Tag Archives: National Federation of Fisherman’s Organisations

Review of the Byline TV documentary – Betrayed: The Big Brexit Lie

Up to 70% of voters in Grimsby supported Brexit because they believed it would usher in a return to the days when the docks effectively constituted a small town, complete with cafes, shops and banks. The trade was so lucrative, crews returning to land their catch would be known as ‘three-day millionaires’. A return to past prosperity is what politicians like Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage appeared to promise, with both taking advantage of photo opportunities to rally support at the daily fish market. Yet when the EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement was finally delivered, the betrayal became strikingly evident. Barry Deas of the National Federation of Fisherman’s Organisations declared the industry had been “sacrificed”, and Martin Boyers, CEO of Grimsby Fish Market described it as “… just rhetoric and broken promises”. The deal that Johnson and David Frost had negotiated had essentially made it much harder for British fisheries to sell into their largest market – the current accumulated trade deficit for the industry amounts to £1.7bn. >>click to read<< 10:26

U.K. Fishing industry ‘on course to lose £300m post-Brexit’

Chief executive Barrie Deas said the best opportunity in years to boost the sector had been “squandered”, He said: “From reviewing these findings, the NFFO’s conclusion is that there are very few winners and a great many losers.,, “The best opportunity in a generation to revive the UK’s fishing industry and support our coastal communities has been squandered and we must act swiftly to learn from these lessons and support the sector in future negotiations.” UK Fisheries, which operates Hull’s last distant water trawler Kirkella, said they were “60 per cent down” on what they had been able to catch previously. >click to read< 07:32

Fishermen get a £10m lifeline to stay afloat: Government will hand 1,000 businesses cash grants amid coronavirus crisis

Ministers have announced a £10 million bailout for England’s fishing industry to keep firms afloat during the coronavirus crisis. The industry has been hammered by the current outbreak with demand from restaurants having collapsed because they have been forced to close during lockdown. Meanwhile, the international fish market has also taken a massive hit with UK trawlers struggling to export what they catch. The government’s bailout will see direct cash grants awarded to more than 1,000 fishing and aquaculture businesses with a total of £9 million available. >click to read< 08:56