Coronavirus updates for the seafood industry.

The Chancellor announced a package of support for self-employed workers yesterday - which directly affects share-fishermen as they fall in that category - their wages come straight out of what is caught, landed and sold for each trip to sea - hence the term, 'Share-fishermen'

COVID-19 is affecting our lives and businesses ways none of us have ever experienced before. We’re working to support UK businesses across the seafood sector in this extremely challenging time.

Last updated: Thursday 26 March 2020

Stay up to date

As the situation evolves, it’s important that everyone is aware of the latest advice from the UK Government and the health information from the NHS.

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Seafish work and priorities

We’re asking businesses throughout the seafood supply chain to share information on how you are being affected and how you are responding. We’re collating and analysing all the information we receive and sharing weekly updates with government to make sure they are informed. We’re also providing an overview to trade associations and trade bodies to keep wider industry up to date.

To provide information get in touch with anybody at Seafish or email seafish@seafish.co.uk.

All business information will be treated confidentially.

Our teams are also looking at ways to help maintain seafood supply, keep promoting seafood to consumers and assess the longer term impacts - read our blog from Marcus to find out more.

It’s also important that businesses are aware of the support and advice available, so we’ll be regularly updating information on this below.

Support and advice for businesses

The UK Government has published updated guidance for businesses, employers and employees. The Government also announced a package of measures to provide support for public services, individuals and businesses affected by Covid-19. This includes:

• A statutory sick pay relief package for SMEs
• A Business Rate Relief for small businesses and pubs
• Small business grant funding of £3,000 for all business in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) and Rural Rates Relief
• The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme to support long-term viable businesses who may need to respond to cash-flow pressures by seeking additional finance

HMRC support: If your business is genuinely affected by COVID-19 you can contact HMRC support and ask to defer VAT/ PAYE and Corporation Tax. Contact the HMRC COVID19 Support Line on 0800 0159 559.

Public Health England has shared new guidance for food businesses including packaging, hygiene, waste disposal, and safe distancing. They have also issued advice for premises that have a work canteen.

Information and support for businesses in Scotland

The Scottish Government is providing information on coronavirus in Scotland and relevant updates for businesses including advice and guidance, news and publications on their website.

Scotland Food & Drink (SF&D) provides a daily coronavirus update on their website and by email. Information includes summary of actions from SF&D, political and Government announcements, business impacts feedback, signposting to support and requests for insights. 

Scottish Enterprise provides information on business advice and support available in Scotland. This includes HMRC information, measures of support for businesses affected by COVID-19, guidance for employers and employment advice. They are also running a helpline which is open Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 17:30. Visit their website or call the helpline on 0300 303 0660.

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce is working with members, partners, the British Chambers of Commerce and others. Access the latest guidance on the British Chambers website. Concerns can be shared by contacting policy@agcc.co.uk.

Seafood Scotland is providing regular updates to industry stakeholders including on specific actions being undertaken and latest industry feedback. To request these updates contact enquiries@seafoodscotland.org.

NHS Scotland provides public health advice on Covid-19; information on personal support and guidance on engaging with the NHS in the event of symptoms or illness. Visit the NHS Scotland website. 

Information and support for businesses in Wales

The Welsh Government has announced a support package to assist businesses affected by COVID-19.  Find out more on their website. 

Business Wales has advice on its website for Welsh businesses. The phone number for further advice is 0300 060 3000.

Public Health Wales provides guidance and resources on coronavirus on their website. 

Information and support for businesses in Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Executive has information and updates on their website.

Northern Ireland Business Info has advice on its website for Northern Irish businesses.

Other sources of support

ACAS has published information for employees and employers, including information on simple steps to help protect the health and safety of staff, sick pay and absence from work.

Business loans: A number of private lenders are also making funds available to small businesses impacted by COVID-19, including £2 billion from Lloyds Banking Group and £5 billion from NatWest.

Benefits: Visit the government's website to find out more about, benefits, eligibility and how to apply. The Fishermen's Mission has created an easy to follow guide for applying for Universal Credit.

Support for fishermen

Seafarers UK have a comprehensive list of support providers that can be accessed online here:

The Scottish Government has announced a package of support with funding to be offered to owners of all full time Scottish registered fishing vessels of 12 metres length and under – visit their website to find out more.

The Fishermen’s Mission provides financial, practical and pastoral support to retired or active fishermen and their families. Support can be requested for a variety of factors and financial support is provided when payments can no longer be made and they are in arrears - proof and documentation is required. To find out more their website, call 01489 566 910 or email enquiries@fishermensmission.org.uk.

Seafarer’s Advice and Information Line (SAIL) is part of Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB) but it offers specialised for seafarers. It provides independent financial advice on benefit entitlement, HMRC issues, bankruptcy, debt, charity grants, employment, housing and pensions, as well as advice on consumer issues and immigration. They also offer practical support to assist with filling in forms and negotiating with other agencies. To find out more visit their website, call 0800 160 1842 or email advice@sailline.org.uk.

Shipwrecked Mariners Society provides financial and practical assistance to merchant seafarers, fishermen and their dependents. They can support in instances that include debt, illness, disability, unemployment or retirement. To find out more visit their website, call 01243 789 329 or email general@shipwreckedmariners.org.uk.

Seafarers Hospital Society offer health, welfare and advice to merchant seafarers and fishermen families. To find out more visit their website, call 0800 160 1842 or email admin@seahospital.org.uk.

BIG WHITE WALL is a confidential 24/7 online mental health and wellbeing advice and support service provided by the Seafarers Hospital Society. Visit their website or email theteam@bigwhitewall.com.

Seafarer Support guides serving and former UK seafarers and their families towards relevant help in times of need. Their online tool allows users to input basic details then searches their database of over 150 maritime charities to identify those which may be able to provide help. To find out more visit their website or call the free helpline on 0800 121 4765. 

Mental health support

If you feel you need additional support you can also contact the following charities: 

The Samaritans: Visit their website or call 116 123.

Silverline: A free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and advice to older people, open 24 hours a day call 0800 470 8090.

How the fish auction at Guilvenec is coping with COROVID19

Photo of Le Guilvenec courtesy of Beatrice le Grand Archives.

This Wednesday, March 25, 2020, eleven boats returned to sea after a few days of almost total stoppage due to measures linked to the Covid-19 epidemic. All of their fishing has found takers.

"These are small contributions but it is leaving!" " Gregory Pennarun, director of the auction of Guilvinec, and commented on the sale, which took place this Wednesday, 25 March 2020. Eleven of the thirty coastal guilviniste the flotilla set sail, and all of their fishing was sold to a very correct price. The fishmongers Pont-l'Abbistes and Guimpéroises in particular were present, as well as a few retail chains. So there will be fish on the stalls this Thursday, March 26. The number of coastal sailors has increased since Monday. Fifteen of them could set sail by the weekend.

In Saint-Guénolé, supplies were more limited, but prices recovered. Note that, as part of the fight against the spread of Covid-19, some sailors were able to check their temperature using a medical laser thermometer before boarding. The results were recorded on registers.

Full story from Ouest-France - translated by Google.

Final March #FishyFriday in Newlyn.

As the sun breaks over the back of the North quay...

inshore boats...

make their way to the market...

where there are only a handful of buyers still able to bid on what little fish has been landed...

scallops...

large ray

and cuttles came from a few small inshore trawler trips...

with prices still at an all-time low for the kind and quality of fish being landed bearing no resemblance...

the boxes are stacked ready to be processed...

inshore boats like Jeremy Hosking's Nazarene will be looking closely at ow they can continue to fish with the increasing difficulties of fish distribution proving a real challenge for buyers and merchants alike.

This morning's photos courtesy of Mr C Gull.

FULL NETS AND EMPTY SHELVES

When it comes to seafood, the current crisis is one of oversupply not undersupply

The sight of empty supermarket shelves has obviously caused panic and desperation for many people. For some domestic food producers though, it’s caused confusion. Those who have surplus product but no market now that pubs, restaurants, and some export markets have shut. When it comes to seafood, the current crisis is one of oversupply, not undersupply.

Covid-19 is influencing food producers at all levels in many different ways. For the UK fishing industry, the pinch is being felt from all sides. The recent collapse of the UK domestic restaurant and pub market alongside the critically important export market means the industry is in dire straits. With prices from some species dropping 85%, the cost of leasing quota (where fishers lease in additional quota from producer organisations) has become more expensive than the actual landed price, meaning fishers would lose money to fish. With many vessels now tied up, skippers and crew on share wages rather than salaries are left without an income.

Catching the fish is not the problem; it’s the ability to sell it. Annually, 80% of UK fish landings are exported to the EU, Asia and the United States, with langoustine, scallops, mackerel, and crab among the most popular. For the inshore fleet the majority of vessels in the UK have focussed on the rapidly growing market for whelks in South Korea. Farmed Scottish salmon is also a large export product. Despite this export focus, the UK is a net importer of seafood with 70% of the seafood consumed in the UK imported. The seafood market share in the UK is dominated by salmon, cod, shrimp, tuna, and haddock.

A combination of a reliance on restaurants and exporting what we catch means the UK fishing industry has developed a high dependence on these global markets making them vulnerable to shocks. This also means we as a country are reliant on imports and vulnerable. As a result, we are not resilient when it comes to changes, whether due to climate change, currency fluctuations, trade wars or indeed global pandemics.

There is a major need to connect local producers to local markets and importantly the urban centres, but first and foremost there is an urgent crisis of ensuring the fishing industry survives Covid-19. Defra have introduced some measures for the seafood industry, Seafish are collating industry needs to share with Defra, producer organisations are suggesting staggered landings and shorter trips. But we really need government to help fishermen in coastal communities link up with demand in UK cities. This would have the benefit of re-localising our seafood supply chain; helping fishermen keep their businesses going and providing urban centres with much needed supplies of healthy protein.

From inshore fishers I’ve spoken to, I’ve heard that their priorities are different depending on whether they have crew or not. If they’re share fishers or go to sea single-handed, then they need support and what’s really needed is the same as for a self-employed bailout. But if they are a vessel owner they need a guarantee to cover crew wages and support with their fixed costs like moorings and insurance.

An opportunity for government to intervene is clear: support to the self-employed throughout the economy and fishing is no different. Beyond that, support for some initial infrastructure including freezing and canning capacity, support with fixed costs and ensuring this is a first step in a long-term strategy to re-localise supply chains. The message to support your local fishing industry is being heard in fishing towns like Plymouth, but there is a role for the state to make sure this happens across the UK. The EU has responded with a ​“Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative” to support Member States to fight the crisis immediately.

There is also a tech opportunity to buy direct from fishers that government funding for research and development could catalyse. Support for fishmongers who need additional resource in terms of staff and increased freezer unit capacity is also necessary. In doing that, these changes could strengthen local economies, reduce the environment impacts of food miles, and build our resilience to future shocks.

In our ongoing work with Eastbourne fishermen’s CIC, NEF helped them get EU grant funding support for the first phase of their processing unit. We found out last month that a bid to the Local Enterprise Partnership for grant funding for workshops and a visitor centre was also successful – over £2 million will totally transform the harbour over the medium-term. As part of this, we developed a Community Economic Development plan with fishermen and local stakeholders to ensure that processing and local markets for sustainable seafood could be established and turn the fishing quay into a central hub for the local economy. As construction starts for this site, the need for local supply chains is now clearer than ever.

Just as for many other industries, the days ahead are tough for the UK’s small-scale fishers. But if government intervenes now, it could lay the foundations to achieve what TV chefs and countless industry campaigns have failed, and set in motion a seafood market that is more localised, connected, and resilient.

By Chris Williams for the New Econimics Foundation

26 MARCH 2020

COVID19 at sea - Julie of Ladram update from Sprat - "we will be heading for Brixham later today" - David on the Crystal sea also heading in to land.

Mike Smith aka Sprat aboard the Julie of Ladram sends his final message from the wheelhouse during last night...

as, later today, they head for Brixham to land after which he will stay ashore to be with his family for a few trips off...

meanwhile, David, skipper of the Crystal Sea, also posted a video shot during the night of them hauling, emptying the cod-end and shooting away their twin trawls...

before heading back to Newlyn...

 to land later today, they will sell again at high-water this evening.

We pray for our soles!

While uncertainty about the ability of markets to ship out catches and the price of fish make it unviable for many of the fleet to stay fishing there are no such signs in the channel (Bristol Channel that is) as a fleet of beam trawlers from Belgium, Holland and local beam trawlers make the most of seasonal Dover sole fishing, traditional for this time of year. Dover soles are some of the most valuable fish landed on Newlyn, Plymouth and Brixham markets.

Latest COVID19 news from Seafish.

Seafish priorities in the midst of coronavirus

Our CEO Marcus Coleman explains what Seafish is doing right now to support the UK seafood industry in the wake of the situation caused by coronavirus.

There’s absolutely no doubt that COVID-19 is having a huge impact across the world. Our role is always to give the UK seafood industry the support it needs to thrive so, against this new challenge, we’re working hard to support businesses across the seafood sector. Here’s an overview of our key areas of focus at in this time of adversity.

Understanding the full impact on the UK seafood sector

We’re asking businesses throughout the seafood supply chain to let us know how they’re being affected and how they’re responding. We’re logging and reviewing information as quickly as we can and regularly updating the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments and the Northern Ireland Executive. The more information we receive the better informed they will be, so I’d encourage you to share information with us if you can.

You can get in touch with anybody at Seafish or email seafish@seafish.co.uk. All information provided will be treated confidentially.

Maintaining seafood supply

Seafood, in common with the entire food industry, is facing twin challenges of high consumer demand in the UK and disrupted supply chains. Most food service operations have closed and many export markets are not currently accessible, so we are working with businesses across the supply chain to find other markets for seafood landed into the UK. 

We’re currently developing guidance to help fishermen and fish merchants to use quayside sales, fish boxes and fish vans to sell their product locally, and possibly even nationally. We are also making promotional material available to support this.

We are working with government and processors to encourage large retailers to use more fresh fish in retail supply chains. Processors face unprecedented demand for product. They need to be able to be flexible, for example, quickly altering supply lines to process available species to ensure business continuity.  

Promoting seafood to the consumer

We’re currently supporting #SeaForYourself - a new marketing campaign which aims to get more UK consumers to eat more seafood caught in UK waters. Seafood businesses can download campaign resources and images from the Seafish Asset Bank to support their own marketing. Find out more about #SeaForYourself.

Alongside this we will also highlight to consumers how they can buy fish, such as from fish vans, fishmongers, quayside sales, fish boxes and fish and chip shops. We’ll also offer guidance and support on buying, cooking and eating species that consumers might not be as familiar or confident with. 

Assessing the longer term impacts 

Our fundamental objective is to ensure that the fabric of the UK seafood industry remains intact, so that when the emergency situation passes the sector can recover. As the picture becomes clearer we will assess the impact on the UK catching and processing sectors so we can report on the level of disruption caused, using case studies to show exactly what is happening to businesses and the people working in these sectors.

Support and advice for seafood businesses

A range of unprecedented measures have been announced by the government, but with new announcements almost daily it’s difficult for businesses and individuals to know exactly what help they are eligible for. 

It’s essential that the entire seafood supply chain knows what support is on offer and how to access it, so we’re providing information about available financial support and other forms of help and advice. 

Keeping you updated

Finally, we want to keep you up to date. Keep checking our webpages, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn and make sure you sign up to receive our email alerts.