Fathom 30: The UK Fisheries Act

12/01/20 • 29 min

Fathom: getting below the surface of the UK fishing industry.

We end the year on our 30th (but, perhaps not final) episode, and it's a landmark moment that no doubt will go down in history: the UK Fisheries Bill has passed through parliament and received royal assent, becoming the UK Fisheries Act.

The Act will provide the legislative framework for future fisheries management in the UK, replacing the Common Fisheries Policy as we depart from the EU. It’s 133 pages long, and not that easy to read... the good news is, we’ve read it all - so you don’t have to.

In this unmissable episode, we talk to Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis MP, and Defra Deputy Director Anne Freeman, to break down what the Act really means for the industry.

You might be curious about why the phrase ‘framework Act’ is continually bashed about - we’ll explore what this means, along with how the key tagline of ‘taking back control of our waters’ will be achieved.

We also ask our guests about the huge sticking point of sustainability, unearthing where the objective of sustainable fishing sits in the Act, as well as exploring the climate change, ecosystem and bycatch objectives.

Tune in to learn about so much more: localised fisheries management plans, quotas, foreign vessel access. The changes embedded in the Act will be felt on water, so it really is one to get your head around.

Podcast hosts:

Paul Trebilcock
Katrina Ryan

Podcast guests:

Victoria Prentis MP, Fisheries Minister
Anne Freeman, Defra Deputy Director

Links
UK Fisheries Act

In this unmissable episode, we talk to Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis MP, and Defra Deputy Director Anne Freeman, to break down what the Act really means for the industry.

Podcast hosts:

Paul Trebilcock
Katrina Ryan

Podcast guests:

Victoria Prentis MP, Fisheries Minister
Anne Freeman, Defra Deputy Director

Links
UK Fisheries Act

Previous Episode

Fathom 29: Preparing for the 1st January with the MMO

We’re deep into November, and the tumultuous, exhausting year of 2020 is coming to an end. And who could be better placed to give an end of 2020 check-in, than Tom McCormack, CEO of the MMO. Tom joins us on the podcast with his top team Phil Haslam, Operations Director, and Michelle Willis, Finance Director, to outline a number of critical updates from the MMO that will help the industry navigate the UK’s fast-approaching transition to an independent coastal state.

It’s easy to get lost in all the Brexit jargon and overwhelmed by the plethora of changes happening this year. But as Tom says, ‘we want to focus first on what we know... the EU transition period is definitely ending on the 31st of December.’ He continues, ‘whether there’s a trade agreement or not, things will change. We need to be ready to fish in our own waters and in EU waters’.

Phil then gives an overview of how exporting and importing will change on January 1st. Exported fish will need catch certificates, as proof of legal and sustainable sourcing - to facilitate this process, the MMO are piloting an online platform on which fishermen can apply for catch certificates, and access useful services (including a 24/7 helpline) to support their applications. This week represents an iterative ‘warm up period’, allowing the industry to trial this Fish Export Service and give their feedback. We also hear about licencing, control and enforcement.

The MMO have been a vast source of support for fishermen throughout recent months, running ‘MMO outdoors’ for face-to-face support as the pandemic has unfolded. Michelle confirms that as of December 29th, support will be 24/7. Also to note is the repurposing of £800,000 of

Maritime and Fisheries Fund (MFF) funding - which so far has been invested in winches, refrigeration, and health and safety projects, and to which new applications are encouraged.

There are a number of key things that fishermen should do now to prepare:

Register for the Fish Export Service if you intend to direct land in the EU, and join the dummy run to familiarise yourself with the system
Register for your IMO number - contact the MMO with your phone number and email address if you haven’t already done so
Attend the MMO’s workshops, where you can ask real-time questions, happening between 21 - 26 Nov
Get in touch with the MMO

These dark winter months are the perfect time to ready yourself for the incoming changes - as usual, Fathom is here to help you, with an easily-digestible, conversational breakdown from the experts.

Fathom guests

Tom McCormack, MMO
Phil Haslam, MMO
Michelle Willis, MMO

Useful links

Prepare your fisheries business for changes from January 1st 2021

Exporting fish to the EU from January 1st 2021

One stop shop

Series of helpful guides

Next Episode

Fathom 31: Brexit deal: Voices from the quayside

‘This is the biggest blow I’ve ever had, in all my years of fishing’.

It’s our last episode for a few months, and it’s a big one. We head to the quayside - through the ‘new normal’ medium of Zoom, Whatsapp and good old fashioned telephone calls - to talk to fishermen about their feelings and thoughts, following the disappointing (to say the least) UK/EU Agreement.

With all the politically-charged articles and press releases flying around, it’s easy to miss the real lives, livelihoods and communities behind the headlines. Enter Fathom: a place where these on-the-ground voices are heard. We hear from young and old, new and experienced, inshore and offshore fishermen, who share heartfelt accounts of the Brexit deal.

First, we hear from Brackan, a young Cornish fisherman working on an inshore trawler. Talking of the Government’s failure to stop EU vessels from accessing the UK’s territorial waters (6-12 miles), he says, ‘everyone in the fishing industry is pushing toward sustainability, and the government had a golden opportunity to give sustainability and the future of inshore fisheries a massive boost... but they’ve given it away. They failed to deliver.’

Moving our way around the coast, we then chat to experienced skipper-owner of the ‘The Guiding Light’ Andy Giles, from Looe. Again, he shares his anger as UK fishing became the ‘poster boy of the Brexit campaign’, only to be ‘sold down the river.’ We also travel outside of the South-west, to get the views of fisherman Graham Doswell of the under-10m fleet over in Eastbourne, who talks to us with a heavy heart, as the opportunity to level out quota allocations and support the u10m fleet has been missed.

Tune in to hear these stories and more, from Scottish fisherman John Clark, owner of an offshore trawler, to inshore fisherman and CFPO Youth Board member, James Roberts.

We know of the anger, but what of the hope, if any? We ask the guys if we can dust ourselves off and find a light at the end of the tunnel, and finish with a conversation with CEO Paul Trebilcock about his hopes and expectations of 2021.

Hosts
Paul Trebilcock
Chris Ranford

Guests
Brackan Pearce
Andy Giles
Graham Doswell
John Clark
James Roberts

Links
CFPO reaction: ‘Betrayed by Boris’