Tag Archives: Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation

‘Struggling’ UK fishermen going out of business over red tape

Fishermen on smaller boat fishing fleets catching pollack have said they are going out of business after their allowance for the species was cut to zero over concerns for stocks. The Government has launched a £6million scheme to help, with the money to be available as match-funding via grants run by the Marine Management Organisation. Fishers using hand and pole line will be fast tracked under the scheme, but pollack fishermen who are part of the smaller 10m fleet, most of whom are based in south west England have been selling their boats. They say their livelihoods have been cut off, thus ending generations of fishing in south coast communities. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 09:55

Cornish fishermen lead on national policy change

Two years ago, the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation went above national regulation and pioneered a voluntary measure to protect crawfish stocks. Since then, Cornish fishermen have been calling for the government to bring in a higher minimum size for catching crawfish as national policy. Earlier this week, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) revealed their decision to introduce the measure.  Aiden Mcclary, 23-year-old fisherman from St Ives, doesn’t mind taking the economic hit if it sustains the stock of Crawfish   He said: “We don’t want history repeating itself. Years ago, back when my dad was fishing, there was a massive crawfish stock but it was wiped out because of a lack of management in place. >>click to read<< 09:55

‘I was lied to by Boris Johnson’: Why much of UK fishing is still waiting for a Brexit boost

Almost four years after Johnson promised the fishing merchant the French would be desperate to buy his fish, the business has seen sales plummet 30% and export costs rise by as much as £3,000 a week. Fish merchant Ian Perkes won’t forget the day he met Boris Johnson. It was 23 August 2019, and the MP, less than a month into his spell as prime minister, was on an unannounced visit to the south Devon fishing town of Brixham. It was a typically rumbunctious performance from Johnson, extolling the virtues of Brexit and the “huge benefits” it was going to bring to the UK, not least the folk of this small but important UK fishing town. >click to read< 08:08

Cornish fishermen betrayed by Boris’ Brexit deal – What Changes for French Fishermen?

The Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation shares its reaction to the UK’s Brexit trade deal. On Tuesday 29th December members of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation (CFPO) met to discuss the long-awaited Brexit trade deal. Despite the UK Government hailing the deal as a success, Cornish fishermen have been left feeling betrayed by Boris Johnson, as it now appears key promises made to the industry have been broken. Paul Trebilcock, CEO of the CFPO – representing the interests of hundreds of fishermen across Cornwall – explains why his members have been left reeling from the  deal,, >click to read<  BREXIT DEAL: What Changes for French Fishermen – Following intense negotiations, an agreement was finally reached with the United Kingdom, which preserves the activity of French and European fishermen in British waters. The agreement specifies that France has until June 1, 2026 to gradually achieve a 25% reduction in its fishing quotas in British waters. France has obtained preservation of access within 6/12 miles as well as in the exclusive economic zone until that date. This also concerns species that are not under quotas, such as sea bass, squid or scallops. >click to read< 10:46

Fishermen prepare for the choppy waters of a no deal Brexit

“The French will always be the ones to cause the biggest amount of trouble,” says ‘Crystal Sea’ skipper David Stevens. His family have been trawling for generations and he’s prepared for any wave that hits on January 1st. So will it be a new post Brexit dawn at sea for fishing? Seemingly relaxed about the future he accepts there is trouble on the horizon but predicts a passing storm. We are five hours out of Newlyn in Cornwall, the nets are cast and conversation turns to the weeks ahead. “It was said that fishing would be the litmus test of how far we’ve come out of the EU. I think that is true,” says David. >click to read< 16:49

The calm before the storm – the fishermen waiting for Brexit

Newlyn looks the same as it always has. The Atlantic sweeps into the bay, gently rocking the boats moored there. The scent of fish rises from the docks and the market. St Michael’s Mount sits further round the bay, offering the perfect backdrop for a postcard. It doesn’t feel like a political hub, yet the town has been the subject of countless Brexit stories. It’s the perfect angle: a traditional industry which argues it’s been sold out again and again. Once more, it’s a bargaining chip on the negotiating table. And there are a lot of lives resting on that chip. Fishing was one of the strongest voices calling to leave Europe in 2016. Their demands were some of the clearest,,, >click to read<13:20