Storm warning for Breton fishing"

“The Breizh Mer association held its 4th universities last week in Saint-Malo . The Secretary of State for the Sea, Hervé Berville, was announced but did not come. Unfortunate, because the fishing industry is going through a particularly agonizing period. To name just four areas of concern: inflation, Brexit, the fleet exit plan, marine energies.

Inflation: already impacted in recent years by Brexit and the decline in fish consumption, the sector is facing rising fuel costs. In addition, the President of the National Fisheries Committee recently announced that "the cost of electricity consumption will be multiplied by ten from January 2023, having renegotiated the contracts". However, the ports do not seem to be able to benefit from the tariff shield granted to SMEs. It is urgent that the Brittany region be alongside the sector to obtain a saving tariff shield.

“The ban on building a new boat for five years would be an economic disaster”

Brexit: we are barely out of the conflict over fishing rights in British waters and negotiations will resume due to the review clause between the European Union and the United Kingdom. We ask the question: how does the Brittany region organize itself to defend the interests of our fishermen in Paris and Brussels? We are awaiting answers within the Brexit working group which we have asked to meet and adopt a roadmap.

The fleet exit plan: or rather the "breakage" plan! The ban on building a new boat for five years would be an economic disaster for supply companies, auctions, wholesalers…. A fleet exit plan must be accompanied by a support strategy for the construction of new, more energy-efficient and economically efficient vessels. However, it was not presented to us. Does it exist? Here again, we would like the Brittany region to show its voluntarism and become more openly involved.

“On offshore wind, the voice of fishermen can and must be heard”

Marine energies: at a time of examination by the Senate of the law to accelerate renewable energies, it is more than urgent to know the intentions of the Brittany region with regard to offshore wind power. The wind farm project off the bay of Saint-Brieuc proves, if it were still needed, that the question of conflicts of use must be taken into account. The voice of fishermen can and should be heard. Will the region demand that they be respected if by chance the government plans to set up other projects on our coasts?

Brittany, which offers the largest coastal and littoral zone in France, is considered the leading French fishing region. But for how much longer? Breton fishing should be able to participate in the reconquest of our unfortunately lost food sovereignty…. but do not take the path. The President of the Republic is announced present at the start of the Route du rhum, in Saint-Malo on November 6. We bet that the regional president will be the spokesperson for the difficulties of an entire sector. It is his role and there is urgency. 

Full story courtesy of Isabelle Le Callennec, regional councilor of Brittany, president of the Hissons haut la Bretagne group.

What exactly is, a share-fisherman?

 

Share-fishermen are paid a 'share' of the catch after the expenses for the trip are taken off.

Most fishing boats either land their fish to an auction or direct to a fish company with whom they have a contract. Prawn boats and crabbers generally land to one of more companies, often agreeing a price while they are still catching at sea.

In the case of a fish auction the vessel's agent produces a 'settling sheet'. This details any expenses for the trip along with a detailed list of all the fish sold along with the price per kilo, the total for each and a 'grossing for the entire catch.

Deductions from the 'grossing include: ice, food for the trip any hire or rental charges for electronics, insurances and anything else that has been agreed between the skipper/owner and crew. The biggest expense by far to take off the grossing is of course fuel. Today's high prices mean that a large beam trawler may burn anything up to £3,000 worth of fuel per day.

What is left is the shared amongst the crew - hence the term, 'share-fisherman'. Years ago, many boats would share this fifty-fifty. So, if there were five crew there would be ten shares - five for the boat, five, one share each for the crew. These days boats over 15m often use a percentage share to differentiate between roles with the skipper, relief skipper and engineer getting larger shares.

Despite share-fishermen having a unique National Insurance stamp and unlike almost any other form of employment, neither the skipper of the vessel nor the crew are bound by contract - the skipper can hire and fire without any reason and the crew can leave the boat at any time.

Share-fisherman enjoy only three employment 'rights' - 

1. they are entitled to see the settling sheet
2. they have to be re-patriated to their home port if need
3. they expect to be fed while at sea

Editors note: The second boat I sailed on was a longliner from Newlyn - we (six hands) were expected to shop for our own food for the trip and cook it at the end of each day at sea.)

The issue of fishermen being excluded from the Industrial Injuries Benefit Scheme is being raised.

The above scheme only covers the employed and there is no eligibility whatsoever for self employed people, and in particular "share fishermen". It covers accidents and injury at work and also on employment training courses. It appears therefore that any of the training courses that are being proposed for share fishermen will be ineligible also due to the criteria.

“A share fisherman” is someone who:

• Is not employed under a contract of service.

• Works in the fishing industry

• Is master or crew member of a British fishing boat manned by more than one person; or

• Used to work on a British fishing boat but is now too old or infirm and is working ashore in Great Britain making and mending gear or doing any other work for a British fishing boat”. [National Insurance Manual NIM 20900 special cases share fisherman].

A share fisherman (could be a woman), is self-employed. 

He shares the efforts independently with others on a joint venture “each party making a specific and separate contribution to the success or otherwise of the fishing expedition but coming together at the end to share the triumphs and tribulations of their joint venture” 

This is in contrast to say a “mariner” who is defined as:

a person is defined as a “mariner” if they have been employed under a contract of service as:

• A master, member of the crew or radio officer of any ship or vessel, or
• In any other capacity (commonly referred to as a super numeri on board a ship or vessel where the;
• Employment in that other capacity is for the purpose of that ship or vessel or her crew or any passenger or cargo or mails carried by the ship or vessel, and
• The contract is entered into in the United Kingdom with a view to its performance (in whole or in part) while the ship or vessel is on her voyage”. [NIM 2908 Special Cases Class 1 Mariners].
• 
  

The nature of fishing is that there is a great deal of work with the hands in cold water, cold and wet weather conditions, gear mending, engine work, routine maintenance, welding, painting, grinding off rust, emergency mending of nets and trawls at sea on a rolling deck in extreme conditions (sometimes at night) - which all take a toll on the body. If an injury was sustained by, for example, a boat yard worker in dry dock, working on one of our fishing vessels, riveting metal sheet work, he would be covered by the Industrial Injuries Disablement benefit. A fishermen, as a share fishermen, or an individual fishermen (not on a share scheme) but self employed, would not.

The government have accepted the share fishermen unique tax scheme and have gone through policy reinforcing it as a very unique status that is only for the fishing industry. I do not accept therefore that it would open the floodgates to the self employed generally, to add this unique tax status and unique class of self employed people, being included within the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme.

Most fishermen, after three or four decades at sea will suffer hand injuries to the extent that the circulation is suffering with trauma to hands from the cold and wet weather, leg injuries from working on a rolling deck, back problems and often noise induced deafness from the loudness of the old engines. Some have lung difficulties from the engine fumes, sight problems from the glare of the water, skin cancer from working on an open deck and so it goes on. 

Fishing is an industrial type of occupation and it is wrong that conditions flowing from working in an industrial setting at sea, by share fishermen, should be excluded from a claim from the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit scheme due to the unique self employed share fishermen status, and the fact that they are not employees. Many of the fishermen that I have spoken to with injuries have been with the same boat, or same boat owner, for over 20 years

Whilst you might say why do the fishermen not just claim under the Personal Independence Payment, many of them see the injuries that they have sustained as occupational injuries. They would claim this as an occupational compensation. The Industrial Injuries Benefit is seem by many as more of an entitlement arising from work, rather than a routine benefit. Fishermen are notoriously proud and do not "sign on" even during times of long bad weather, often because they continue to work unpaid, mending gear. Fishing is very much a life choice and an industrial type of work that places barriers to some benefits through the unique tax status, such as this one.

Through the LawWorks Law NUTFA scheme we are now taking specific advice on the discriminatory nature of the exclusion of the class that fishermen have been placed into by the share fishermen scheme as to whether it would fall within Article 14 of the Human Rights Act, particularly as it is the UK government that have been keen to reinforce the share fishermen status for decades as to tax implications. This is as regards the exclusion from the Industrial Injuries Benefit Scheme or the creation of an alternative scheme purely for share fishermen, who are clearly working in an industrial type of environment day after day. It cannot be argued that fishing is not an industrial setting.

Whilst through NUTFA we have had a large level of fishermen reach out to us with industrial injuries through work, many now retired, we are starting a call for evidence as to numbers and hope to have the bare bones of the data as to the amount and extent by the time that we meet in January.

Lizard lifeboat rescues two of its own crew.

 

Here's the official RNLI report of the rescue mission:

"Our crew were paged at 12.33pm this afternoon to immediately assist the Cadgwith fishing vessel Crig A Tan in a position of 6 nautical miles south east of Lizard Point. An EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) alert had been identified by Falmouth Coastguard indicating that the vessel was in immediate distress. 

Cadgwith Cove boat, Crag a Tan (Video courtesy of Andrewonline) early 2022.

Following a prompt launch and under the command of Second Coxswain Darren Thirlaway, RNLB Rose proceeded to the position given by the coastguard. Upon arrival on scene a search of the area began and within a few minutes the crew had sighted a red flare in the distance. RNLB Rose went straight to the position of the flare and it was then that a life raft was sighted. Thankfully the raft contained the two crew of the Crig A Tana who had been forced to abandon their vessel prior to its sudden sinking. Sadly there was no sign of the stricken vessel on scene. Following transfer from the life raft to the lifeboat it was ascertained that both crew were shaken but unharmed and in no need of medical assistance. 

Relieved family and friends were at the station awaiting the lifeboats return. HM Coastguard rescue helicopter and the Mullion Coastguard Rescue team were also in attendance. A difficult service for our station today, as the crew of the Crig a Tana are also members of our lifeboat crew. We are so very grateful for their safe return today.

Looking back over lifeboat rescues from Cadgwith this came to light. The date, November 18th 1868.

Brexit impact in Brittany - A hundred fishing jobs threatened.

Beyond the threat to jobs at sea, the fleet exit plan could impact the entire industry. 

Two weeks after the publication of the Brexit compensation conditions, the shipping companies are thinking about it. At the tip of Brittany, a hundred fishing jobs could disappear. Since the spring, the question has been on everyone's lips, on the quays of fishing ports. How many boats will be scrapped as part of Brexit-related aid? One month before the closing of the Individual Support Plan files submission(PAI), "not a single request has yet been formally submitted", according to information from the Brittany regional fisheries committee. 

But, from Saint-Malo to Lorient, the outcome is beyond doubt. And not only because of the impact of Brexit on the Breton fleet of coastal fishing boats of the Channel Islands and deep-sea sailors accustomed to British waters. "The individual support plan is an opportunity for boats affected by Brexit and affected by the rise in the price of diesel", sums up Jacques Pichon, the president of the national association of maritime fishing producer organisations, director of the La Houle shipping line; ten offshore trawlers based in the port of Saint-Guénolé, in Penmarc'h (29). “Margins are shrinking” And for good reason, despite the announcement, on March 16, by Jean Castex, of a commitment by the State to pay 35 cents of aid per liter of diesel to all French fishermen, not all deep-sea shipping companies receive it. not in its entirety. If the rise in the price of fish has made it possible to mitigate the increase in operating costs linked to diesel and the rise in the price of most equipment, "margins are shrinking", worries Christophe Collin, the director Bigouden shipping line, eleven offshore trawlers based in Guilvinec. 

In this context, the manager does not rule out a reduction in his fleet, synonymous with a ban on building a new boat for five years. "Our decision has not been made," tempers the armament director. The unanswered call for solidarity The outcome of this new scrapping plan could lead, according to the profession, to the loss of a hundred direct jobs in the Bigouden region, for lack of a solution to the energy crisis and while the armaments have advanced the amount of aid diesel promised in the remuneration of their crews. Especially since the call for solidarity from large retailers, launched by the Secretary of State for the Sea, does not seem to meet with a favorable response, in a context of declining fish consumption. 

A second meeting scheduled for this week on the subject has been postponed, sine die. Under these conditions, the La Houle shipping company, after commissioning a new boat almost a year ago , soon to be joined by a sister-ship, is seriously considering resorting to the scrapping plan. Two boats… or even four, while the shipowner's diesel bill has doubled in one year. “The PAI, we see it as a way to limit damage. A survival measure”, warns Jacques Pichon

Story by Jean Le Borgne  

First #FishyFriday challenge - week 1 'A' is for anchovy.

After a recent exchange on Twitter between various fishermen and other lovers of fish Through the Gaps is going to post a different fish very Friday for one year - to showcase that the port lands a greater variety fo fish than any other port in the country - hopefully, there will be a recipe for each species - some courtesy of the countries top fish chefs - first up A is for Anchovy

Until recently, anchovies were seldom caught or landed in the south west. Back in 2009 a couple of Brixham boats were luck enough to pick up a few tons between them - sparking an immediate reaction in the national press citing the warming of the seas. More recently the local sardine fleet enjoyed an anchovy bonanza when very fishable shoals turned up in Cornish waters - some boats grossing well over £100,000 in a week. Breton and other U ports were restricted in their ladings owing to a bacterial scare - forcing sky-high anchovy prices which the sardine fleet were able to capitalise on - though the spree was short-lived and hasn't been repeated!

Nick Howell, from British Cured Pilchards recalls his experiences with anchovy, 

"I bought 10 tonnes of fresh anchovies off Scottish purser skipper Willie Tait in the early ’80’s. He was fishing off The Lizard when phoned me at 2.00 in the morning; he had 90 tonnes on board and wanted to know whether to land any more. I was the only one to have some, the rest went for fish meal. I also have documents about drift net anchovy trials off Mevagissey in 1905. The scientists were having problems getting drift nets made with a 1” full mesh rather than then traditional inch and three quarters. At the Pilchard Works in Newlyn, we used to salt up to 110 tonnes of pilchards a year in the ’80’s - when we broke them out of the brine and packed them into casks and boxes six months later we used to find between 3% -6% anchovies mixed in. So they have been in Cornwall for a long time but, as I have found out after 50 years of merchanting, if nobody thinks there is a market for them, they aren’t landed and it takes time to build a market. By the way the European anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus, only lives for 2-3 years and is very fast growing if the plankton is there and is sexually mature after nine months"

As a result, most people in the UK have never eaten fresh anchovy. The salted variety seem to be something of a marmite thing - you either relish them on your pizza topping or not!

Fresh from the Bay, an anchovy caught as a by-catch from the sardine boat, Little Pearl so, if you are lucky enough to spot fresh anchovy on your fishmonger's slab here's a great way to enjoy them!...

Take a dozen or so fresh anchovies...

head and split the belly with a small sharp knife and then, using the thumb slide it under the backbone...

and lift away from the body...

to leave a clean fillet...

chop fresh fennel, pine nuts, parsley and raisins....

after soaking the fillets in a weak brine for 20 minutes, dry with kitchen paper...

add one layer skin side down and cover with the mix...

then add a layer belly side down....

and sprinkle with breadcrumbs...

chop a mix veg of your choice to add...

to the couscous (cover the couscous dish with foil)....

bake the fish for around 20 minutes at 180˚ - put the couscous in the oven for the last 10 minutes.

Local restauranteur Richard Adams from Argoe situated in the heart of Newlyn Harbour has anchovies on his menu whenever he can get hold of them: 

"Pristine anchovies caught in Mount’s Bay and landed in Newlyn first thing this morning. A bycatch found in ring nets alongside MSC certified Cornish sardines, anchovies have been seen in increasing volumes in the fishery in recent years, although this is only the second time this season we’ve had any. 

As ever, fishing is changeable and this year seems to have been an exception to the recent trend. These are perfect for butterflying by hand and marinading in vinegar as with the classic ‘boquerones en vinagre’ from Spain. You can get some really excellent quality anchovies prepared in this style from some of the best producers along the north coast of Spain, but most imports from elsewhere are a poor imitation of the original. 

In contrast, freshly cured on the day of catch and enjoyed whilst they are still at their best, ours are pretty good! Anchovies caught in our waters easily rival those from Cantabria that fetch high prices and become the finest boquerones, so it only feels right to be doing them justice right here in Newlyn Harbour too. On the menu this week."

Next #FishyFriday there will be another fish, but which one will it be?

French news: Faced with the migration crisis, the State presence at sea boosted.

 

Faced with the explosion of attempts by migrants to cross, France has increased the nautical resources present in the area. A new organisation that allows the SNSM (French equivalent of the RNLI) to breathe a little.

Migrants wishing to cross the Channel are ever more numerous. In the months of August and September alone, the number of people intercepted by the services of the State action at sea exploded to more than 9,000 people in August, and even more in September. The boats are busier than before: between 50 and 60 people boarding. More than 37,500 people were counted in the first nine months of the year, which is already higher than the number of crossings recorded for (all of 2021), assures Veronique Magnin, spokesperson for the maritime prefect of the Channel and North Sea. 

In 2021, 35,300 people had thus attempted to cross the strait. The SNSM report in Dunkirk notes, however, that it is less regularly called upon to intervene. "We were pushed to the limit of our capacity. Over the last four months of 2021, we intervened during 46 operations to rescue 736 people. We have a long been on the front line. But after the tragedy of November 24 (Editor’s note - 27 people died following the sinking of their boat), there was a reorganisation of the State's resources at sea," said Alain Ledaguenel, president of the Dunkirk rescue centre. 

The AIS trace from March 1st - Nov 9th 2022 for the Jean Bart II

However, the SNSM station has not been idle. As of August 31, it had intervened to rescue nearly 400 migrants. “It's fewer interventions, but with more and more aggressiveness. The mafia organization of smugglers is extremely violent", continues Alain Ledaguenel, recalling a time, before the migration crisis of 2016, when the rescue of candidates for exile concerned about twenty people per year. The teams will however be able to take a break from their all-weather vessel, the Jean Bart II, which is being refitted.

The AIS trace from April 1st - Nov 9th 2022 for the Abeille Normandie

For Alain Ledaguenel, the SNSM has often found itself on the front line this autumn at the Damen yard in Dunkirk. The repeated stresses caused premature wear of the vessel. While the judicial inquiry into the drama of November 24 is underway, the maritime prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea confirms a densification of the means of (all the administrations contributing to the action of the State at sea.) 

"There are two patrol boats permanently positioned in the Channel in addition to Abeille Normandie."The French Navy also systematically has a ship in the Channel, and there is always a patrol boat near the area." 

To ensure this continuity, the building of metropolitan support and assistance Garonne also intervened this summer, such as the mine warfare vessel Thetis. The Argonaute, usually based in Cherbourg, reinforces the system on an ad hoc basis in the Pas de Calais and the Jeanne Barret, patrol boat Des Affaires Maritimes inaugurated on March 11 and based in Le Havre, is currently located in the Channel. Moving to the south 

The reorganisation of the State system at sea also regularly leads the coastal patrol boats of the maritime gendarmerie (the Athos, Maroni and Oyapock) to position themselves off the Opal coast. The customs coastguard Jacques Oudart Fourmentin, based in Le Havre, is also called upon in this migration crisis. 

“The strengthening of the system on land and the various dismantling of networks of smugglers encourage those wishing to cross to go further south. Boarding points are regularly observed as far as Le Touquet and more rarely as far as Dieppe,” explains the maritime prefecture.

Story courtesy of Virainip Wojtkowski in Le Marin. 

Where next? Voices of the UK Fishing Industry

June 2022 saw the publication of the APPG on Fisheries’ report, “Brexit: Voices of the UK Fishing Industry", which showcased voices from across the UK fishing industry speaking on the impact of Brexit on their livelihoods.

The UK fishing industry was frequently highlighted during the process that led to the UK’s departure from the EU. Since Brexit was fully brought about from the beginning of 2021, the fishing industry has seen a range of impacts, many of which industry members have reported to be unexpected and unwelcome. Although the industry is diverse in terms of geography, scale, and fishing methods, detrimental impacts on livelihoods, business turnover, labour, exports, and access were reported across various segments of the sector. However, there is hope that the situation could be improved. The recommendations within this report highlight pathways that may bring this to reality.

READ THE REPORT 

To complement and build on the report, the APPG subsequently interviewed a number of its Parliamentary members from four political parties. Their views on the importance of the fishing industry to the UK, and how government and policy can help the industry to thrive, have been compiled in a new video, “A Post-Brexit Future for UK Fishing”.