Tag Archives: United Kingdom
Ex-Hull fishermen tell Nigel Farage UK has ‘never won an argument over fishing’
Former Hull fishermen have revealed their frustration to Nigel Farage following Brexit. Under a post-Brexit trade deal, UK boats need licenses to fish in waters of EU member states, while EU countries also need similar licenses to fish in UK waters. Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously vowed to “do whatever is necessary” to protect UK fisheries when negotiating, but has since received backlash from the industry who feel let down by the deal. Ron Wilkinson, chairman of fishing charity Stand-Hull Heritage, sat alongside vice chairman Vic Wheeldon, and claimed that the UK “has never won an argument over fishing” as the pair’s anger over the Brexit deal was clear to see. >click to read< 10:50
Channel fishermen protest to ban supertrawlers, fly-shooters
Fishermen from the UK and France have met in the English Channel to protest against industrial fishing practices. Boats from Dover, Rye, Newhaven and Boulogne-sur-mer gathered in the Bassurelle Sandbank marine protected area. They called for politicians to ban supertrawlers and fly-shooting from protected Channel waters. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said vessels must follow UK sustainability rules. >click to read< 12:33
Rising fuel costs: British fishermen are being forced to tie up their boats
The rise has left fishermen struggling to cover their costs, with some reportedly resorting to leaving their boats in port. June Mummery, ex-MEP and founder of the Renaissance of the East Anglian Fisheries, tweeted: “Fisherman tying up, fuel so expensive, not worth going to sea.” Britain’s fishing industry has issued a number of warnings in recent months that the spike in fuel costs could force them to tie up their boats and have a devastating impact on the UK’s food supply. The Shetland Fishermen’s Association issued a plea for help in March warning that the war in Ukraine had seen the cost of marine diesel in the islands more than double compared to the previous year. >click to read< 08:05
British Fishermen Feared Pro-Brexit Campaigners Would Betray Them—and They Did
Few communities in the United Kingdom were as supportive of Brexit as fishermen. Politicians pushing for the country to leave the European Union capitalized on the widespread perception that EU regulators favored fishermen from the continent over those from the United Kingdom when allocating fishing quotas. They promised that post-Brexit, UK fishermen would have unfettered access to domestic waters. Perhaps unsurprisingly, an estimated 92 percent of the UK fishing community intended to vote for Brexit in 2016. >click to read< 09:32
One of Yorkshire’s last distant water fishermen, Charlie Waddy, retires after half a century at sea
The first mate of Hull’s Kirkella, Charlie, 63, the face of the fight to save what is the UK’s last distant water trawler, has retired, following his final trip fishing for cod off Svalbard. Kirkella’s precious haul, 650 tonnes of fillets, is now heading to fish and chips shops across the land. “It was absolutely atrocious, minus 20C, hurricane winds, icebergs,” said Charlie. Over the weekend hundreds of pals from the many trawlers he has served on – from Germany, Iceland and Denmark too – beat a path to Hull to celebrate the “final settling”. Video, photos, >click to read< 09:37
Kirkella: Take a behind the scenes tour of Hull’s last distant water fishing trawler as it returns to port – The vessel, which returned to port on April 2, is the city’s last distant water trawler, working the Arctic cod grounds and a reminder of better times for the Humber’s fishing industry. >click to read<
Online Event: Have your say on the fuel crisis!
This event will present an overview of the current fuel crisis from a number of perspectives and look to the future of fuel in the industry. Fuel prices are currently presenting a major challenge to the viability of the UK fishing fleet. The price of diesel and other fuels has risen considerably in recent months, meaning that many vessels are considering the feasibility of a range of strategies to remain profitable. The All Part Parliamentary Groupon Fishing event will present an overview of the current crisis from a number of perspectives, to include suggestions for how support from the government or other bodies could help the sector. >click to read and sign up to the event< 13:38
Scarborough crab boat owner backs call for gas to be extracted from North Sea
A Scarborough crab boat owner says gas in two fields off the North Yorkshire coast needs to be extracted to prevent the country being “dependent on everyone else”. The Resolution gas discovery was an early North Sea discovery made by Total in 1966 and extracted from North Sea of The Well Dressed Crab Company, said he could remember seeing its rig off the coast in the 1980s. Mr Roberts said: “It’s not only about fishing, the population is an interested party too. “I’m part of UK PLC and I want to know where gas is coming from. “There will be people opposed to it but they will be the same people who expect to go home and turn on the gas boilers and expect to put a pan of stew on the stove.” >click to read< 08:05
F/V Nicola Faith investigation complete almost a year after wreck was raised
The investigation into the sinking Nicola Faith fishing boat which claimed the lives of its crew is now complete almost one year after the vessel was found. Carl McGrath, 34, Ross Ballantine, 39, and Alan Minard, 20, were on board the vessel when it left Conwy Harbour on January 27, 2021. The wreckage was lifted from the seabed last May in a two day operation before being transported to a secure location for further investigation. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch are due to report their findings in a report to be published in the coming weeks. >click to read< 09:08
Big Brother is watching you. “we want to know who you are, where you are & what you have caught”
While we all appreciate the need to have accurate data there are ways in which the objective can be achieved without creating a world akin to the dystopian future foretold in the novel, 1984. When you hear the terms “Big Brother”, Room 101 or “Thought Police” did you know that both phrases come directly from George Orwell’s classic novel 1984? Orwell’s dark cautionary tale published in 1949 about the dangers of totalitarianism, government surveillance, and censorship left a profound mark on the English language, as Orwell introduced readers to new words and phrases to help him describe the anti-utopia of Oceania where the story is centred. Some may be moved indeed to describe the recent introduction of I-VMS, the intimate monitoring of the very smallest fishing vessels in the UK fleet, as ‘Orwellian’. >click to read<13:28
Rising fuel costs could lead to job losses in fishing fleet
Shetland’s fishing fleet faces tie-ups and job losses as vessels are crippled by rising fuel costs, according to the local fisherman’s association. The organisation said that due to the conflict in Ukraine the cost of marine diesel in the isles has more than doubled compared to this time last year, making fishing trips “uneconomical and local businesses unviable”. Over one month on from the start of hostilities in Ukraine, governments elsewhere have been grappling with global supply chain concerns – with food and energy security on consumers’ minds as prices begin to rise. “It’s almost a forgotten fact that fishing crews help to feed the nation,” said SFA chair James Anderson, who is the skipper of Alison Kay, LK57. >click to read< 09:43
Fishermen join forces to tackle North Sea cod quota ‘mismatch’
Skippers and other industry representatives from Shetland, Scotland, Denmark, Norway and England met in Copenhagen to discuss a “quota mismatch” they are facing at sea, Shetland Fishermen’s Association said today. Vessels are encountering more cod than current official assessments, the industry group said, adding the recent talks in Copenhagen “painted a unanimous picture” of an abundant stock stretching across the whole North Sea and beyond. But quota for the species, a staple of fish suppers in many parts of the UK has been slashed by 70% in just three years. According to the SFA, this “poor science” leads to quota recommendations that bear no resemblance to the volume of fish in the sea. >click to read< 12:46
Yorkshire crab and lobster deaths: Government closes investigation for second time
The North Sea around the Tees Estuary has been affected by the issue as far south as Staithes and Whitby since last autumn, when large numbers of dead crustaceans washed up on beaches. An investigation was launched and after causes such as pollution, disease and undersea cable disturbance were ruled out, it was eventually announced that toxic algae was responsible. Yet fishermen are still reporting poor catches,,, >click to read< 11:29
Stop importing £200m worth of cod and haddock from Russia
£200m worth of Russian cod and haddock imports should be stopped and efforts redoubled to open up fishing grounds off Norway and Greenland to the UK’s last distant water trawler Kirkella. Sir Barney White-Spunner, retired British Army officer and chairman of the advisory board of UK Fisheries, which operates the trawler said money currently going to Russia “should be kept here at home, benefiting jobs and investment in the North East and not Putin’s Tsarist ambitions”. The Hull trawler has had to cut crew numbers in the past two years, reflecting her plummeting quotas, a result of unfavourable deals struck by the UK Government, operating as independent coastal state. >click to read< 08:03
Brighter Hope for fishermen as they take ownership of boat
Two young brothers and their friend have taken ownership of the Copious and renamed her Brighter Hope (LK98). Tom Robertson, 33, and Ross Robertson, 30, along with George Jamieson, 36, have acquired the 19m vessel. Brighter Hope is named after Mr Jamieson’s grandfather John James Fullerton’s 45ft boat Brighter Hope (LK 502), which was bought in the early 1950s. New skipper Tom Robertson said: “We hope to start fishing within the next two weeks after doing some upgrades and sorting the paperwork. >click to read< 14:43
Safety kit saves the life of a fisherman
What had started out as an ordinary working day for commercial fisherman Paul Reed turned into his worst nightmare when he went overboard from the >F/V Sidney Rose<, miles from land. But his decision to put on a lifejacket that morning, equipped with a locator beacon, likely saved his life. He’s been fishing for 38-years and has had just the one man overboard experience. But once is all it takes to never return to shore again. Paul activated his PLB,,, His skipper then raised the alarm with a Mayday, confirming to authorities that the alert they were searching for was, in fact, a man overboard. >click to read< 17:51
Tributes to Dorset’s sustainable fisherman David Sales who was honoured by the Queen
Tributes have been paid to a West Bay fisherman who was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for his services to commercial fishing and the environment. David Sales spent 63 years in the fishing industry and worked to promote more sustainable practices, including policy to increase the minimum size of lobsters caught so that they could breed before capture. “Not long after introducing the regulation, we started catching berried female lobsters, a wonderful sight. At last, the lobster stock was being given a chance to recover.” Video, >click to read< 10:37
Putin blows up Brexit
Whisper it, but Britain and the EU are getting along. While the years following the U.K.’s vote to leave the European Union have been characterized by one-upmanship, failures to communicate and outright disagreements, the days since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have seen politicians and officials on both sides of the Channel come together to coordinate their response. Disputes about trade rules in Northern Ireland and fishing quotas might be unresolved, but as Vladimir Putin’s forces batter Ukraine, everyone has more important things to worry about. >click to read< 14:49
Government agrees to re-investigate dead crab and lobster after fishermen conduct their own probe
Earlier this month DEFRA announced that after extensive testing following the first reports of mass crab and lobster deaths around the Tees Estuary last autumn, they had traced the cause to toxic algae which had been dispersed naturally by a storm in October. A fishermen’s union called the North East Commercial Fishing Collective, which includes members of the Whitby Fishermen’s Association, had refused to accept the investigation’s outcome and crowdfunded a £5,000 fee to hire marine pollution consultant Tim Deere-Jones to independently analyse samples. >click to read< 08:46
More dead crabs and lobsters along North East coast
The government is investigating after new reports of dead crabs and lobsters along the North East coast. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is to “undertake additional sampling” after fishermen reported further deaths. It said it had now received reports of “further dead or dying lobsters and crabs found in a small number of pots along the North East coast” and that it would be taking samples in the area to investigate. Adrian Noble, a Whitby fisherman of more than 40 years, said he believed there was “not a chance in the world” the deaths were caused by a naturally-occurring algae, adding the industry has been “decimated”. >click to read< 10:14
Brexit deal branded ‘sell out’ after ‘shameful’ treatment of fishermen
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement which went live at 11pm on December 31, 2020 and is widely referred to as the Brexit deal, set out plans to fulfil the promises made during the Leave campaign. An estimated 92 percent of British fishing communities voted for Brexit, likely lured by promises of “reclaiming our seas” and turning Britain into an “independent coastal state” with higher quotas for fishermen already struggling in the face of European competition. >click to read< 07:57 United Kingdom
Photo’s: Monday morning in Newlyn – a misty start to the day.
A nice selection of photos from Lawrence Hartwell. >click to review< and click on the photos to enlarge them! Thank you, Lawrence! 13:01
Fishermen blast ‘algal bloom’ crab death finding as ‘utter rubbish’ as marine expert blames ‘chemical’
A marine expert has disputed the findings of a government report into what caused mass crab and lobster deaths along the Teesside coast. Government department Defra blamed the strange occurrence on algal bloom following a four-month investigation and extensive testing. But Tim Deere-Jones, an independent marine pollution consultant, says the cause is linked to a specific chemical called pyridine, quantities of which he says were more than 70 times higher in some crab samples taken from Saltburn and Seaton. >click to read< 09:46
King crabs invade UK waters threatening native species
Invasive king crabs have made their way to British shores, sparking fears that local brown crab and scallop populations could be decimated. This week, fishers in North Yorkshire found their pots heavy not with brown crab, but with the bright-red invader with long, spindly legs prized for their sweet flesh. The species, native to North America, was introduced to Russia in the 1960s by scientists who wanted to establish a new, lucrative fishery. Thriving in cold seas, the crab population exploded, and they travelled to Norway, where they caused a fishing industry boom. And now they seem to have travelled all the way to Britain. >click to read< 08:38
Brexit: The betrayal of the fishing industry has been incredible and shameful
The British fishing industry is not likely to forgive its betrayal on Christmas Eve 2020. That was when the UK government struck a deal with the European Union that respected none of what the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations called “the promises, commitments and assurances made during the Brexit referendum campaign and throughout the negotiations with the EU”. And these were not any old promises and commitments. They were made publicly and at all levels in government, including by the Prime Minister himself. >click to read< 07:48
Brexit News: Britons Rage At Boris Over Fishing Move: ‘Not Done What He Was Elected To Do’
Fury has erupted after the F/V Africa and the F/V Zeeland, two of the largest fishing vessels in the world, were seen just 15 miles off the Cornwall coast on several days throughout last week. Jayne Adye, director of the pro-Brexit campaign group Get Britain Out, said: “Both are registered in the Netherlands, and for some obscure reason, have been given licences to fish in UK waters. They are both well over 100 meters long and use nets which can be the size of six football pitches.” >click to read< 07:31
A year since Brexit, fishermen in Cornwall say they were ‘sold a dream’
Skipper James “Chunky” Chown makes the tricky task of boarding his trawler, the Ajax, at Newlyn Harbour in Cornwall, look easy. The fisherman moves from the quay, descends 10 metres down an iron ladder over a widening gap of turquoise sea, and onto the boat in a single fluid motion. When it comes to fishing, everything is difficult now, due to the new post-Brexit rules,,, It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Polls suggested that 92 per cent of the UK fishing industry voted to leave the EU, amid promises that they would benefit from “taking back control” of British waters. >click to read< 12:55
Working hard to ensure success of fishing industry in Brixham
I am delighted to be invited to write a column for the Torbay Weekly and as this is the first of which will, hopefully, be many, I must first do a quick introduction. I am managing director of Brixham Trawler Agents. The company is responsible for operating the world famous Brixham Fish Market, and providing all the services a fisherman needs as they go about their hard work. These services include landing their catch, keeping their catch refrigerated, grading the fish, selling the fish, and also completing all the administration including paying the trawler owners and the crew the amount that they have earnt. >click to read< By Barry Young 09:32
Brexit fishing victory as England’s most lucrative port lands record £43.6m of seafood
Brixham Fish Market, in Devon, topped 2020’s £35.8million and the previous £40.3million record from 2017. And contrary to many Remainers predicting that leaving the EU would destroy the UK’s fishing industry, Barry Young, boss of Brixham Trawler Agents, said the port had thrived. The news emerged shortly after a change in post-Brexit fishing rules will increase the minimum percentage of British crew members that must be on board vessels to 70 percent. >click to read< 07:50
UK: Fishing industry promised ‘bright future’ with £75m funding boost
The funding, which will be used to modernise UK ports and processing facilities, has been welcomed by industry bodies who have faced challenges in the sector following Brexit. Announcing the funding, the UK Government said it would go towards better infrastructure, strengthened supply chains, new jobs, and an investment in skills. The move will see £65m go to modernising ports and harbours, while £10m will encourage new entrants into the sector, and train and upskill those already working in it. >click to read< 07:47
Buckie Harbour round-up
As the festive season got under way, there was a dip in fish landings at Buckie Harbour. Four vessels landed 346 boxes of fish/prawns/Squid and no bags of clams. This is down from 536 boxes the previous week. The boats bringing their catches ashore were F/V Boy Sam, F/V Flourish, F/V Lily Oak VI and F/V Lee Rose II. >click to read the rest< 16:50
