Saturday 21 November 2020

URGENT CALL TO FISHERMEN FOR INFORMATION AND EVIDENCE ON FISHING RELATED ISSUES

 

NUTFA are currently urgently seeking information from Fishermen on a wide variety of issues faced by fishermen, including but not limited to, the following: 
  • Loss of Bass Fishing Entitlement 
  • Share Fishermen Status and negative impact on any Benefit Entitlement 
  • Lack of Entitlement to Industrial Injury Scheme 
  • Ineligibility of Fisheries Response Fund payment and Appeal Procedure for FRF 
  • Any difficulties encountered by Fishermen with Vessel Monitoring Scheme (VMS or IVMS - where applicable) 
  • Any regulatory challenges Fishermen struggling to tackle with Regulator(s) Debt difficulties faced due to lack of fishing during winter of 2019 and/or Covid19 measures and impact on fish sales 
  • Problems with CatchApp recording and any support requested or required for compliance purposes 

NUTFA have a dialogue with Regulators on a variety of current issues, together with those that are likely to affect the fishing industry in the short and long term as we navigate Brexit. To have some hope of policies being drafted effectively, and to have a way of communicating concerns during this transitional process, all fishermen are asked to make contact with NUTFA to put together an informed, detailed, and thorough analysis of the current situation, not only in respect of Covid19 impact, but with regard to fishing concerns generally. 

Championing best practice and forcing change where necessary, through challenging current and future policy, is the only way forward to ensure a sustainable inshore fishing fleet. We therefore very much welcome contact from all members of the inshore fleet to enable us to collate information, advice fishermen, and bring about change where necessary for the survival of the smaller scale fishermen in coastal communities currently struggling to keep afloat. 

We very much welcome contact either via email on jerry@nutfa.co.uk or sarah@nutfa.co.uk or via telephone on the details given on the Contact area.