Impressions from a summer spent with fishing communities across the UK
By Felicity Spoors
I have now reached week seven of my travels around the UK coastline, this week hitting North Wales and Merseyside. When I sat down to dinner last night, I reflected on the weeks past and the many interesting things I have seen and learned on my journey – the struggles and pressures faced by many in the industry, but also the some of oddities that my travels have lavished upon me.
Starting off in Folkestone, I stumbled upon a small pink house floating in the centre of the harbour. Not long after this, my foot disappeared up to the ankle in what can best be described as quicksand. Please, unlike me, heed the warnings!
In Ramsgate, I witnessed a pigeon eating baked beans, and watched with fascination as a fire engine emptied its hoses into the harbour. I’ve seen a knitted mermaid atop a post box and soldier bollards ‘standing to attention’ in Appledore.
I spotted a dog on a paddleboard in Morfa Nefyn, saw cows crossing the motorway over a bridge above me en route to Anglesey, and watched cygnets sliding through the mud on their bellies like penguins in Penrhyn.
But the most notable impression the last seven weeks have left is how fishers have persevered in the face of adversity by adapting and diversifying their practices to enable them to continue their trade.
There’s a pink house in Folkestone harbour – part of an art installation by Richard Wood to highlight the issue of second homes in the town – but very few fishing boats. There are now only a handful of commercial vessels in what was once a busy fishing port – a story that is repeated in ports all around the South East of England.
In Folkestone, folk were chartering their fishing vessels to those wishing to swim the English Channel, working 15 to 20 hours at a time. I spoke to one fisher who makes a bit of money selling old creels as garden ornaments.
Some are getting involved in science projects for universities and government bodies. I met
a fisher who had developed a dolphin-watching company to help cover his fishing expenses. Even sea shanties and television adverts have featured.
It all tells a story of resilience in the industry beyond what most would bear or put up with. It seems that Jacques-Yves Cousteau was on to something when he said: “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
These, I discovered, are people for whom fishing isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle, a livelihood and an heirloom. Even in retirement, fishers fish some more. This gives me confidence that though the pressures mount, the industry will rise to the challenges.
Felicity Spoors (left) is a fleet researcher with Seafish working on the 2023 Fleet Survey. This is taking place now, with researchers visiting ports and harbours across the country. The inputs provided by vessel owners are invaluable to the annual reports that Seafish provides as a service to the industry, forming the basis of data that can be used to support everything from individual business planning to industry requests for government investment.
If you are happy to take part, please email: fleet.survey@ seafish.co.uk with your name, email and/or phone number and port of operation or visit the Fleet Survey page on the Seafish website to find out when researchers will be in your area.
This story was taken from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports on the UK and Irish commercial fishing sector, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.30 here.
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