Better in or Out? BBC Spotlight SW Special - Fishing

Jim Portus arguing the Elizabeth Stevenson, representing the biggest fishing company in the South West challenged the Fishing for Leave representative Jim Portus from the SWFPO to justify the argument for leaving the EU - Ben Bradshaw, well respected ex-Labour Fisheries MP on the panel supported Elizabeth - while the current Fisheries Minister, Camborne & Redruth MP George Eustace assured her we would re-negotiate quotas and be better off out.

In protest! British fishing boats to sail up the river Thames on June the 15th.

Why SW fishermen are joining other British fishermen in a flotilla on the Thames on 15th June 2016?

Britain’s membership of the European Union has been the subject of heated debate not just recently, but for decades. Inevitably, when arguments focus on the impacts of decisions taken by Ministers, the British fishing industry is cited as the most significant innocent victim, where wider “gains” for Britain, the nation, led to sacrifices by others. Indeed, one politician described the fishing industry as “expendable” in the negotiations leading to our joining the EEC in January 1972. “Equal access to a common resource without discrimination” had been agreed in June 1970 by the original “six” Member States. The “die” was cast and our greatest national living resource was grabbed!

What was once a great British Fishing Industry has been brought to its knees by this CFP! 10,295 fishing boats reduced to 6,406. 20,757 fishermen reduced to 12,450 and falling.

Now some of the remaining British boats are rallying behind the Fishing for Leave / Vote Leave campaign in anticipation of the referendum on 23rd June. Jim Portus, the Chief Executive of the South Western Fish Producer Organisation Ltd said, “Flotillas up the Thames have happened before, but none since 1975 has had the possibility of influencing the outcome of a referendum.

In 1975 Britain’s fishermen asked for an exclusive 50 miles limit and an appropriate “Lion’s share” of the fishing quotas based on the amount of fish living in UK waters.

Politicians sacrificed the fishing industry by securing only the 6 miles limit for the exclusive use of the UK fishermen and only won a derisory share of the quotas.

Since that deal of treachery, the main (over 10m) fleet has shrunk by 65% and much of the remainder is owned by “Brass Plate” “Quota-hopping” companies giving little or no economic benefit to the UK, whose flag they fly.

Ports of Fleetwood, Milford Haven, Lowestoft and Grimsby now have no home fleets and are shadows of once-great fishing activity and trade. The owners of the boats that have made the trip to the Thames represent the few remaining thriving fishing ports. From Fraserburgh in Scotland to Cawsand in Cornwall, the flotilla of up to 45 boats carry with them the hopes of the estimated 92% of British fishermen who will Vote Leave on 23rd June. On 15th June, fishermen all over Britain, including N Ireland will be flying “Fishing for Leave” flags in support of their colleagues who have made the trip to the Thames. With a fair wind and good fortune, the votes counted on 23rd June will grant at long last to the British fishing industry the Freedom to control their own destiny.

Free of EU control, we will have a new policy to help restore our fishery and allocate greater quota to UK vessels, when George Eustice delivers on his promises.

For more information on the protest contact JIM PORTUS, CEO SWFPO LTD. 
Tel 07860542071. swfpo@btinternet.com

Jim will be in London with colleagues, John Butterwith, SBf’s John Ashworth and Fishing for Leave’s Aaron Brown from 0930 on 15th June to meet and greet the fishing vessel flotilla at HMS Belfast above Tower Bridge. 

Aaron Brown is on 07407266658 (Aaron is a fishing skipper from Scotland and who leads the Fishing for Leave campaign)

An Irish view of the fishing industry with reference to the referendum.

Ciarán O' Driscoll - Irish Skipper - June 16 - Brexit from Ciarán O' Driscoll

Read Ciarán O' Driscoll's paper to the Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit (SEMRU) in full below:

It's a full-on #FishyFriday

The making tide will soon have this fast inshore boat afloat...

and melt the iceberg this gull is stood on...

a bust #FishyFriday market again...

as a spring tide has just passed it is all trawl, inshore trawl and beam trawl fish today...

with some of the buyers doing some serious poses...

while Falfish's Edwin does his famed elephant impersonation ...

Don is always happy to avail himself of a few JDs...

while Paul on the Sapphire II is Mr Monk today...

and a smattering of Dovers thrown in...

while a handful of hake managed to swim low enough to get below the headline of his beam trawl...

best of the bass from the Boy...

and 50 shades of gray mullet from the Victory...

just a few of the black-bellied monk landed from the Scottish prawner, Replenish...

pristine line-caught pollack showing off their bright eyes and blood-red gills - this is fresh #FishyFriday fish at its best...

Nigel sneaked a few JDs in the last haul...

and so did skipper Tom...

fish waits for no man...

small is beautiful...

bigger is better...

and 90% of scallops sold in this country are caught by boats like this, the Pamela Jill...

handrails in a harbour?

Cornish fishermen doing their bit for #WorldOceansDay

  

When it comes to looking after the Atlantic Ocean, Newlyn fishermen, many of whom fish singlehanded a few miles from the shore using handlines and poles fish for ...

top quality fish like these line caught bass...

line caught pollack...

or on bigger boats, line caught tuna...

and MSC Certified hake using extra large meshes...

Just part of the two one-ton bags of rubbish from the Crystal Sea's last trip!

many, like skipper David Stevens and his crew take the time and trouble to put ashore bags of rubbish at the end of every trip - all doing their bit for #WorldOceansDay!

Skipper ran vessel aground Five men were rescued – and one arrested

Looks like the boat is aground on the west bank - not the Tiger's Tail notorious shifting bank that has caught out so many over the years.

Skipper runs his vessel aground, five men were rescued – and one arrested – after the Corentine ran aground near Fleetwood Docks in the early hours of June 7, 2016. The Corentine got stuck on a sandbank known locally as Tiger’s Tail on its way out of the docks and, although it was leaning to port, there was no real danger of overturning. 

RNLI volunteers launched from the town’s lifeboat station at around 2.20 a.m., collecting the men and returning to shore. Police arrested the skipper, a 45-year-old man from York, on suspicion of being drunk in charge at the helm, being over the prescribed limit of alcohol. Due to the concern about the fuel, the RNLI crew made sure the crew switched all the valves off. The volunteers remained on standby to refloat the stricken ship at high tide, as long as a new skipper can be found. The skipper remained in custody, and was due to be questioned by officers.

Story courtesy of VesselTracker News.

Traditional Tuesday.

Big tide means beam trawlers and inshore trawlers only...

and a handful of inshore net boats like the New Harmony from Helford...

young Roger has been out chasing his JDs...

and even Tom tried to muscle in on the act...

proper haddock...

the market was knee-deep in fish one end...

with a smattering of summer favourites - big, fat, juicy grey mullet...

all getting the Cefas treatment...

and a handful of bass made it to the auction floor...

three kinds of ray on offer...

and some cracking pollack from a couple of Newquay boats testing the market...

cold enough in the mackerel fridge...

while outside it's a misty morn...

which no doubt makes the visiting Scottish boats feel at home...

as the Bracoden makes her way to the gaps...

looks like ASV Thomas has finished his work off the Scillys...

that's port side almost completed

coming alongside...

the fishing industry is tough, so, like many others, is entirely dependent on immigrant workers...

the boats even fish for litter...

even the barrels came two-by-two...

landing frozen langoustine this morning...

which involves some nifty footwork and a roll of clingfilm...

under the watchful eye of skipper Zander...

swinging a pallet of frozen fish ashore at a time...

bringing in the papers, the morning routine, unchanged at Baron's newsagents for half a century.