Setting priorities for the next government

NFFO CEO Mike Cohen outlines its priorities for the next government…

The last of the main party manifestos was published in late June. Fishing is an important industry, but one that most people know little about, so it is hardly surprising that concerns about our industry are not a national priority. Some manifestos addressed fishing and the sea directly, although mostly briefly. Others were better known for what they left unsaid.

Manifestos are advertising. They encourage the general public to vote for the politicians who write them. There are values ​​associated with fishing—hard work, self-reliance, physical courage—that some of these politicians want to emulate.

It takes more than just a lobster-in-hand photo to acquire these traits, but there will always be those on the campaign trail who decide it’s worth a try, so photo opportunities near fishing boats and ports are sure to keep coming.

Bold and audacious promises are freely made in manifestos but often forgotten once power is in. We all remember what was said before the Brexit referendum, and we all know how little those promises were worth afterwards. The time for real work comes when the campaign ends, the new parliament begins and the hard, tedious and unglamorous work of studying, managing and developing our fishing CVs begins.

If we are to believe the opinion polls, we are likely to have another government soon. This is a point of change: a time to take stock and consider what can be done better. There are many specific suggestions that could be made to improve fisheries management, and the NFFO will work with the new government on all of them in due course. For now, however, I would like to propose five important general ideas that policymakers should bear in mind when developing specific policies.

Food

Above all, decision-makers must remember that fishing is about food. It is not a conservation issue. It is not a heritage activity or a hobby. It is a modern food industry.

People are finally waking up to the fragility of a food supply system that is overly dependent on timely imports and the fast, inexpensive international transport links that make them possible. The British fishing industry provides healthy, affordable, free-range food whose carbon footprint compares favourably with any other source of dietary protein.

Moreover, it is increasingly recognized that the stability of food supplies is the foundation of our national security. This applies to both the food we export and the food we eat: everywhere is safer when no one goes hungry. Fisheries policy must remember what its ultimate goal should be: the sustainable maximization of food production from the sea in the national interest.

Cooperation

One of the few tangible benefits of Brexit was the emergence of a new fisheries management system for the UK, free from the oppressive and failed bureaucracy of the Common Fisheries Policy. These elections were called in the middle of the period in which the UK’s Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) were being developed. As a result, consultations were suspended and meetings postponed. The implementation of FMPs was put on hold and we all wait to see if, when and in what form they will be resumed.

The new government may feel the need to diverge from its predecessor in the policies it pursues, but caution would be prudent on this point. The FMP approach cannot be seen as the product of a particular government. It involves collaboration between industry, fisheries managers and scientists to develop evidence-based management measures.

Many of us have been calling for exactly this for years. This fundamental principle is a good one, and the system built on it should not be discarded wholesale just because a particular party happened to be in power when it was finally implemented.

Space

For centuries, fishing and shipping were the only industries operating at sea. Now, many new players have entered the scene. Unlike fishing and shipping, many of these industries (wind power, aggregate extraction, environmental protection) want exclusive access. Fishermen cannot own the waters they fish in, so they are gradually being pushed out of their traditional areas.

All this despite the fact that, unlike many new uses for the sea, fishing directly benefits coastal communities. Wind turbines dot the east coast of Britain, and Grimsby is trumpeted as one of the world’s largest offshore wind centres, yet the town remains one of the poorest in Britain.

Fishing not only provides work on the boats. It generates work on land in ports, fish markets, maintenance facilities and boat shops. It provides a living, working seascape to which tourists come, supporting tourism sector businesses. It provides a sense of continuity and proud tradition that holds communities together.

Policies that allow for the squeeze will destroy communities that are already on the brink in every sense. On the other hand, policies that promote sustainable growth in the fishing industry will help these places thrive.

People

We hear a lot – rightly – about sustainability when it comes to fisheries policy. The need for fishermen to live sustainably is often ignored.

Fishing is undoubtedly a dangerous profession, but much progress has been made in improving safety. At the same time, however, some government initiatives have backfired. The application of the Small Workboat Code to fishing vessels was poorly conceived and poorly implemented, leading to requirements for vessel modifications that experts have condemned as unsafe.

The introduction of medical certification requirements against the advice of the NFFO and others has accelerated a mental health crisis as fishermen found their livelihoods threatened without improving anyone’s safety. The sub-10m fleet was only exempted from these disastrous regulations after a major campaign by the NFFO, not before many people wasted money on unnecessary fitness tests, while others were forced out of the industry altogether. The limited decision-making process that allowed this disaster to happen in the first place needs fundamental reform.

The costs of running a fishing business and the benefits that can be gained from it must also be factored into government policy. A fair price for the products of their work and energy costs that are not ruinous are essential to any productive industry and the health, safety and mental well-being of those working in it.

Strategy

Fishing is managed in many different ways by a wide range of people for many – often conflicting – reasons. Fishing efforts are managed internationally through treaties and annual negotiations; nationally by Defra and locally by IFCA. There is resource-based management through FMPs and spatial management through regional marine plans. Fishing grounds are taken for other purposes as part of the national energy strategy and also the national conservation strategy, while the Crown Estate leases areas to every industry except ours for profit.

Fishing is still hampered by the lack of a holistic plan to guide its development as an industry. We need a national strategy that combines the management of existing fisheries with the sustainable development of new ones – a strategy that opens up fishing to create jobs and support coastal communities. If the UK does this, then
We will finally fully harness the potential of fisheries to contribute to the country’s food security and economic growth.

Perhaps we can regain some of the pride we should feel in having such dedicated, resourceful and indispensable people as fishermen on our shores.

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This story is from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up to date and in-depth reporting on the UK and Irish commercial fishing industry subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.30 here.

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