Fishermen facing ruin after filling EU quotas

Kent News: Fishermen facing ruin after filling EU quotas

KENT NEWS: Financial ruin faces commercial fishermen who say their annual quota of skate and Dover sole has already run out.

The European Union imposes strict limits on how much fish can be caught by member states every year, but small businesses are accusing the UK Government of not distributing its allocation fairly.

Whitstable fisherman Phil Edwards told KOS Media that although 95 per cent of the country’s fleet was made up of under 10-metre boats, they only have access to about four per cent of the quota.

“The rest goes to large producer organisations,” he said. “So the big boys get the bulk of the quota while we’re all left out in the cold.

Most small boats in Kent rely on Dover sole and skate, but our allocation of skate ran out in June and Dover sole ran out about two weeks ago.

“The bulk of Kent’s fleet is now tied up with nothing to catch, so it’s a pretty dire situation all round. If this goes on much longer people will be going out of business.”

In previous years central government has successfully topped up the UK’s allocation of skate and Dover sole through quota swaps with other EU members that do not rely so heavily on those species.

However, no such swaps have taken place this year.

Mr Edwards said although small boats could still go out fishing for bass, it was hit and miss whether they would land enough to make the trips worthwhile.

“What we would like to see is the scrapping of quotas for boats our size,” he added.

“The effort limitation system would suit us better because it would allow us to go out for a certain number of hours a week and keep everything we catch.

“If I did go out bass fishing then I would also catch skate for sure, but at the moment I have to throw it back or I’ll be fined.

“With effort limitation there’s no waste but everyone earns a little bit more money because they can keep everything they catch and don’t have to throw anything back dead.”

This week, Mr Edwards and fellow Whitstable fisherman John Nicholls met with fisheries minister Richard Benyon to discuss their concerns.

Mr Edwards said after the meeting – which was organised by Canterbury MP Julian Brazier – he was “reasonably optimistic” of securing a new allocation for Dover sole, albeit not enough to make a living.

He added: “In the medium to long term he wants to completely change the way inshore fisheries are managed, but realistically that’s not going to happen for at least another two years.”

Last week Kent’s oyster industry took a hit when a shellfish farm in Whitstable tested positive for the deadly herpes virus.

Containment areas restricting movement of the delicacy have now been declared in the Swale, Thames and north Kent coast.