Tom, the memorial fisherman in Newlyn looks out towards the Lizard...
where, 16 years ago today, the Breton trawler Bugaled Breizh sank with the loss of all hands - the subsequent enquiry is yet to complete ...
sixteen years later and the focus is still very much on what is happening across the channel where countrywide lockdowns in France, Spain and Portugal continue to affect fish prices and issues with paperwork contrive to halt, delay or curtail certain fish exports...
with Covid affecting crews, fish like hake hard to find and an abundance of dogfish all over the grounds...
the netting fleet are currently staying in port...
so, there is little in the way of 'sunlit uplands' for fishermen throughout the UK even though the fish they are catching, we are now led to believe, are not only 'British' fish but 'better and happy' as a result...
even though Newlyn fish market tells a different story where this week one 800kg landing of dogfish made 12p per kilo, ray wings 8p and the crew of one of the better off netters made £200 a man for their trip - a netter makes around 24 trips a year so averaging that out and you are looking at an annual salary of £4800 - but still, at the very least, it must be very encouraging for UK fishermen to know the fish they catch are happy now. I'm sure many of the skippers and crews down the quay would warmly welcome the opportunity of a visit from Mr Rees-Mogg and the chance to tell him so to his face.
Brexit and freedom from the CFP may yet bring dividends of course...
the Fishermen's Arms has yet to re-open after a fire severely damaged the pub 18 months ago...
there's nothing for the netters to do but maintaIn their nets and hope the sitUation will resolve itseLf sooner rather than later...
in the meantime skippers like young William Worth and his crew will still be going to sea in the hope of catching enough of those better and happy fish to cover running costs and put a wage on the table.
Sad news from France today - in the early hours of this morning the French trawler Breiz capsized and sank with the loss of three lives.
