New research finds concerningly low levels of trust in fisheries institutions post-Brexi

Strong trust between managers and fishers is essential for achieving sustainable fisheries

 

Rebuilding trust in fisheries governance will be vital to create a sustainable industry post-Brexit England, according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

Strong trust between managers and fishers is essential for achieving sustainable fisheries, but the new research has found worryingly low levels of trust in fisheries following the UK’s departure from the European Union.

The survey pioneered a methodology assessing different elements influencing trust. It revealed perceived incompetence, indifference to fishers' livelihoods, and inadequate consultation as major drivers of fishers' distrust towards fishery regulators.

Find out more about the project here.

Lead researcher of the Pyramids of Life project Dr Silvia Ferrini, of the Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (CSERGE), at the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia, said: “We found continued low levels of trust, possibly made worse by Brexit, with further deterioration compared to previous research.”

Lead author Maximilian Dixon, also of CSERGE at UEA, added: “It is evident that a history of failing to deliver and of broken promises has undermined trust in the institutions which govern fisheries in England and that they are weakly resilient to various potential disturbances such as natural disturbances, changes in policy, performance failure or personnel turnover.

“However, there are opportunities to improve trust relations by directly involving the fishing communities in the processes of governance. “An institutional commitment to improve trust relations and to learn from extreme events that impact the fishing industry could improve relations.”

The survey was distributed between July and August 2022 in a variety of ways using mailing lists, official social media platforms and an article in a fisherman’s newspaper, ‘Fishing News’.

It used novel methodology that allowed researchers to capture diverse types of trust and build a more nuanced picture.

Of the 94 responses collected, only 52 were complete and after removing responses from outside of England, 46 were used in the analysis, representing around 0.94 per cent of English fishers.

In particular, the research explores the effects of mass mortality of crustaceans along the coast of Teeside and Yorkshire in winter 2021, which heavily impacted the fisheries sector, including commercially important crabs and lobsters.

The survey found that the way it was handled by the Northern Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (NEIFCA) and Defra, and a subsequent string of reports into the cause will likely have affected trust relations, with elements such as transparency, competence and communication playing a large role in the conflict.

However overall, local institutions inspired relatively more trust, benefiting from better communication.

Co-researcher Dr Gaetano Grilli, Lecturer at UEA’s Norwich Business School, said: “Improved communication between fishers and local fishery officers could rebuild trust, enhancing confidence in institutions' competence and commitment to fishers' futures.

“This foundation of trust at the local level is pivotal for the co-operative management needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of England's fisheries.”

The research was in co-operation with Dr Rosalind Bark, Associate Professor in Ecological Economics at UEA’s School of Environmental Sciences, and Dr Bryce Stewart, Reader at the University of York’s Department of Environment and Geography. It was supported by UK Research and Innovation’s Sustainable Management of Marine Resources programme, the Pyramids of Life: Working with Nature for a Sustainable Future project and also involved the University of Siena, in Italy.

‘The importance of rebuilding trust in fisheries governance in post-Brexit England’ is published in Marine Policy.

Full story courtesy of UAE

First #FishyFriday in February

Newlyn bathed in blue light again this morning, blue light has shorter rays better able to penetrate the atmosphere when the sun is just below or above the horizon...

in the market it's brilliant white light spread ove r the morning's auction floor with plenty of beam trawl fish like these megrims...

Dovers...

lemons...

and monk...

all set for despatch...

name this fish...

inshore boats are all catching the odd dog...

among typical hauls for the time of year...

along with plaice...

the odd greater weaver...

el congeros...

large(ish) whitefish...

top quality red mullet...

and signs of good mackerel for the handliners...

the odd tope...

with a good shot of scallops,,,

and gurnard from the beam trawlers...

oh the joys of the box-washer...

big fish - big mouth...

another job off the list...

another hole in the life of the harbour...

as the sun begns to rise and permate the heavy cloud cover the cool blue hues recede...

good to see young Jamie heading out to sea...

Newlyn doesn't see too many cobles, a boat designed and built to fish from the stony beaches of North East England...

the Rebecca of Ladram sports a host of innovative features...

 including working a set of semi-pelagic doors...

league of nations...

good to see the Monty of Ladram back in Newlyn...

along with three other beam trawlers...

the Enterprise, making an appearance out of the blue...

Newlyn has its very own Newlyn Archive, now housed in the Old Post Office, and depicted in this painting by the late, great, Ken Howard RA.

 

For any fisherman still having issues with opening and completing the MCA medical exemption.

For any fisherman still having issues with opening and completing the MCA medical exemption. Here is a copy in PDF form which can be printed out, completed and sent via post.

Post to: 

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), 

Bay 2/17, 

(Attention: Seafarer Safety and Health Team, Bay 2/17,) 

105 Commercial Road, 

Southampton 

SO15 1EG

Closure of fishing in the Bay of Biscay: the response of Breton professionals is being organized

Fishing News from Brittany:

Around fifty fishermen gathered in Concarneau (Finistère), Wednesday January 10 at the end of the day, to express their anger at the month-long closure of fishing to certain types of vessels in the Bay of Biscay in order to protect dolphins. and other small cetaceans. They plan to demonstrate soon in Paris.

Around fifty fishermen gathered in Concarneau want to organise themselves for the largest possible movement.

Coming from the ports of Concarneau, Lorient, Audierne, Lesconil, owners of gillnetters, in particular, gathered in Concarneau to organise themselves in the face of the decision of the Council of State at the end of December to suspend the exemptions from the decree of October 24 on the protection of small cetaceans in the Bay of Biscay, which would have allowed fishing vessels of more than eight meters using risky nets (trammel net, set gillnet, pelagic otter trawl, pelagic beef trawl and bottom beef trawl ) to continue fishing during the prohibition period, from January 22 to February 20.

They hope to quickly mobilize their ranks to organise a demonstration in Paris, or even in Brussels, headquarters of the European Commission. Professionals as well as a small handful of fishmongers and fishmongers came together at the initiative of Lorient resident David Le Quintrec, boss of the filleter Izel Vor II .

“Fishing is abandoned”

If the decision of the Council of State to immobilize some 450 gillnetters from the Bay of Biscay at the quayside is at the origin of the movement, the anger of the fishermen has more numerous reasons. The feeling, says one of them on condition of anonymity, that fishing is abandoned, that it is no longer defended by anyone […]. Everyone is having fun .

Diesel crisis, individualized support plan (PAI), Brexit, quotas… The list of obstacles facing the profession is long and seems endless. Present in the gallery alongside David Le Quintrec, Thomas Le Gall, president of the Pêche Avenir Cap Sizun association bringing together fishermen from Audierne, warns that it is entirely possible that the NGOs, galvanised by the decisions of the Council of State, seek in the future to drive home the point by demanding new periods of fishing closures. They can very well aim for there to be two months tomorrow, then three months of stopping fishing in winter and one month in summer , he maintains.

So what to do? In the room, voices are expressed to defy the ban on fishing. David Le Quintrec says he thought about it. But after gaining some height , he felt that the risk was too great that the insurance would not work in the event of a work accident or the slightest damage to the boat. Burning pallets no longer serves any purpose, we must strike harder, go and make ourselves heard in the streets, in Paris, if necessary with farmers by highlighting the defense of food sovereignty , we hear in the room.

A survival committee?

But with French fish representing only 20% of seafood consumption, French food sovereignty is already largely undermined. We must highlight the desire for survival of maritime communities who want to find levers to defend themselves, defends Thomas Le Gall. Public opinion is not favorable to us because we have not defended fishing properly. It's true that we are not helped by the way our bodies operate too vertically. We must therefore manage to change the law and structure ourselves.

The idea of ​​a survival committee was raised several times in the room. In the meantime, a representative fisherman was appointed for each port during the meeting. It is he who will relay the information locally to amplify the movement.

New! The Fisheries and Seafood Scheme updates

 

The Fisheries and Seafood Scheme is expected to re-open in February, providing valuable grants to match-fund projects over the next year.

Since opening in 2021, the scheme has been incredibly successful with £27 million invested in over 1,300 projects supporting England’s catching, aquaculture and processing sectors, as well as projects that are improving the marine environment.

The fund is due to re-open in the coming weeks to deliver its final year allocation and will continue to support projects in a variety of areas, including health and safety, processing and production, partnerships, research and diversification. Port and harbour infrastructure projects should now apply to schemes under the national UK Seafood Fund.

The scheme, administered by MMO on behalf of Defra, delivers investments to safeguard the long-term sustainability, resilience and prosperity of the seafood sector across England.

Through the scheme, MMO has invested in:

More than 800 health and safety related projects providing equipment, PPE, vessel modifications and training courses.

Business diversification and strategic business development plans

Commissioning research.


Aims of the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme

The Fisheries and Seafood Scheme provides financial assistance for projects that support the development of the catching, processing and aquaculture sectors, and for projects that enhance the marine environment. The scheme is available to applicants whose organisation and/or vessels are registered in England.

The scheme will provide funding for a range of projects that deliver the following high-level outcomes:

• Creating a more sustainable and resilient sector;

• Boosting the demand for English seafood and accessing new markets;

• Improving participation through co-design and co-management;

• Achieving good environmental status through the conservation and restoration of the marine environment;

• Supporting net zero through reducing emissions within the industry 

New areas of the scheme will be opened for applications for a defined period of time through funding rounds. The dates of these funding rounds will be announced in due course.

Who can apply for funding?

To be eligible for this scheme you must be one of the following:

• An individual or business engaged within commercial or sea fishing, aquaculture or processing or an organisation or business engaged within recreational sea fishing; A public body or local authority in a local community that has a focus on fishing, aquaculture or processing activities (including trust ports and local authority ports, and public bodies, using funds for environmental improvements or the management of fisheries);

• A university or research institute;

• A new entrant to the industry or unemployed individual that could benefit from knowledge or skills in fishing, aquaculture or processing activities. 

You will be required to declare if you have received funding from other Government financial support schemes and, if so, what for. This is to prevent any duplication of funding and to ensure rules around maximum thresholds of support are complied with. If you are an applicant engaged in recreational sea fishing it is suggested that you contact the MMO Grants Team before making your application so that we can best advise you on how to complete your application form whilst additional IT development takes place.

If you are a business, you will need to declare which of the following categories you fall under definitions can be found in the general guidance document

• micro-entity

• small business

• medium-sized business

• larger enterprise.

You will be required to provide a level of match funding for your project. Please refer to guidance documents to see the latest rates that apply.

Full details and link here.

Pollack crisis - NFFO call for action.

 

The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) has called for a two-stage response to the crisis engulfing the inshore fleets, following the decision to cut the total allowable catch to an unmanageable 832 tonnes, with a risible UK quota of 203 tonnes for 2023.

Draconian Cuts following Benchmarks

This draconian cut to the pollack quota has followed a radical change in perception of the stock by ICES scientists, following one of their periodic benchmark meetings; but there are sound reasons to question whether this opinion will be sustained when the assessment is revisited in the future. ICES benchmark exercises are important as they allow the science to evolve. By questioning the models used, and the data employed, weaknesses can be weeded out.

But when benchmark exercises result in extreme volatility in stock perception, followed by radical changes in recommended TACs, a mechanism is needed to moderate these swings. Scientists don’t make the right call 100% of the time. There are already several examples of scientific opinions reverting to the original view further down the road, but by then the damage is done. So long as the biomass is projected to increase in the following year, a management mechanism is required to reduce the volatility and filter out radical swings – either way, up or down. It makes no sense to inflict serious socio-economic damage on the fleets – only to follow a revised opinion later.

Most ICES assessments are uncontroversial but a pattern is emerging where benchmarks are followed by extreme swings in advice. That is what has happened with pollack.

TAC Constraints

TAC constraints – minimising the extent of TAC swings to, say 15%, have been employed effectively in the past but seem to have dropped out of fashion. Applying a TAC constraint would have moderated the TAC reduction for pollack in 2023, but would have still seen the biomass increase by the end of 2024. As it is, the year-end quota negotiations have left us with an unmanageable fishery for the coming year. This is a chaotic way to manage fisheries and we need to move beyond it as a matter of urgency. A mid-year review of the TAC decision is required to retrospectively apply some kind of TAC constraint. The UK should initiate discussions with the EU immediately to rescue this situation.

Longer Term

In the longer term, ICES should examine whether the form in which it provides advice is as useful to fisheries managers as it might be. In recent years there has been some attempt to supplement zero TAC advice with options to deal with unavoidable bycatch – but this doesn’t help where, like pollack, a substantial part of the catch is targeted. Limiting extreme swings in the advice, especially when there might be doubts about the safety of those opinions, would help to avoid catastrophic mistakes with serious real-world consequences.

In the meantime, however, an urgent intervention is required by fisheries managers (and in this context this means the UK and the EU) to call off the dogs.

Knock-on Effects

Our immediate concern has to be for the fleets targeting pollack – many of them small inshore vessels – with few if any alternative opportunities to sustain them during 2023. There are, however, already signs of diversion of effort with potentially destabilising consequences in adjacent fisheries. We fear that the progress in rebuilding the biomass of the bass stock will be impeded if faced with increased effort. Likewise, redirection into non-quota fisheries like crab, lobster and crawfish could do untold harm to stocks and conservation strategies. In a word, the TAC decision on pollack could set us back years in a range of other fisheries.

Pragmatism

What is required at this juncture is a healthy dose of pragmatism. Client Earth’s attempt to use the European Court to tie the EU to rigid formulaic rules in setting TACs is now likely to be defeated, following the ECJ’s recently released provisional judgement. We are reasonably confident that Blue Marine’s legal manoeuvring will meet the same fate, not least because the UK’s Fisheries Act provides explicit flexibilities to meet complex situations of this kind.

What is required is a pragmatic and urgent intervention by the management authorities to avert the immediate crisis, followed by a longer-term evaluation of how to avoid getting into this situation again. This would allow time also to develop a suite of measures to rebuild and sustain the pollack stock through more intelligent management measures, applied with the support and involvement of the fishing industry. Better data, more targeted measures, real-time information from the fishery (including from the significant recreational fishery) could all be in the mix.

The priority for now, however, is to revisit the TAC decision immediately.

Ful story courtesy of the NFFO website.

Where Did All The Fishermen Go? - A Very Cornish Theme Park

 

This video seeks to document the social and demographic change in a Cornish village after the demise of the fishing industry and the proliferation of holiday and second homes. It uses archive stills and video set against re-photography to show the de-population of a village.