3 March 2014
The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) has welcomed confirmation by Fisheries Minister, George Eustice, that fishermen affected by the recent extreme weather will have access to the government’s storm relief fund, but says much more needs to be done to support the sector as one of the worst hit industries.
At a crunch meeting last week the minister confirmed fishermen affected
would be able to access the £10m Small Business Storm Relief Fund, which
although welcome by the NFFO, falls short of its request for specific
compensation to help the estimated 4,000 fishermen and 2,000 vessels impacted.
Fishermen have been hit hard by the recent stormy weather with many
unable to get out to sea to earn a living since before Christmas.
The NFFO Chairman, Paul Trebilcock, who attended the meeting to negotiate
on behalf of UK fishermen, said: “One of our key objectives from the meeting
was securing access for fishermen to the small business support fund, which we
did. Unfortunately we remain without any real, tangible compensation in a form
similar to that which the farming industry has received, despite both being
vital sources of food four our island nation.”
At the National Farmers’ Union conference Eustice revealed details of a
£10m Farming Flood Recovery Fund specifically designed to get farmers back on
their feet. There has also been a commitment from Sport England to provide a
£5m pot for repairing sports facilities damaged by the flooding and storms.
Mr Trebilcok added: “It’s certainly a source of frustration that resources
are being put into repairing cricket pitches before going to fishermen who are
struggling after months of no income and have damaged equipment that isn’t
cheap to fix.”
However, Mr Trebilcock pointed to the other positives coming from the
meeting: “We needed to know how the government was going to respond to damaged
infrastructure, such as harbours, sea walls and defences. Fortunately the
minister has assured us steps have been taken to secure and encourage speedy
repairs and the Marine Management Organisation has been instructed to be
flexible and expedient in providing licenses required for these repairs.”
On top of making no income while unable to get to sea, some fishermen
have suffered doubly with valuable fishing gear being irreparably damaged or
lost.
Shell fisherman John Balls from North Devon has lost almost £5,000 worth
of lobster pots in the recent storms and says he is not the only one: “Many
shell fishermen in Devon have been left in a terrible situation. We have
incurred thousands of pounds worth of damage to our pots and ropes, and as this
situation is classed as an act of God, we have been unable to claim on our
insurance.
“While other fishermen are slowly returning to work, it could be several
months until we can replace the equipment and the shellfish industry could take
up to six months to recover.”
The NFFO pressed government for support for fishermen like John who have
lost expensive gear, but the minister would not be drawn on giving a
commitment.
Mr Trebilcock continued: “Mr Eustice was sympathetic and understood the
argument about compensating those who have lost thousands of pounds of gear. He
wasn’t prepared to say ‘yes we’re going to do that’, but he has committed to
taking it into consideration.”
Following the meeting, George Eustice MP, the Fisheries Minister, said:
“The severe weather over recent months has had a significant impact on a number
of fishing communities.
“The government has made a £10m grant fund open to flood affected businesses,
and further options are being considered to help fishermen affected by storms.”