Bass Survey: Survey About this survey

Policy Lab has created this survey for everyone with an interest and stake in bass fishing in England and Wales. The purpose of the survey is to find out more about stakeholders' preferences for addressing some of the main challenges of the new Sea Bass Fisheries Management Plan (FMP), which will be published in 2023.

This survey complements face-to-face and online 'co-design' workshops, which took place Plymouth, Milford Haven and Lowestoft in October 2022.

About the structure of this survey

You will be presented with 13 questions, each supported by 2-4 potential solutions as to how the questions could be addressed/managed in the future FMP. The questions and potential solutions are the same as those presented in the co-design workshops; however, the structure has been simplified to suit the survey format. Policy Lab has worked closely with Defra and Cefas in drafting the potential solutions, to ensure they are linked to overarching areas of the FMP.

You will be asked to choose one potential solution that you would like to prioritise for addressing each of the 13 challenges. Any extra information provided in the notes enables you to provide further insights regarding your selection.

You will have an option to comment on your preference and you can also abstain if you are unable or unwilling to decide on your preference. You are welcome to comment on your decision in the comment box.

The survey should take around 10 minutes to complete.

About this project

In preparation for the Bass Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) in 2023, Defra and the Welsh Government have partnered with Policy Lab, a multidisciplinary team based at the Department for Education, to help them co-create the new FMP plan with a diverse range of individuals and interest groups in this space.

Policy Lab spent the summer visiting bass locations across England and Wales to speak to over 90 fishers and other key stakeholders about challenges and opportunities of bass fishing. They also facilitated a week-long online 'collective intelligence' debate that brought together close to 280 participants to discuss the future of bass fishing and regulation. You can read about the initial findings from the debate here.

Policy Lab used the findings from the 'lived experience' research and collective intelligence debate to inform co-design workshops, which took place in mid-October in Plymouth, Milford Haven and Lowestoft as well as online. This survey builds on the co-design workshops and is based on the same scenarios.

Next steps

Following the completion and analysis of the co-design workshops and surveys a ‘co-refine’ process will follow. There will be the opportunity to provide feedback, via email, on the priorities selected from the co-design process. We will email the outcomes w/c 21st November.

The proposed FMP solutions will go forward in a report to Defra in December 2022. The report will inform the final Bass FMP, which is due to go out for formal public consultation in summer 2023, with final publication in late 2023.

Missing the MIssion.

 

In 2015, after opening in 1911, the Mission...

donated by Nora Bolitho finally closed its doors to the fishing community in Newlyn...

For 104 years the Mission had been the heart of the fishing community providing somewhere to meet, eat, talk...

play snooker, keep up with the news on the TV...

and wash it all down with endless mugs of tea...

sometimes in the company of Michelin star fish chefs like Tom Aikens. 

Today: 

Today, the Mission building is home to a dance school and no longer provides somewhere for working or retired fishermen to meet, eat, shower or sleep or just sit in quiet contemplation. 

The Mission building, or 'Mish' as it was known, does still have office space from where the local Fishermen's Mission team, Mike Dale and Eddy Fletcher provide outreach support throughout the community - a welcome and invaluable lifeline especially for fishermen struggling financially with physical or mental health reasons. They do sterling work.

But times change.

The history:

The Fishermen's Mission, founded in 1881 to service the seas off Grimsby, Hull and Lowestoft by Ebeneezer Mather to alleviate the suffering endured by fishermen exploited by wealthy, shore-based owners. Many boys entering the industry were taken from London workhouses - sent to sea for weeks at a time. Increasingly, alcohol sold from predatory 'grog' boats and consumed at sea, often led to fatal accidents and contributed to the plight of the hundreds of men and boys that manned the growing fleets of small rowing and sailing fishing vessels of the day.  Mather was inspired to fight the disastrous consequences of fishermen being freely supplied with alcohol by the grog boats - both at sea and ashore - this excerpt from the Mission's book, Among the Deep Sea Fishers shows the problem was a universal one...

ironically, it cites as a potential solution, the availability of land for the creation of an 'institution for fishermen!

Today's industry:

By comparison, today's modern fishing vessels are positively luxurious and are fitted with every safety device available - designed and built to withstand the worst of weather, modern navigation equipment, fish finding and safety electronics, many have showers, and cabins rather than bunks along with well fitted out galleys and clothes washing and drying machines. All are now fully shelter-decked which increases safety and well-being all round - apart from now not getting a good dose of vitamin D from the sun whilst on deck! At sea, crews are looked after in ways like never before - their overall welfare protected even more so since the introduction of ILO 188 in 2018.

Shore leave:

While living conditions at sea have greatly increased for the welfare and working conditions of fishermen the same cannot be said for their lives when ashore in Newlyn. No longer is there a place where they can relax and feel at 'home' in the way that they did when the Mission building served that purpose. This is especially so for the many foreign fishermen on whom so many boats rely on in the fleet today. Some vessels are crewed almost exclusively by men from Latvia, Ghana or the Philippines. 

These guys, most of whom are not motivated to make use of the local pubs -the Mission was by its very definition 'dry'!. On a day when weather or tide sees the harbour full of local and sheltering vessels there may be upwards of 100 foreign contractual crew - all of whom are forced to spend days aboard their vessels as it is their only 'home'. Whatever the circumstances that saw the Fishermen's Mission decide to close its doors back in 2015 there is a greater need than ever to provide for these men in these changing times. 

The Fishermen's Cafe closed its doors in the first lock down - never to re-open.

Both the Fishermen's Mission, the Seafarers Charity ad the Shipwrecked Mariners Society have all widened their provision over recent years to include things like quayside wellbeing and mental health clinics for fishermen.  But, as Neil Brockman, ex-Penlee lifeboat coxswain said recently, "What could be better for fishermen's mental health than somewhere  to eat, meet and relax in the company of others away from the boat?" 

Newlyn needs this kind of facility now more than ever. While the proposed development for Sandy Cove will double the size of the existing harbour and includes plans for such a building this is some years away from completion. The need to provide is now.

Looking ahead:

In 2022, the fishing community, the companies that rely on foreign crews to keep their boats at sea, and the harbour could and should surely come together and find a way to provide a building capable of meeting the needs of those who have no choice but to spend most of their time cooped up on their boats but also those working and retired fishermen where they can be relax together and share stories and experiences - an invaluable opportunity for young fishermen or even wannabe fishermen to learn from the experience of others. 

In the very short term, and in recognition of the need, the Penlee Lifeboat station are running a trial get-together coffee morning this Friday in the RNLi meeting room from 9-11am. Call it a start, but we have long way to go.

There's a comments box below for any suggestions or thoughts!

Flyseining Consultation - calling fishermen, join the discussion and ask questions live online!

 

DEFRA has launched a consultation to support sustainable fishing of non-quota fish stocks, including considerations for restrictions on flyseining to protect stocks.

We will be joined by Phil McBryde from the Non-Quota Species team at DEFRA to highlight the currently open consultation managing flyseine vessel pressure on demersal Non-Quota Species and share information & advice on how to submit your opinions.

We will also be hearing from diverse voices within industry on how they are approaching this opportunity to have their say. After hearing from our speakers there will be an opportunity for an open discussion to ask questions and constructive conversation.

The consultation will run for 12 weeks from 25 August until 17 November 2022.

Zoom links are available to registered attendees on the Eventbrite Online Event Page, and will be sent by email before the event starts.

Fishing into the Future (FITF) is hosting a series of talks focused on furthering knowledge and creating connections with people supporting the fishing industry. These informal conversations, hosted by fishermen on the FITF Board of Trustees, encourage participation within a fishermen-led space, and invite experts on different topics to share knowledge and take your questions. Topics are suggested by industry, and the focus is on learning and creating a dialogue between people who are passionate about the future of the industry.

Whether you are connecting from the wheelhouse or from your sofa – join the conversation and keep your finger on the pulse.

Job Vacancy: Newlyn Deputy Harbourmaster.

A position has become available for the position of Deputy Harbour Master at Newlyn Harbour.

Located in the far Southwest, in the popular destination of Mounts Bay, Newlyn Harbour is a Trust Port set up by an Act of Parliament, with the responsibility to manage the harbour in an open and transparent way as detailed in the Port Good Governance Guide and related statute.

This role is exceptionally varied and will see the successful candidate working with multiple stakeholder groups from the local community, government organisations, harbour users and the general public.

The Deputy Harbour Master is expected to operate at a high level implementing and taking decisions within agreed policy as well as developing policy in relevant areas. Working over public holidays, outside normal business hours and extra hours will be necessary, together with the possibility of being called out in response to significant incidents.

The competitive salary is offered alongside annual leave of 25 days plus public holidays, training support and on-site parking.

A Job description and list off qualifications and experience required can be seen below.

Applications should be made in writing to indicating where you saw the post advertised.

Newlyn Pier & Harbour Commissioners Harbour Office

Newlyn

Cornwall

TR18 5HW

Hervé Berville at Guilvinec: many questions, few answers

 

Hervé Berville meeting professionals in the fishing industry, at the Guilvinec auction. (The Telegram/Benjamin Billot) 

The Secretary of State for the Sea, Hervé Berville, came to meet fishing professionals on Friday, October 28, at Guilvinec. Fishermen and wholesalers expressed their concerns about the price of fuel and the fleet exit plan.

It is 5:30 a.m. when Hervé Berville gets out of his government sedan, to rush into the Guilvinec fish auction, Friday, October 28. The Secretary of State for the Sea, followed by a handful of local elected officials, is expected by fishing professionals who are facing a new crisis situation.

The price of fuel , which jumped with the war in Ukraine, is the first burning issue. The second is the Brexit-related fleet exit plan, which has reduced the fishing areas accessible to the French. Strategically renamed “individual support plan” by the government, it offers financial support for skippers who choose to send a ship for scrapping.

The visit to the auction is an opportunity for the Secretary of State to discuss with the employees.(The Telegram/Benjamin Billot) 

The visit to the auction is an opportunity for the Secretary of State to discuss with the employees. (The Telegram/Benjamin Billot) After visiting the auction to shake a few hands and discuss with the employees, the Secretary of State and the local elected officials sat around a table, with representatives of the sector, to take stock of the situation. On leaving, Christophe Collin, the boss of the Bigouden Armament , which has eleven offshore vessels, was not really happy: “In a fortnight, we won't have any more help. At the current price of diesel, it will no longer be possible to send ships out to sea”.

The state wants supermarkets to take over Hervé Berville, announced it previously, he wishes that the large distribution take over to finance the assistance with the fuel. An idea reminiscent of the "fish tax", set up between 2007 and 2011 , to help fishermen cope, already, with the increase in the price of diesel.

But the negotiations have not been successful for the moment: “It has not progressed as much as I wanted, gets annoyed Hervé Berville. I asked the government to put the legislative mechanism on the table, to ensure that the contribution of the players in the sector is up to the challenges. I say it once again, the sector must show solidarity. We need to have products from the French fishery on our stalls”.

Hervé Berville in the cutting workshop at the Guilvinec auction. Hervé Berville in the cutting workshop at the Guilvinec auction. (The Telegram/Benjamin Billot) While the end of the aid is approaching, the rest is still not settled: "We will have to make announcements in the coming days", specifies Hervé Berville, who wanted to remind the State of support for fishermen: “We would like there to be boats that go out, to supply the auctions”.

About thirty boats eligible for the fleet exit plan The fleet exit plan is another sensitive topic discussed during the visit. Eligibility conditions and financial compensation were published at the beginning of October. Christine Zamuner, mayor of Loctudy and vice-president of the community of communes of the Pays bigouden sud in charge of the economy, assures that, out of the fifty deep-sea vessels in the ports of Cornouaille, around thirty are eligible for the plan and could submit a file. A figure from an estimate by the local fisheries committee.

To read on the subject Brexit: the conditions of the fleet exit plan for dockside fishermen However, not all applications submitted will necessarily be accepted. Choices will be made at the level of the regional prefecture and the State undertook, during the meeting this Friday morning, to be vigilant so as not to “unbalance the territories”. Shipowners will have until November 18 to submit their applications.

Storm ground sea swell in Newlyn.

Moving boats made all the more difficult as a heavy ground swell flows past the harbour lighthouse. After a refit lasting six months the Trevessa IV is ready to take ice and fuel for her maiden voyage with a new 900hp cCaterpillar main engine.

Seafarers' Charity safety film for fishing vessels.

 

The Seafarers’ Charity has funded a new information film to help fishers meet new MCA inspection standards.

In partnership with the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations (NFFO) and supported by the Fishing Industry Safety Group (FISG) the film is aimed at helping all owners to prepare for their MCA inspection following changes to the regulations for fishing vessels under 15 metres.

The Seafarers’ Charity aims to make working at sea safer for all and ensuring fishers can work and return home safely from voyages without experiencing harm or an accident is a big part of that.

The Seafarers’ Charity has supported the production of the film which highlights the changes to the MCA’s inspections of under 15-metre vessels. It will help owners to get their vessels ready for survey as well as signposting resources to help prepare for a successful inspection.

Charles Blyth, Risk, Safety & Training Lead at the NFFO identified that many fishers were not aware of the changes to the MCA’s inspection regime and were therefore finding themselves tied up and prevented from fishing for longer periods because they did not meet the new requirements. Charles approached The Seafarers’ Charity with his idea for a short film to help share information on preparing for the new inspection requirements. As a previous Marine Surveyor with the MCA, Charles is well placed to help fishing vessel owners and the wider industry maintain high safety standards for their crews and their vessels.

'Recently, the under 15 metre fleet has seen some significant changes to the MCA inspection requirements including new stability tests and an out of water inspection, with some vessels struggling to meet all the requirements and therefore being tied up and unable to fish. We have made this information film to support all owners of under 15-metre vessels.' 

Charles Blyth, Risk, Safety & Training Lead at the NFFO