 |
| What's a fisherman to do? |
For anyone working in the commercial fishing sector out of Newlyn and the wider West Cornwall ports, dealing with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is simply a regular part of the job. However, there is no denying that the relationship between the catching sector and the agency often generates plenty of discussion on the quayside, particularly regarding the practicalities of vessel surveys, safety inspections, and the rollout of medical certificates.
To get a proper measure of how the fleet feels about the current state of affairs, the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) has launched a Fishing Industry Satisfaction Survey focused strictly on the MCA. It is an opportunity for skippers, vessel owners, and crews to provide direct, honest feedback on the agency's performance, communication, and overall approach to regulation.
Whether recent interactions with the MCA have been straightforward and sensible, or bogged down by red tape and unworkable demands, the NFFO needs to hear from the people actually working on the deck. The data gathered will give industry representatives the hard evidence required to push for fit-for-purpose rules that keep crews safe without tying fishing businesses up in unnecessary bureaucracy.
The questionnaire takes just a few minutes to complete and gives the local fleet a chance to make those everyday quayside frustrations count on a national level. To all fishermen, please take the time to complete the survey.
Take the NFFO MCA Satisfaction Survey here
