Next step agreed for Plymouth market

Two meetings last week suggest that progress is being made in the bid to restore an auction to Plymouth, following the closure of Plymouth Trawler Agents in May, with the creation of a GoFundMe page designed to support the next step in the process: developing a fully costed business proposal.

A meeting of the various parties committed to a restoration of the market took place, as well as an internal meeting of the Sutton Harbour Group.

A number of potential investors are said to have made expressions of interest in running the market, with different models as to how they would operate, but it is understood that substantive talks with these parties will be delayed until an independent business plan has been developed.

Edward Baker, CEO of the Plymouth Fishing and Seafood Association, said: “We recognise that over the past two to three months, Plymouth has survived as a fishing port thanks to Sutton Harbour staff, Brixham Trawler Agents and Stevenson’s, who have been transporting fish from Plymouth for sale in Brixham and Newlyn.

“Without this support, we would not be able to continue to look to the future, and we are very grateful.

“We now have to move forward. Sutton Harbour Group, Plymouth Fishing and Seafood Association and Plymouth City Council are all committed to the re-establishment of a Plymouth fishmarket as quickly as possible.

“To that end, we are collectively funding a feasibility study and business planning exercise to determine the type and extent of the potential market, and the associated steps required to implement and institute a short/mid-term market.

“The exercise will also consider the longer term and the appropriate type, extent and structure of a sustainable Plymouth-based market and operator.”

The process for this is being accelerated, with the full terms of reference for the business plan to be agreed within the next few days. A rapid process will then see the tender for the project published straight away.

The GoFundMe to support the PSFA inputs into this work can be found here.

Council leader Tudor Evans OBE said: “The fishing industry in Plymouth is really important, and that is why we are now providing grant funding alongside the PFSA and Sutton Harbour Holdings to look at the options for reopening the fishmarket. We are open-minded to future solutions, and nothing is off the table.

“We are grateful for the transport being provided by Brixham and Newlyn, and hope this will continue. We are also grateful to the PFSA for stepping up, and for Sutton Harbour Holding’s commitment to reopening the market.

“We have been working closely with the fishing industry since the sudden closure of the fishmarket, and will continue to do everything we can to ensure that our strong fishing port has continued access to markets.”

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.

Sign up to Fishing News’ FREE e-newsletter here.

Main image: Tony Fitzsimmons