To chart the course of the Cornish Fishing Industry for the next 20-year journey we need your help...
Back in 2000 the Cornwall Fisheries Taskforce published a 20yr-plan to prioritise the strategic investment of Objective One funding in the Cornish Fishing to best equip it to adapt and prosper during in the period 2000 to 2020.
In 2021, following the UK Exit from the EU and global recovery post-COVID pandemic the industry faces new challenges and opportunities across all sectors of the industry. As part of its plan to address these issues the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation (CFPO) has engaged with the Cornwall Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise (CIoSLEP) to develop a new Cornish fishing strategy. It is hoped this will guide the public sector in Cornwall and provide a clear call to action on the national stage.
To draw up this plan we need to hear the views, thoughts and insights of you – the stakeholders – so if you have an interest in the Cornish Fishing & Seafood industry and its future please take five minutes to complete this short survey.
If you have further comments then please e-mail the project team: cornwallfishingstrategy@gmail.com and we will arrange a call.
To put the current request for feedback, thoughts and ideas in context, in 2000 The "Objective One Partnership for Cornwall and Scilly" created the
"CORNWALL & ISLES
OF SCILLY FISHING INDUSTRY TASK FORCE STRATEGY 2000 – 2010".
The mission was to ensure the long term economic viability and sustainability of the region’s fishing industry and fishing communities and to increase the value of fish to Cornwall by 40%.
The mission was to ensure the long term economic viability and sustainability of the region’s fishing industry and fishing communities and to increase the value of fish to Cornwall by 40%.
The Fisheries Task Force had identified eight key strategic projects, under the sectors identified
below, which would be taken forward in 2002. These projects were to:
1. Commission an ocean recovery plan to identify the future sustainability of all fish stocks in the fishing grounds used by the regions vessels, the economic impact on Cornwall and to identify future conservation measures (gear techniques / closed areas etc).
2. Provide a dedicated training advisor / coordinator for West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
3. Undertake a socio-economic analysis of the fishing industry.
4. Develop a self-financing resource centre.
5. Provide infrastructure improvements and new premises for fish processing.
6. Develop a Seafood Cornwall quality scheme/kite mark.
7. Develop infrastructure projects identified by the Newlyn Regeneration study.
8. Investigate and encourage the provision of a plant to process fish waste.
- simpler and more regional-oriented rules maximizing the work contribution of Regional Advisory Councils members be applied in the European Union's (EU) Common Fisheries Policy;
- a better use of fishermen’s information in fish stock evaluations; improved communication with the regional fishing industries on pinpointing fleet needs for increased profitability and selective decommissioning;
- improved transparency on quota ownership information useful for future individual business planning;
- and financial assistance in helping the industry apply to the Marine Stewardship Council or other organisations for certification validating the sustainability of certain fisheries. 10
Invest in Fish
Invest in Fish South West is a stakeholder led project launched on April 2004, that seeks to develop a regional strategy for managing fisheries in the Celtic Sea, English Channel and Western Approaches that improves fish stocks in a way that will benefit the marine environment, regional economy and local communities. The project has released four reports in May 2005.
- Imagining Change: A Survey of South West Fishermen - by Invest in Fish South West ¾ The Motivation, Demographics and Views of South West Recreational Sea Anglers and their Socio-economic Impact on the Region by Nautilus Consultants ¾ Analysis of the Interactions between Fishing and Marine Mammals by The Sea Mammal Research Unit, SMRU
- Analysis of the Legal and Institutional Policies Relating to South West Fisheries by The Institute of European Environmental Policy (IEEP)
Relevant biological, economic and social data collected from these reports will also be inputted into the Invest in Fish South West's bio-economic model being developed by The Centre for the Economics and Management of Aquatic Resources at the University of Portsmouth, Cemare, and The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, CEFAS.
This bioeconomic model is aimed at testing the social, economic and environmental implications of
different management options on behalf of Invest in Fish South West.
One controversial issue at the time concerned the Government's attitude to FIFG funding.
FIFG funding
The past record of UK matching funding compares very poorly with many other countries, and FIFG money is correspondingly low. This is at least partly the result of the imposition of Treasury spending rules.
The result of the Fontainebleau Agreement is that it’s in the interest of the Treasury to keep the 60% back rather than having no control over the 100% spent. The agreement has therefore provided a disincentive for the UK to draw down EU funding.
The past record of UK matching funding compares very poorly with many other countries, and FIFG money is correspondingly low. This is at least partly the result of the imposition of Treasury spending rules.
The result of the Fontainebleau Agreement is that it’s in the interest of the Treasury to keep the 60% back rather than having no control over the 100% spent. The agreement has therefore provided a disincentive for the UK to draw down EU funding.
The full document can be seen here:
