for the long term.

After leaving the meeting Mr Johnson was heading to Falmouth for a political event.