Even with Brexit, challenges mounting for UK’s small fishing communities

The United Kingdom’s fisheries sector can be challenging to work in due to sporadic income, unsociable working hours, and risks to the health and safety of employees, speakers at a recent meeting of the U.K. All Party Parliamentary Group on Fisheries (APPG) testified. In addition, many fishing communities suffer from socioeconomic deprivation, and it is feared that issues related to Brexit may make their situation even worse.

The APPG, chaired by Member of Parliament Sheryll Murray, invited Seafish Chief Economist Arina Motova, Seafarers UK Grants Director Deborah Layde, and New Economics Foundation Senior Researcher Griffin Carpenter to discuss the socioeconomic challenges and opportunities facing U.K. fishing communities, and how they might be addressed by government through policy and collective action.

Speaking to the audience of parliamentarians, representatives of industry and environmental NGOs, and policymakers, Motova outlined the economic and demographic qualities of the U.K. fisheries sector, and how they vary across different regions. The UK fishing fleet has around 4,500 active fishing vessels, three-quarters of which are under 10 meters in length. Landings of 688,000 metric tons of fish and shellfish in 2018 were valued at GBP 989 million (EUR 1.1 billion, USD 1.2 billion). A small number of large pelagic vessels account for a large proportion of the catch; for example, mackerel made up 30 percent of the landings.

Of the 11,961 employees in the fishing sector, just 1 percent are women, and 85 percent are from the U.K., Motova confirmed. This contrasts with the seafood processing sector, which offers more than 19,000 full-time equivalent jobs, 40 percent of which are held by women. More than half of the processing positions are held by workers from Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, but these jobs are under threat from new immigration rules being considered by the U.K. government, Motova said. Creating possibilities in the sector for younger generations and attracting young people to work in seafood-related jobs are vital components of preserving small fishing communities, Motova said.

“Uncertainty in future quota and fisheries management, in trade relationships, and in the availability of labor are the main challenges for the industry,” Motova said. “It’s very difficult to plan any business or investment in this environment.”

Deborah Layde said income insecurity was a top concern for those looking at jobs in the sector.

Recent research by the organization showed that fishers can experience mounting debt problems when unable to fish because of sickness or ill health, or when a fishing vessel is in for repair. In response, Seafarers operates an advice and information line for seafarers and their families helping them with housing and relationship problems, accessing welfare benefits, income tax issues, and providing support to access grants offered by other maritime welfare charities.

“Insecure, fluctuating income creates problems in maintaining regular payments for housing, council tax, and priority debts. These issues can then lead to housing, mental, and physical health issues,” Layde said.

Layde said the sustainability of workers in fishing and coastal communities is just as important as the sustainability of fish stocks.

“It is not all about the fish,” she reminded them.

Griffin Carpenter offered a similar outlook on the challenge of uncertainty, but in the wake of Brexit, called for a radical vision of what modern fisheries could look like.

“Despite the U.K. fishing industry posting record profits and turnover, the very obvious and visible reduction in vessels and employment means that many people feel the fishing industry is in decline,” he said. “Even with a reduced fleet size, finding crew for vessels is becoming increasingly difficult, and new entrants to the industry are scarce. Do we accept these trends as inevitable, or attempt to turn the tide?”

Murray, who comes from a fishing family, highlighted that fishing can provide a good livelihood, but agreed that more needs to be done to support fishing communites.

“The meeting enabled us to start looking at how we might address the socioeconomic challenges that these communities face,” she said.

Photo courtesy of All Party Parliamentary Group on Fisheries