Campbell Gunn: Let’s support our Scottish fishing industry

Having spent the majority of my working career in journalism, then in government, I may not appear to be best placed to comment on the fishing industry. However, my family has a long connection with fishing. Before I was born, a great-uncle was drowned off the coast of Caithness.

Much more recently, my first cousin, just a year older than me, was lost when the fishing boat of which he was skipper sank in the Firth of Clyde. And as a youngster, I went out with my uncle on the ring-netter on which he was engineer. I even wrote a song about fishing as a tribute to him, which has been recorded by several well-known folk musicians.

So I’ve always maintained a close interest in the trials and tribulations fishing has faced over the past decades. And seldom has the industry been in greater peril than today, thanks to the coronavirus.

According to Seafood Scotland, demand for fish has dropped by 60% since the start of the pandemic. Around 80% of Scottish fish and shellfish worth some £1.6 billion normally goes to export, and this sector has virtually gone altogether. Hotels and restaurants have closed the world over. And the remaining 20% of sales – the domestic market – is also suffering because many of the big supermarkets have closed their wet fish counters to implement social distancing.

Of the big supermarket chains only Morrisons kept their wet fish section open and last week Seafood Scotland wrote to all the others in an appeal for them to do the same. Despite the fact that so much of our own seafood is exported, around 60% of what Scottish consumers buy is imported from abroad. This is a scandalous state of affairs.

Scotland is the third largest producer of seafood in Europe, with Peterhead Europe’s largest fish market. We produce 65 different species of seafood. Yet the chances are that the fish or shellfish we buy in our local shops will have come from outwith Scottish waters. Contrast this to how we eat on holiday when abroad. That paella you had in Spain last summer was probably full of Scottish prawns. The best Michelin-starred French restaurants highlight the fact that their fish comes from Scotland – their chefs see it as a mark and guarantee of excellent quality. It’s time we did the same.

The supermarkets have a major role to play. If they react positively to Seafood Scotland’s call to reopen their wet fish counters, that should be the start. Instead of selling imported fish, they should instigate positive discrimination in favour of Scottish seafood. And the wholesale sections of the industry should also concentrate on selling to the home market.

In the longer term, even when the current crisis is over, this would have positive benefits. The white fish sector in particular has suffered under quotas imposed by Europe under the Common Fisheries Policy in recent years, but this is hardly likely to end with Brexit. Remember that the four biggest importers of fish from the UK are all EU members – France, the Netherlands, Ireland and Spain.

While fishing is an important industry in Scotland, and in particular the north-east and the Highlands and islands, it is a pretty insignificant fraction of the overall UK economy, around 0.05%. Who knows what concessions on fishing the UK Government may make with a simple shrug of the shoulders when negotiations restart in earnest?

The Scottish Government last month announced a £5 million package of financial support for the industry, but in the current circumstances this is a mere drop in the ocean. Fisheries Secretary Fergus Ewing admitted as much, saying that there was little chance of a recovery any time soon and that more needed to be done. He said alternative markets had to be explored and he appealed to the Scottish public to buy Scottish seafood if they could.

But therein lies the problem. Most people don’t buy their fish from a fishmonger. They buy it as part of the regular shopping at a supermarket. And if the supermarket has closed its wet fish section, what then?

So the reopening of supermarket fish counters would be a good start. Then there has to be a government-backed campaign highlighting the benefits of eating fish, particularly those high in Omega-3. According to the UK department of health, we should eat at least two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily fish such as salmon or mackerel.

The industry faces what has been described as a perfect storm in the coming weeks and months, with the coronavirus crisis compounded by the danger of Brexit negotiations.

We are never likely to return to my regular childhood fare of tatties and herring, or ever see again the days of the drifter and the ring-netter of my uncle’s time, but we should all be doing what we can to help our beleaguered fishing communities. And that includes a resolution to eat more Scottish-caught fish.

Campbell Gunn writing in the Press and Journal is a retired political editor who served as special adviser to two first ministers of Scotland

Fish To Your Door campaign launches #NHSFishFridays with up to 50% off for Cornish NHS heroes

Seafood Cornwall’s #FishToYourDoor campaign introduces new initiative, securing big discounts for NHS staff and celebrating the best of Cornish fish.

Cornwall, UK - Responding immediately to the impacts of COVID-19 on the seafood supply chain, county-wide promotional platform Seafood Cornwall launched the #FishToYourDoor campaign to connect Cornish households with fresh fish and keep fishermen going to sea. 

With more than 40,000 customers reached within the first few days of the campaign in early March, #FishToYourDoor has gone from strength to strength, adding new merchants to a growing list of sellers with delivery capacity, and promoting fishers selling direct from their boats.

Since launching, #FishToYourDoor has brought over 3,500 new customers to affiliated merchants and received a stream of delighted feedback from people trying local Cornish fish, fresh from the merchant, for the first time.

Looking to support key workers on the front line of Covid-19 #FishToYourDoor is introducing #NHSFishFridays as a thank you to Cornish NHS heroes. The campaign has secured unparalleled discounts from six key merchants - offering a wide range of the 40+ seasonal fish and shellfish species available around the Cornish coast. Discounts range from 25% to a huge 50% and affiliated merchants are kindly offering free delivery.

Louis Smart, from South Coast Fisheries, one of the merchants involved in the scheme, said: “Our NHS workers have been working day and night to care for everyone’s loved ones. We wanted to do our bit to show our appreciation so we’re saying thank you in the best way we know how, through the delivery of fresh Cornish fish!”

Securing an #NHSFishFridays delivery is simple - the only requirement is that orders are made using an NHS email address, and that NHS customers live and work in Cornwall. This scheme will run every Friday from 15th May (when it launches) until 29th May 2020. Take a look at the Seafood Cornwall website to see what businesses are involved and how you can set up your Fish Friday order.

Have YOU had a #FishToYourDoor delivery and cooked up a storm with Cornish fish? We'd love to see the results! Send us your cookery pictures, your recipe tips and your #NHSFishFridays fish box selfies! 

Lorient. At Top Atlantique, fish keep fishing!

Translated by Google: How. French fish processor in Orient has responded to OVID19.

The closure of restaurants and canteens has deprived the fishmonger of half of its turnover in Lorient (Morbihan). At the same time, it was also necessary to protect employees and ensure activity, even if slowed down.

At Top Atlantique, as with many fishmongers from Keroman to Lorient ( Morbihan) , the two months of confinement resulted in a severe reduction in activity. From the first days, with the closure of restaurants, school canteens and company restaurants. "We lost half of our turnover overnight," explains Ivy Guillou, the director.

"Everyone's security"

The company, which took over the workshops of ex-Marine Harvest last year , on rue Batelière, completely stopped production for two weeks, in March. 44 employees were placed on partial unemployment. " Not only had demand dropped ," says Ivy Guillou, " but the Breton deep-sea vessels were no longer fishing . »Impossible to correctly feed the thread lines with julienne, saithe, whiting, etc.

Activity resumed slowly in early April. And with it the implementation of barrier measures. Top Atlantique already meets drastic hygiene standards in the food industry. The wearing of masks, coats, gloves, charlottes has long been the rule. The coronavirus has forced us to go even further. "For everyone's safety, to reassure us all," recalls Ivy Guillou.

A new organization

Shifted shift times, taking temperature at reception, put on a mask before entering the locker room, hand sanitizer gel, no more than three people in the locker room at the same time, no more than five on break , crosses on the ground to signify the regulatory distance between people, etc. The new organization goes far in every detail.

One in two positions

“On the threading lines, work was limited to one out of two jobs. Where there are twelve threaders in normal times, there are only six, with two meters between each person , says Ivy Guillou. And each operator keeps the same workstation all day. "

Factory disinfected every day

The factory is cleaned and disinfected at the end of the day, every day. Door handles, switches, coffee machine are every two hours. “The staff representatives are associated with this work. We share experiences and adapt procedures. » Until the return to a normal, economic ... and gastronomic life.

Top Atlantique employs 70 people in Lorient (50 million turnover). It is the seafood subsidiary of the Finistère group Le Saint , which also operates in fruit and vegetables, poultry, meat, groceries (2,300 employees).

Fisheries APPG Goes Online to Brief MPs on #FishingSupport under COVID-19.

Last week, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fisheries saw record attendance, as it hosted its first virtual event, “Support for the Fisheries Sector”, attracting over 70 participants from all over the UK. MPs and high-level officials from across the fisheries sector met via webinar to discuss the support measures put in place to help UK seafood during the coronavirus pandemic.

Notable representatives from Seafish, the MMO, Marine Scotland, DAERA and the Welsh Government all gave presentations, briefing attendees on the support measures available across the UK and for individual countries. Sheryll Murray MP, Chair of the APPG, gave opening remarks, before handing over to David Duguid MP to chair the session. 

“Our focus in recent weeks has been to collaborate with industry to help keep the fabric of the seafood supply chain intact during the coronavirus crisis, so that when this situation passes the seafood sector will be able to recover,” said Aoife Martin, Director of Operations at Seafish. She noted that Seafish’s pandemic-responsive work has included advising on direct sales, collaborating on changes to product labelling, issuing critical working certificates and transforming their industry training programme to meet needs arising from the current crisis. 

Tom McCormack, CEO of the Marine Management Organisation, spoke about the measures put in place across England. “To assist our industry stakeholders, we have put together a financial and welfare support guide for the fishing industry to signpost the support announced by the Government.” The MMO is administering two funds: the Fisheries Response Fund for fishing and aquaculture businesses, and the Direct Seafood Supply Scheme to promote locally caught seafood. “The MMO has expanded its grants team and extended its opening hours to evenings and Saturdays to help advise on these grants,” he continued. “We are in regular contact with industry representatives to keep them up to speed with the help available.” 

Allan Gibb, Head of Sea Fisheries at Marine Scotland, provided the Scottish perspective. “In Scotland, there are two hardship schemes covering over- and under-12m vessels, focusing mostly on the shellfish fleet, where the market impact has been the most severe. These funds allow businesses to meet their fixed costs and enable owners to keep their business afloat.” To access support, he advised members of the sector to get in touch with their affiliated association if they have one, their local Member of Scottish Parliament, or find further details on the Scottish Government website.

“In Wales, the most immediate form of financial assistance is the Welsh Fisheries Grant, which aims to support full-time vessel-owning fishers with some of their fixed costs” shared Mike Dowell, Deputy Director of the Welsh Government’s Marine and Fisheries Department. “There are also other various Welsh Government and UK Government support schemes that fishers may be eligible for.” As well as online resources, he added that industry bodies such as the Welsh Fishermen’s Association are also able to direct members to avenues of support.

Paddy Campbell, who heads up DAERA’s Sea Fisheries Policy and Grants division, spoke on behalf of Northern Ireland. “The sea fish catching sector in Northern Ireland will benefit from £1.5 million to assist with vessel fixed costs under the Sea Fish Industry (Coronavirus) (Fixed Costs) Scheme (NI) 2020. The industry can also take advantage of UK-wide schemes such as the Job Retention Scheme and the Self Employment Income Support Scheme.” For the DAERA scheme, he underscored that any eligible vessel owner who has not been contacted can get in touch at fishscheme@daera-ni.gov.uk.

When asked how the public could support UK fishing, all panelists were in agreement: buy local. “Take the time to buy locally caught seafood, either from your high-street fishmonger or via the range of direct delivery online platforms available,” said Aoife Martin. This might involve branching out into consuming less familiar species. “Developing a domestic market for species of fish and shellfish not traditionally eaten by the UK public would certainly help,” said Mike Dowell.

The event was recorded in its entirety and will soon be available on the APPG website. A detailed report will also be available in the coming weeks. The next APPG event, which will focus on innovative responses to the pandemic, is scheduled for 4 June at 3pm, and will take place via Zoom. You can email the Secretariat at secretariat@fisheriesappg.org to register. 

Contact: All Party Parliamentary Group on Fisheries Secretariat

secretariat@fisheriesappg.org

COVID19 - UK Fish and Chip shops are being encouraged to sell UK caught hake!

Dropping prices are putting the UK catching sector under pressure amid the coronavirus pandemic, industry figures have warned. Year-on-year prices have dropped by more than a third at auctions still operating across the UK, according to industry body the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations.

Exported species, such as monkfish and hake, are particularly affected, industry sources have suggested. British fishing boats export most of their catch to Europe and Asia, where markets have been most affected by lockdowns to control the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

The situation had led some fishermen to voluntarily tie up their vessels to avoid landing catches that could crash prices further, the NFFO added.

Leading figures in the British fishing industry have asked the fish and chip industry to give British hake a try on their menu. The NFFO cites hake as the ‘most sustainable UK fishery’.

15 Cornish hake boats are MSC Certified and land to both Newlyn and Brixham fish markets.

Larry Hartwell, ex skipper has said “Despite the logistics issues many small inshore boats are continuing to fish - many by selling fish directly to customers or wet fish shops etc.

Many fish and chip shops in Cornwall now have hake on their menus - which has helped move hake from an export only market to a growing UK outlet. One of my buyer now sells 80% of the hake he buys on Newlyn and Brixham into the UK - ten years ago he exported the 80% to Spain - so things are changing. Chefs like Nathan Outlaw and Tom Aikens regularly push hake when they appear on TV cooking shows like Great British menu, Masterchef or Saturday Kitchen.”

Matt's Fresh Newlyn Fish - delivered to your door!

Matt fishes with the boat, New Venture in and south of Mounts Bay, Cornwall. Since the lockdown began he has been supplying fresh fish locally to the lucky people who live in the Penwith area, far west of Cornwall.

Anyone interested in knowing how your fish supper gets to arrive on your plate tomorrow night? Here's how.

There is still time to make an order, message on the inbox your order, full address and a contact number for delivery tomorrow send a

Message on the inbox ...your order, full address and a contact number for delivery. ** special £15 mixed bags, fillets and whole and 3 Kilo Mixed flats bag £15

You can see where Matt is fishing with the New Venture using VesselTracker AIS tracking here: 

Seafish supporting the industry at every level.

Aoife Martin, Director of Operations talks through the work we've been doing to ensure sellers meet the required regulations when selling direct to the consumer.