BREAKING NEWS
It's been 25 years since West Country fishermen mounted a protest in Plymouth.
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| 80 boats are expected to make a spectacular protest easily visible off Plymouth Hoe - watched by Drake as he played bowls and efied the Spanish Armada. |
Fishing for Leave staging mass protests with fishermen
in ports nationwide with Top Torys & Brexiteers.
Fishing for Leave are staging mass protests with fishermen in ports nationwide throughout Sunday Afternoon (8th April) against the Transition deal that will see the UK obeying
all EU law including the hated Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
Around 200 vessels set to mobilize in flotillas. The demonstrations will be joined by top Tory MPs and Brexiteers.
These will take place in Whitstable, Hastings, Portsmouth, Milford Haven with the largest turn outs in Newcastle and a flotilla of over 80 vessels massing in Plymouth. (details below)
The flotillas are a regional replication of the infamous Thames flotilla during the referendum. These protests purpose are to show fishermen’s rage and to take our industry’s plight to the public.
This follows the Thames demonstration on the 21st March where fish were discarded outside Parliament in response to the news that the government had capitulated to including fishing in the transition period – sacrificing fishing to the EU and betraying Britain’s coastal communities a 2nd time.
Fishing for Leave and other Brexit groups are pushing for the public who are equally sickened by the governments actions to turn out en-mass around harbours to show support, solidarity and defiance and show their revulsion at the transition.
We implore fishermen to get behind support their fishermen and to invite friends, family and fellow Brexiteers to watch and show support.
The Transition is not just a 21month delay but a death sentence for what's left of the British fishing industry.
The UK will officially leave the EU and take back control but then 1second later will hand that control back to the EU. This is because the transition period means obeying all EU law including the disastrous Common Fisheries Policy but with No say or veto.
The EU will be free to enforce and impose detrimental rules on us to cull what's left of the UK fleet.
This would then allow the EU to use international law, UNCLOS Article 62.2, which says if a nation no longer has the capacity to catch its own resources it must give the surplus to its neighbours.
The EU would be free to easily eradicate what is left of our fleet and has every incentive to do so.
The EU can achieve eradication of our fleet using the failed quota system that forces fishermen to discard fish to try to find the species your allowed to keep.
The discard ban addresses the discard symptom not the quota cause. Now, when a vessel exhausts its smallest quota it must stop fishing - this will bankrupt around 60% of the British fleet – this is why we discarded fish outside parliament to highlight this existential crisis.
The EU can abolish the 12mile limit that protects inshore and shell-fishermen.
The EU can also change the EU relative stability quota share outs so the EU gets even more of our resources than the 60% they catch already.
Even worse, since the government has capitulated on an acid test, Not only will we squander taking back control of a £6-8bn industry for coastal communities but the EU will use the governments weakness to give a rubbish trade deal.
We've been sold out to a worse position for nothing in return.
Our nations fishing and communities were surrendered to the EU and have suffered immeasurably through EU mis-management.
The vote to leave was a godsend to our struggling industry and communities. It provided a golden opportunity to automatically repatriate all our waters and resources, worth £6-8 billion, and to start new policy to rejuvenate our coastal communities and industry.
Fishermen are sickened and enraged that our government has capitulated to obeying all EU law after Brexit. Consigning us to remaining trapped in the disastrous CFP until January 2021, and possibly trapped forever in exchange for a deal trade.
The transition is a second betrayal of fishing, of the Brexit vote, of an opportunity and is a second surrender of our communities.
Our communities might not matter to them (politicians) but they matter to us. Coastal communities count. MPs better remember that and that No deal is better than a bad deal or these flotillas will just be the start.
VESSELS WISHING TO ATTEND
The more support we have the better, please make the effort to join the flotilla or come by land to support with banners and flags at your nearest demo.
We also have 30,000 leaflets to distribute - anyone who wants to help by donning an FFL t-shirt and handing these out please get in touch.
For port contacts for details of all the events below please email: contact@ffl.org.uk and we will pass you on to the appropriate person.
LOCATIONS – TIMES - CONTACTS
Newcastle First – 1000-1500 (30 vessels)
City Marina Pontoon
We ask that you join us in Newcastle on Sunday 8th April for the flotilla arriving from 12.00hrs onwards. Press will be able to travel upriver from N. Shields by request.
We invite friends, family and fellow Brexiteers to watch the demonstration and show support on Newcastle’s Quayside
09.30 - Muster in North Shields
10.00 – Begin to depart North Shields vessels start to proceed slowly upriver to arrange into line astern.
10.30 – Flotilla fully underway and proceed upstream maintaining speed over ground of 6kts.
12.00 – Arrive Newcastle city centre and pass under Millennium Bridge. – Vessels to berth at pontoon and at North quayside downstream of pontoon (see red line on chart below)
13.30 – Vessels depart Newcastle city centre leaving under Millennium Bridge.
15.00 – Arrive North Shields and vessels berth or disperse to home ports.
Plymouth Largest – 1500 -1800 (80 vessels)
The Hoe – Smeaton’s Tower
We ask that you join us in Plymouth on April the 8th from 15.00hrs onwards. Press will be able to go aboard vessels by request. Press ferry also available.
We invite friends, family and fellow Brexiteers to watch the demonstration and show support on the Hoe or Mount Batten.
15.00 - Muster in Jenny Cliff Bay in SE corner of Plymouth Sound.
16.00 – Begin two anti-clockwise laps of NW/SE rectangular circuit marked by 4 racing buoys (see chart below).
17.00 – Complete 2 laps - Finish North end. Smaller vessels pass through Smeaton Pass. Congregate under the Hoe. Larger vessels to stay south of Shoals within lap circuit (see chart below).
17.30 – Vessels disperse to their respective ports or enter Sutton Harbour. Larger vessels may berth at Victoria Pier (see chart below) whilst awaiting tide for Sutton Harbour.
Whitstable Last – 1700-2000 (40 vessels – boat to be torched on bonfire)
West Harbour Pier
We ask that you join us at Whitstable on Sunday 8th April for the flotilla massing off the harbour from 17.00hrs. A whole fishing vessel will be brought ashore and torched to conclude.
1700 - Muster off Whitstable harbour – spread out from harbour entrance west.
1730 – Begin a slow anti-clockwise oval steam from east to west or raft up off harbour (tbc depending on weather)
1900 – Vessels begin to mass close in to harbour entrance stretching west along shore.
19.10 (approx.) – Shore side bonfire with vessel atop to be lit. Sound horns/fireworks.
20.00 – Vessels depart and return to home ports or berth in harbour.
Milford Haven – 1000-1300 (15 vessels)
The Rath Fishermen’s Memorial or Mackerel Quay.
We ask that you join us in Milford Haven on April the 8th from 12.00hrs onwards.
10.00 - Muster to West side of Harbour entrance at Red Cunjic Buoy (Q.R).
10.30 – Begin 3 anti-clockwise laps of East/West 1.5nm oval circuit from Red Cunjic Buoy (Q.R) East to Red Milford Shelf Buoy (FL.R.2.5s).
12.00 – Complete 3 laps - Finish to SW side of Milford Shelf Buoy. Sound Horns/Fireworks/etc.
12.30 – Vessels return to harbour or disperse to their respective ports.
Portsmouth - 1400-1600 (15 vessels)
Clarence Esplanade War Memorial
We ask that you join us at Portsmouth on Sunday 8th April for the flotilla massing off the shore from 14.00hrs.
1400 - Muster off Clarence Pier.
1415 – Begin a slow anti-clockwise oval steam from Clarence pier south to fortress.
1530 – Vessels begin to mass towards Clarence pier. Sound horns/fireworks/flares ~ burn EU flags.
16.00 – Vessels depart and return to home ports or berth in harbour.
Hastings - 1600-1800 - (20 vessels)
Pelham Place Car Park
We ask that you join us at Hastings on Sunday 8th April for the flotilla massing off the shore from 16.00hrs.
1600 - Muster off Hasting harbour pier – spread out from harbour entrance west.
1615 – Begin a slow anti-clockwise oval steam from harbour pier east to Hastings pier in the west.
1730 – Vessels begin to mass towards harbour pier stretching west along shore. Sound horns/fireworks/flares ~ burn EU flags.
18.00 – Vessels depart and return to home ports or berth in harbour.
BANNERS/FLAGS/T-SHIRTS
We have made banner templates that are free to download and send to your nearest banner printer for the size and design you want.
http://www.ffl.org.uk/banners/
If anyone requires a flag or t-shirt we have a small amount left. Please order asap and we will get them sent away next day delivery as late as Friday so you receive them for Saturday.
http://www.ffl.org.uk/shop/
