Fishing Study. Produced for the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership

Transcription

1 Fishing Study Produced for the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership

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3 Fishing Study Produced for the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership by Cornwall Food & Drink... Cornwall Food & Drink Ltd, Chapel View Farm, Coombe Lane, Bissoe, Truro TR4 8RE T: E: Registered in England and Wales. Registered No: VAT No:

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5 Contents BACKGROUND... 1 OVERVIEW... 3 PART ONE: AUDIT Vessels Fish Landings Fish Sales Facilities Aquaculture Workforce PART TWO: OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT Modernisation and rationalisation of the fleet Landing Infrastructure and Facilities Berthing Facilities Vessel Repair and Refit Facilities Facilities for Ice, Fuel and Supplies Chilled Storage Fish Markets Fish Packaging Capability Fish Processing Capability Aquaculture PART THREE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Newlyn/Fish Markets Vessels Engineering Aquaculture Small Infrastructure Projects Attracting New Entrants Marketing Industry cohesion and cross sector interdependence REFERENCES APPENDIX A... 54

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7 BACKGROUND The fishing and seafood industry makes an important contribution to Cornwall s economy. According to the 2011 study of Cornwall s Agri-food Industry, the annual value of fish and shellfish landed in Cornwall was nearly 28m and, although fishing contributed just under 0.5% to the county s GVA, the sector s productivity per full time employee ( 51,000) was not only higher than the UK average for fishing ( 49,000) but notably higher than the Cornwall average for all industries ( 32,000) and significantly higher than the figure for Cornwall s farming sector ( 13,000). In 2014, the value of fish landed in Cornwall had risen to 36m and, in addition, although no precise quantification is possible, a significant amount of seafood processing takes place in the county, adding value to the Cornish catch before it leaves the county, or for onward sale to other parts of the local supply chain, particularly the restaurant trade. The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Fisheries Local Action Group estimate that the combined value of fishing and fish processing is 50m; our findings suggest that this is in fact likely to be a conservative figure and that fish processing alone is worth between 50m and 100m. Seafood also plays a part in Cornwall s reputation for outstanding food and drink. In research undertaken by Cornwall Food & Drink in 2014, over 75% of participants identified positively with Cornish food and drink, and seafood is now the food product more people associate with Cornwall than any other. This reputation for seafood has evolved during the period since 2002, when a similar piece of work found that the county s iconic pasties and clotted cream were predictably the most popular. Like agriculture, the fishing industry also has a wider impact on the Cornish community, particularly in some of the coastal communities, where it can be responsible for most of the economic activity and employment that takes place, both directly and indirectly. Also like agriculture, the sector has a passive yet important role in tourism, from the small harbours with one or two working boats, to the larger ports with ranks of fishing vessels of all sizes, it is widely acknowledged that the fishing industry adds to the county s tourist appeal. Previous research and consultation has identified the need for investment in the Cornish fishing industry and various potential investments have been put forward. The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (CIOSLEP) is keen to gain a better understanding of the need and likely benefit of these investments. This study therefore presents an audit of the industry s assets and commercial activity, followed by an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses and potential impacts of the suggested investments. The research has been conducted by means of a detailed desk study of published statistics, complemented by one-to-one discussions with a number of key industry players. All those on Cornwall Food & Drink s seafood industry database were also invited to take part in an electronic survey, which was also promoted via local press and social media. Cornwall Food & Drink has been asked to submit a concise report. Clearly a certain amount of detailed commentary is essential but, as far as possible, a text-heavy approach has been avoided, and findings have been presented diagrammatically or in tabulated format. 1

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9 OVERVIEW The fishing industry in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is incredibly complex. A total of 32 ports were recognised by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) as Landing Ports in 2014; this figure fluctuates year on year and there are another 14 sites where fish are known to be landed. They are located around the entire 697 km of coastline and vary in size from Newlyn, one of the largest fishing ports in the UK, to those used by fewer than a handful of dayboats. The fishing methods in use are also diverse, as is the catch. As many as 40 species can be landed at Newlyn on any one day anecdotally, many in the fishing community believe this variety to be greater than any other UK port. This seems to be confirmed by MMO statistics, which record a higher number of species landed at Newlyn from January to October 2014 (the most recent recorded period) than any other UK port 1. N.B. these landed species are not all species; for example crabs are counted as one species but may include brown crab, spider crab, velvet swimming crab etc. Similarly, a variety of different selling methods are used, from the traditional early morning market to instant sales from the boat direct to restaurants via social media. The regulatory framework around fishing adds yet another layer of complexity, with licensing requirements for vessels as well as buyers and sellers of the catch, in addition to the well published tribulations of quota to consider. Furthermore, the regulations vary according to fishing method, species, and location. Finally, the industry is highly competitive and we have included both buyers and sellers and other industry stakeholders from all over the area in our study, whose needs and viewpoints may naturally be expected to differ and even conflict. Within this complex and competitive scenario, we have aimed to produce a comprehensive and meaningful audit of the industry s assets and draw constructive conclusions. Everyone who has been approached has been eager to take part in this study and has contributed freely to the findings, greatly aiding clarity. 1 From analysis of MMO reports 3

10 PART ONE: AUDIT 1.1. Vessels 2 Figure 1 shows how significant the port of Newlyn is within the national picture, recording the largest number of boats (608) of any of the Administrative Ports in the UK, by a very long way. However, it must be recognised that Newlyn is the Administrative Port of nearly all of the Cornish fleet (29 of Cornwall s 32 ports) - these figures do not relate to the Home Port or Landing Port of a vessel. By comparison, the combined fleet of Plymouth and Brixham is larger than that recorded for Newlyn. However, the Administrative Port of Plymouth does include the 35 vessels registered to Looe in Cornwall. Figure 1: Number of Vessels in 2013 per Administrative Port (UK) 3 2 All data in this section is taken from MMO statistics. 4

11 Figure 2, on the other hand, shows what a large percentage of the Cornish fleet is made up of small vessels. With the exception of the port of Newlyn, most other Cornish ports have a fleet of mainly under 10m vessels, reflecting the very different style of fishing that predominates in Cornwall compared with that seen in North Eastern England and the East coast of Scotland. N.B. where this report refers to Cornwall s 32 ports, this includes the Isles of Scilly. Figure 2: Gross tonnage of Vessels in 2013 per Administrative Port (UK) 4 3 Taken from MMO Annual Statistics Report Taken from MMO Annual Statistics Report

12 Figure 3 illustrates how the number of vessels in the UK fleet declined steadily from around 8,700 in 1996 to just fewer than 6,500 in However, this decline slowed from 2008 and has virtually halted over the 3 years up to Looking at England in more detail, in the South West, vessel numbers at Newlyn have declined slowly over the last 3 reported years, while Plymouth and Brixham show small increases (See Figure 4). 6

13 In terms of gross tonnage for the English fleet (Figure 5), figures have followed the trend for vessel numbers at all ports except Grimsby and North Shields, were a decline in one port has been reflected in an increase in the other. Although Newlyn has the highest recorded number of smaller vessels, within England it also has the third highest number of vessels over 10m (see Figures 6 and 7). 7

14 Figure 8 shows that well over half of the fleet registered to Newlyn is between 25 and 45 years old. The small number of pre 1970 vessels still in operation suggests many of those built during the 1970s are likely to be approaching the end of their working life. This is confirmed by our interviews. Regulations intended to reduce the overall capacity of the EU fleet do not permit a new vessel to be licensed unless an existing vessel is decommissioned, while at the same time removing 10% of the decommissioned vessel s capacity from the fleet. Quota must also be acquired by any new vessel. This has slowed the number of new vessels being introduced and has led to owners accumulating over time the quota and capacity attached to a number of smaller vessels as they are decommissioned in order to introduce a larger vessel to the fleet. In addition to these disincentives, the recession will have had an impact on the amount of investment in vessels since

15 Figure 9 indicates that, although the overall number of new vessels had been declining, Plymouth has been investing in a larger number of over 10m vessels than Newlyn consistently since During the current decade, a sharp reduction in the number of new under 10m vessels being added to the Newlyn fleet has meant that the overall number of new vessels being registered at the two ports is about the same for the first time. N.B. these figures again relate to Administrative Port and not home port. Data relating to the fishing methods of individual vessels is not publically available and a request to the MMO for this information was declined on grounds of commercial confidentiality. Therefore statistics relating to fishing methods are based on port rather than vessel (see page 14). 9

16 1.2. Fish Landings The following charts show that the South West of England and the North East of Scotland are responsible for the vast majority of the landings in the UK, and the concentrations of the overall value of the catches. However, in terms of the value per tonne of the catch, the South West achieves the highest returns. Figure 10: Landings into Top 20 UK Ports in 2013 ( 000 tonnes) 5 5 Taken from MMO Annual Statistics Report

17 Figure 11: 2013 Landing Volumes by ICES Rectangle 67 Figure 12: 2013 Landing Values by ICES Rectangle Figure 13: 2013 Landing Values per Tonne by ICES Rectangle 6 International Council for Exploration of the Sea 7 Charts on this page are taken from MMO Annual Statistics Report

18 Broadly, both the volume and value of the Cornish catch has been steadily increasing over recent years, although the rate of growth has tailed off since While in some years prices may increase at a higher rate than volume, and other years value might flatline while volumes increase, the overall increase in both volume and value over the six years from 2009 to 2014 was very similar, at around 40%. In 2014, 22.4m worth of fish was landed at Newlyn almost ten times as much as Padstow, the second ranked port in terms of landed value. The difference is so great that Newlyn cannot be shown on the same chart as the other ports (Figure 16). The amount of activity at the remaining ports also differs significantly from one to another. For example, some ports recorded catches of less than 1,000 in 2014, while others that still look relatively insignificant on the chart are landing catches worth between 0.25m and 0.5m. However, there are some significant differences in the trends in the value of fish landed at individual ports over recent years. Taking comparisons of the 2009 and 2014 landings, at some ports, the value has remained relatively static, while at others there has been steady 12

19 decline, e.g. Porthleven, where the value of the catch has fallen by around 75%. At Newlyn the value of the catch has risen by 30% while some of the smaller ports have recorded much stronger increases; for example, at Cadgwith the value of the catch has doubled. At Hayle it has increased by over 75%, at Padstow the figure is 65% and on Scilly it is 75%. Notably, at all these ports, the increase has been steady and sustained, indicating strategic growth rather than random fluctuation. Comparing these figures to the audit of port assets suggests that growth in many cases has been linked to investment. Figure 17 shows the change in landed values at selected ports during the period between 2009 and

20 Some ports showed an apparently massive increase in values, due to either unusually low returns in 2009 or unusually high returns in 2014, or both. In other cases the figures fluctuate much more wildly from year to year. Table 1 provides examples (rounded to nearest 100) of the inconsistencies that can occur: Table 1: A selection of ports displaying irregular patterns of trade activity Year Coverack Charlestown Portscatho Sennen ,200 9,400 2,300 29, ,100 27,000 7,400 72, ,300 53,700 25, , ,000 64,500 19,500 91, ,000 60,400 11,700 67, , ,500 16, ,700 Anomalies such as these may relate to the fact that the statutory requirement to note landing weights and the subsequent requirement on sellers (at auction) or buyers (for nonauction sales) extends only to boats of over 10m. Fishermen selling direct to local catering establishments or to the public will almost certainly be seeing better prices than they would through the markets but those sales are not recorded anywhere. Indeed, in St Mawes, for example, the single fishing boat landing there has opened a harbourside fishmonger s trailer in the last couple of years. Previously all of the catch from this boat was sold direct to a buyer from one of the local processors, now an amount of the annual catch is sold direct to the public and, as far as we understand, these sales are not recorded in the official figures. One-off events, such as the effect of the 2013/14 storms on specific ports, will also have had an impact on the figures and may account for some of the decline in the catch recorded at Porthleven, for example, where the damage was extensive. Newlyn remains quite firmly the main beam trawler landing port in Cornwall, its size and harbour facilities being suited to the larger vessels. Less than a combined 100 tonnes of beam trawled fish was landed at the remaining 31 Cornish ports in 2014, compared with over 4,000 tonnes at Newlyn. Padstow is the only one of the remaining 31 ports where more than just one or two beam trawlers land their catch. The five ports of Looe, Mevagissey, Newquay, Padstow, and the River Fal/Falmouth land the largest volumes after Newlyn. After beam trawling, gill netting, mechanised dredges (for scallops) and potting account for the greatest volumes of fish landed. A wide range of methods is used throughout the county, although some volumes are too small to be displayed on charts 18 and 19 below. Gill netting and potting, in particular, are methods suitable for the under 10m fleet, and the popularity of these methods reflects the large numbers of under 10m vessels in the Cornish fleet. 14

21 Of all the species landed at Cornish ports, six have each generated over 1million consistently over each of the past six years (see Figure 20), confirming the findings that the Cornish catch consists generally of higher value species compared to other regions. Monkfish is the top value species bringing in an average of 5m per year over that period, while crab values steadily increased from 3m to just under 5m in the same time span. Both these species are suited to the fishing methods employed by the smaller vessels. The high value per tonne of the Cornish catch is likely to be one of the reasons why the productivity of fishing per FTE in Cornwall is higher than the national average, although if volume and value are growing in tandem there is no real growth in the value of the catch to 15

22 fishermen, and this was reflected ins some of the interviews, where fishermen claim prices have not risen in line with prices to consumers. However, it could also be argued that if volumes have increased without a comparative increase in employment, the catching is being done more cost-effectively and this is where the gains are being made. Changes in the nature of the catch have been greater than the figures relating to overall volume and value suggest. For example, although crab was, and still is, the highest volume catch, sardines showed strong growth between 2010 and 2012 and even overtook crab in terms of volume during that time. This growth in the volume of Cornish sardine fishing was referred to in the 2011 Review of Cornwall s Agri-food Industry and was associated with the increase in the number of ring-netters and the classification of the Cornish sardine as a protected food name by the EU. It is noticeable that MMO data suggests that this growth has not been sustained. The decline in the European market due to the recession is likely to have reduced demand and the figures indicate that replacement markets have not been found. However, some stakeholders have questioned the apparent decline in sardine landings and 16

23 there is a suggestion that the MMO figures may not be correct. We have been unable to verify whether this is the case. The haddock, megrim and scallop catches have also risen and then fallen over the same period. In the cases of haddock and scallops, the volumes had fallen to around or below 2009 levels during As discussed in Section 1.3 the Spanish market for megrim (and for hake) has certainly been adversely affected by the recession. Pollack has been a solid performer, having enjoyed a revival as an acceptable sustainable alternative to cod. These fluctuations show what a delicate balance has to be struck between catching what the weather and ocean conditions allow and what the market demands. However, within a very competitive scenario, where price and volumes for such a short-shelf-life product are always shifting, Cornwall has managed to create within its overall fishery a wide variety of specialisms, determined by very local factors such as the nature of the catch, the fishing conditions, and the first point of sale. The north coast fishing, for example, where distance from a physical market for wet fish is an issue, is predominantly shellfish, much of which is exported via a local wholesaler. Some of the south coast ports are targeting high value species such as lemon sole, squid and (more recently) cuttle, with the restaurant trade in mind; while the driver for others is the demand from local processors, who take the catch straight from the boat. It is estimated, for example, that around 80% of scallops landed are sold direct to one processor. Fishing quotas continue to challenge the industry and there is widespread concern about forthcoming changes to EU rules on discards. Cornwall has built an element of sustainability into its fishing by developing significant, high value sales in non-quota species such as shellfish. The promotion of non-quota species such as gurnard and the ready acceptance by an increasing number of chefs to use these species also helps to relieve the pressure on quotas. However, the large volume catches are mainly of quota species. A measure of concern was also noted about the sustainability of shellfishing, in particular the ability of local waters to sustain the increasing volume of crab being caught. Bearing in mind the importance of crab to the Cornish seafood industry and the strong association people make between Cornwall and crab, this cannot be ignored. 17

24 1.3. Fish Sales Much discussion and comment during our interviews related to the prices obtained at the local fish markets and whether one particular market generated better prices than another. The average prices for species landed in 2014 were compared for Looe, Newlyn and Plymouth in an attempt to analyse these claims. Figure 22 shows that, particularly for high value species such as bass, lobsters, monkfish, sole and turbot, consistently higher prices do appear to be achieved at Looe and Plymouth when compared with Newlyn. However, this is a vastly over-simplified picture, which does not take the following factors into consideration: These figures relate to ports rather than markets. Not all fish is sold through the markets. The first sale value is attributed to the landing port even if the first sale takes place elsewhere. From conversations with vessel owners, skippers and merchants, a large catch will sometimes be split between markets to prevent downward pressure on prices by swamping the market at the port of landing. The excess catch is sent by road to another market. Figures for Newlyn, for example, will therefore include fish that is landed at Newlyn but sold at Plymouth market. The figures do not take any account of volume or the rule of supply and demand. The sheer volume of fish being landed at Newlyn compared with, say, Looe, will affect prices. The figures also disguise price variations between catching methods. For example, handline mackerel and bass will fetch a higher price than those species attract when caught by trawling. 18

25 An additional factor to consider is that, across the UK, the average price of landings varies greatly according to vessel length (see Figure 23). As a rule, longer vessels land much greater quantities of fish than their smaller counterparts and will therefore typically achieve a much lower average price for the fish landed due to the supply : demand ratio. For example, the average price of demersal fish landed by vessels over 24m is 1.41 per kg, while for the 8m and under fleet this is more than double, at 3.47 per kg. Similar differences apply for shellfish, with an average price of 2.65 per kg for landings by the 8m and under fleet, compared with 1.79 per kg for the over 24m fleet. The difference in prices is also partly due to differences in species targeted, fishing methods used and choice of markets. Figure 23: Average UK prices by length of vessel, 2013 (UK) 8 The exception is the pelagic species, where the larger vessels obtain good prices compared with the smaller ones (the medium size vessels generate the lowest prices), but the price differential between the different vessel sizes is not as distinct as that shown for demersal species. The majority of the Cornish catch is demersal species; however, the greatest volumes are caught by the larger vessels and will not therefore benefit from the higher prices. It is therefore very difficult to draw straightforward comparisons and conclusions about the prices achieved at the different fish markets in Cornwall (Newlyn and Looe) and Plymouth, where some of the Cornish catch is also sold. A smaller market such as Looe is almost certain to achieve better prices for smaller volumes of high value fish, but for high volume sales, one merchant who monitors the markets closely believes there to be no significant difference overall between prices at Newlyn and Plymouth. Whatever the like for like comparison, it is fair to say that there is an element of doubt among some fishermen about the prices they receive for fish at Newlyn market and rightly or wrongly - a perception that Newlyn prices are not as transparent as they should be. As a result, some are selling direct to customers to avoid the market, while at a port like Mevagissey, where fish to the value of nearly 2m is landed, fishermen use Plymouth rather than Newlyn to avoid the lower prices that are said to be received for overland fish. Prices alone are, of course, not a measure of profitability. From discussions it is apparent that the recession of the last few years and the consequent shrinkage in the Spanish market has 8 Taken from MMO Annual Statistics Report

26 had considerable impact on the profitability of some of the high volume species landed in Cornwall, such as megrim and hake. Prices are subject to more volatility than previously experienced and have fallen as low as 50p per kg for megrim at times. Some fishermen continue to use the Seafood Cornwall tags that identify fish caught by handline in order to attract the premium attached to these fish. Other than the use of the tags, there is no collective marketing or identification mechanism for Cornish fish. There is a perennial discussion about what really is a correct definition of Cornish fish. In general it is accepted that it refers to fish landed in Cornwall even though the larger volume catches will generally have been caught far away from Cornish waters. Some of those who fish close to shore ensure they make their customers aware of this distinction in their own marketing materials and methods, but there is little evidence that consumers in general (and many chefs) understand these complexities. Furthermore, a number of Cornish merchants supply imported farmed fish, for example farmed bass from Turkey, to local restaurants. Similarly, salmon and other species will be bought in from Scotland. There is no suggestion that this in itself is bad practice it meets a market need but it is likely that some of this fish is appearing on menus as Cornish fish or at least that customers are being allowed to think this is the case. A good deal of concern was expressed about media coverage of the sustainability issues surrounding fishing, in particular some of the TV chef features that reinforce the message that certain species should be avoided. While the amount of interest these programmes generate in cooking and eating fish is welcome, this blanket messaging is considered to do little to truly improve people s understanding of fishing. Cod, for example, is off the menu for many these days, regardless of the method and area of fishing. 20

27 1.4. Facilities An audit of the facilities at the 32 commercial ports reporting fish landings to the MMO in 2014 has been compiled and is presented in the following tables. Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority has data to suggest that another dozen or so ports also land fish, or at least host fishing boats, at some point during the year. Many of these are either very small ports or erratic with regard to landings; however we have included a number of those that we feel are of significance here: Bude, Gorran Haven, Mousehole and St Agnes. In addition, the information relating to the port of Falmouth is divided into the A&P Shipyard area and the areas controlled by Falmouth Harbour Commissioners. Table 2: Boscastle Two slipways, no other facilities Chain moorings Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Some fish sold locally through farm shop, balance to Camel Fish in Rock Additional comments The fishing in Boscastle is dying through lack of infrastructure. The harbour has no running water or electricity and there is a danger that the three working boats (one full time, two part time) will not be sustainable without some investment. Table 3: Bude Tidal outer harbour with slipway, inner harbour/wharf with sea lock forms terminus of Bude Canal. No davits/cranes. Good within the inner harbour/wharf Minimal area of wharfside hard-standing but mobile crane has to be brought from Padstow to remove boats from water and return at approx. 400/day Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies No ice or fuel (but boats tending to swap to petrol outboards for ease of maintenance). Local supplies available. Some local direct sales but most shellfish goes to Camel Fish at Rock for export. Additional comments A local fisherman has looked at applying for funding in the past but was put off by the amount of bureaucracy around a small bid he believes that Bude would benefit greatly from a crane and also some vivier tanks which would allow them to store shellfish on land and help mitigate the supply peaks and troughs caused by the weather (in common with other North Cornish ports Bude is notorious for losing fishing days to poor weather). 21

28 Table 4: Cadgwith Beach landing using winch/tractors. Winch was designed for beach keel 20ft boats now being used for regular 25ft boats with more kit so could do with uprating. Beach other than very basic maintenance Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Two ice machines and a fuel tank in place, supplies limited in Cadgwith Most selling direct There is a cold store but no packaging or processing capability Table 5: Cawsand Sand/gravel beach Swinging moorings off shore Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Probably Plymouth Additional Comments Mainly a location for holiday and leisure boat owners, as opposed to any commercial fishing activity Table 6: Charlestown Good. Open slipway Plenty of space and some sheds. Plenty of room, only three boats berth in the outer harbour, tall-ships can be a nuisance to fishermen and vice-versa Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Fish mainly landed at Mevagissey Table 7: Coverack Quayside and slipway. Modern 500kg davit Storage on quay for nets & pots Hardstanding at top of slip. Swinging moorings Mostly done on site as harbour dries. Major jobs use Gweek Boatyard Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Ice and cold room facilities via FLAG project. Varies, direct sales and markets. W Harvey and Cornish Crab mentioned 22

29 Table 8: Flushing 40m of quayside, usable above half-tide Storage area with cold room and space for nets and boxes Alongside, or on swinging moorings Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies No ice Table 9: Gorran Haven Small harbour wall and beach Moorings inside harbour wall, boats pulled out of the water to dry storage area out of season. other than routine maintenance Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Small local sales; Ocean Fish; Plymouth market No No Table 10: Hayle Good - new davit recently installed OK - bid in for funding for new pontoon (75% agreed but need 100% funding if possible) Minimal Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies New fuel bunker with card system Ice plant was installed 6-7 years ago through FLAG Some direct, some co-operative marketing, some to Newlyn. Additional comments New sluice gates are being fitted but need to be automated ( 30-40k), an investment wish list would include an environmentally sustainable extension to the leading wall on the west side of the estuary. This has also been priced at around 30k, with gabion baskets made from re-cycled tractor tyres, and would, in conjunction with the new sluice, help align and deepen the channel (a permanently shifting problem currently). Live crab and lobster kept in tanks on pontoons. These are getting old and could do with replacing. Pressure washers for cleaning down storeroom would be handy. 23

30 Table 11: Helford River Small slipway/beach Swinging moorings down river On site for small jobs Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies No ice No fuel Unknown; farmed oysters sold direct to wholesale market. Table 12: Looe Good - but tidal which is an ongoing issue - see additional comments. New cold store has been added recently, new dry store is part of the Sardine Factory plan Good Everyday repair and light engineering are handled locally (Harbour Commissioners and Black Dog Marine), larger repairs go to Plymouth or to Toms of Polruan Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies 2 ice plants part funded by Objective One, now 15 years old and in need of renewal and the addition of a screw feed to boats. Fuel - tank was put in by Harbour Commissioners with grant funding, now owned by a fishermen's company and works very well Supplies available locally Looe for the smaller boats, Plymouth for the larger boats. An independent study carried out by the harbour commissioners last year showed that prices were on a par between the two (although Looe fishermen selling at Looe thought Plymouth prices were higher). Very little if anything goes to Newlyn (distance and price perception) Some Some - new processing/packing facility has been added on Buller Quay Additional Comments Looe has organised itself well, every year the community undertakes a new fish project. Future projects include Sardine Factory renovation which is already planned and (hopefully) grant assisted, new ice machines and a box washer would be welcome. A live issue in Looe is that as fishermen become more successful and upgrade to bigger boats there comes a point when the boat is of a scale that they need to 'migrate' home port to Plymouth (this is a factor of the tidal nature of Looe). Several feasibility studies have been undertaken into the potential for an outer harbour combined with flood 24

31 defence system - there is a current study 'on the table' - whether the outer harbour part is realistic (and whether it would help with all tide landings) is a much debated point. Table 13: Mevagissey Three new cranes in last 5 years, extended jetty has added an hour to each end of the tide + new crane on outer harbour enables 24/7 landing if necessary Storage facilities OK Good but waiting lists for commercial (fishing) moorings Small jobs done locally - John Moor and son Peter using a grant funded cradle on slipway with boat maintenance grid on harbour. Larger jobs go to Toms in Polruan. Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies 2 ice machines which should produce 7 tonnes/day but one broken. New machines included in potential funding bid already prepared. Commercial diesel bunker operated by Keltic Oil Local shops, small chandlery but most now ordered online 90% to Plymouth, balance to FalFish/Ocean Fish and shellfish to Harveys in Newlyn but bait processing unit part of funding bid Additional comments Access difficult but Mevagissey is a harbour that is 'booming'. There is a waiting list for moorings, there are plenty of 'youngsters' looking to join the industry - this is put down to the appeal of day-boat fishing over working on larger offshore vessels, a community in which there are multiple stakeholders (small boats, small businesses, many families engaged in fishing). Owners are continuously investing in their boats, prices at Plymouth market are good (perceived as much better than at Newlyn) - some Newlyn boats are asking to land at Mevagissey to access Plymouth market. A grant funding bid has been prepared for a new harbour building to include new night time ice making machines (they would pay for themselves in 4 years with electricity price savings), new bait processing and a more efficient arrangement of space. 25

32 Table 14: Millbrook 50,000 landing pontoon installed in 2014, financed by FLAG and EFF. Storage facilities onshore Pontoon berths, quayside berths & swinging moorings Engineering works on-site. Lift-out facilities. Forklift & crane facilities Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Ice unknown Diesel available Supplies locally and Plymouth Probably Plymouth Table 15: Mousehole Harbour quays and beach. Modern electric davit installed with grant funding Cold store which was destroyed in 2013/14 gales, but rebuilt Moorings in harbour On site for small jobs. Newlyn for bigger jobs Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies No ice No fuel brought in by jerrycan Newlyn for supplies Newlyn. Either landed direct or sent by van. Some local sales to restaurants Additional Comments Ice machine would be very useful. Have considered fuel bunker, but put off by regulations Table 16: Mullion Harbour quays and slipway. No davits At top of slipway On site for small jobs Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies No ice No fuel Unknown, but mainly shellfish landed Additional Comments Owned by National Trust Table 17: Mylor 75m of quayside Slipways Pontoons Storage of nets and boxes on open quay Alongside or on swinging moorings 26

33 Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Mylor Boatyard No ice Fuel at Mylor marina Chandlers in Mylor Boatyard Unknown Oysters gathered and stored for onwards transportation Table 18: Newlyn 900m of quay with up to 8.5m draught at Mean High Water Spring Quayside berths plus pontoons. New card system for electricity. Single slip capable of taking vessels to 27.4m length and 4.0m draught Some marine engineering and craft services available locally but large jobs go to Holland. Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Up to 90 tonnes of ice per day available via private ice company. Some fuel points on North Pier. Most fuel delivered by tanker to the quays Provisions and chandlers available locally 1500sqm of floor area and 2 chill rooms. Ability to land directly into the market from the quays. Fish sorting, grading and weighing line. Traditional shout auction. Building in need of refurbishment. Available locally, including some contract packing for direct sellers. Available locally, including some contract processing for direct sellers. Table 19: Newquay 2 quays. 2 x 500kg davits. 3 x 250kg davits Pot and net storage on quay Moorings in harbour dries completely at Low Water Vessels ashore on quay and car park for winter On-site for most jobs. Padstow used for major work Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Ice machine and deep freeze on site Fuel brought in by tanker. No storage on site All shellfish sent abroad. Fish to Newlyn or Plymouth 27

34 Table 20: Padstow Good for the number of boats using Padstow, 5 davits Storage is the one issue - very little and no cold store - ideal would be to purchase some land on the outskirts of Padstow for hardstanding/cold store for bait/more vivier tanks rather than keep pots. Good, but tidal outer harbour, inner (wet) harbour can take up to 25m beam trawler, the harbour often provides shelter for Newquay and Port Isaac boats Good, engineering and fabrication both available locally Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies New ice machine recently installed Fuel - fuel, gas and lubricants all available Supplies available Newlyn, Plymouth and Looe but more fishermen looking to sell direct. No Most landings are shellfish sold live Additional Comments Would like to see more tourism/fish collaboration across the county - it works very well in Padstow where car park tariffs support fishing investment etc. Potential funded projects would include pontoons in the outer harbour to enable movement of kit etc. at low tide. Blue sky project would be a 'sill' from outside harbour office to south dock to enable movement of boats at low tide. Favours one central, independent fish market for Cornwall. Concerns that fishermen are getting the same price they were 20 or 30 years ago for crab and lobster while retail prices have risen markedly. Table 21: Penberth Stone slipway with recovery winch Store rooms at top of beach Hardstanding above beach On site for small jobs. John Skuse at Porthallow for major work Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Fridge/freezer with ice machine Communal diesel tank Newlyn Additional comments Owned by National Trust Table 22: Penryn 40m of quayside usable 2 hours either side of HW Pontoons Storage for nets and boxes 28

35 Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Pontoons and swinging moorings Bring in specialist trades from outside No ice No fuel Chandlers in Falmouth Land to Fal Fish first. Some fish to local buyers Table 23: Penzance Quayside. No davits seen Harbour access controlled by lock gates Alongside quay Engineering and marine services alongside quay Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies No ice Fuel in marina Newlyn Additional Comments No evidence of fishing boxes, pots, nets etc was seen on site, suggesting that the harbour is used for repair/layup rather than landing fish. Close proximity to Newlyn will account for this. Table 24: Polperro Three cranes, one on Eastern harbour, two on Western. Two forklifts. Winter on chains in middle of inner harbour Summer two boat lay alongside outer pier, six on moorings Minimal Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Good ice machine, fuel from 50,000l tank at top of village gravity fed to 20,000l holding tank on Eastern harbour. Polperro has a redundant fish market which has cold storage, ice machine and two forklifts. Currently fish goes to Looe and Plymouth markets. No No Additional comments Polperro is tidal fish cannot be landed 3 hours either side of low tide. The Harbour Commissioners have investigated working on the outer platform to make it suitable for landing fish (it s currently used for embarking sightseeing passengers). There is a feeling that being able to land all day would encourage another couple of trawlers and two or three more smaller boats to work from Polperro - which in turn might make the market viable again. 29

36 Table 25: Port Isaac Harbour with slipway, no davit/crane but forklift purchased by Harbour Commissioners for use of fishermen Boats onto slipway Minimal maintenance only Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Small ice machine, private diesel tanks and storage area at back of converted fish cellars Shellfish and wetfish shops in converted fish cellars, local hotels/restaurants including some renowned for fish. Most shellfish goes to Camel Fish, either delivered by van or a small Camel Fish lorry collects. Other comments The industry in Port Isaac is pretty healthy, most vessels doing well on shellfish. A number of younger fishermen have taken over boats in the last couple of years. Table 26: Porthleven Davits/winch/1.5t landing derrick - PESCA project Fridge on site to hold fish 150ft of deep mooring under davits 90% do their own maintenance. Engineers & metalworkers in the village. Hydraulic engineers in Helston. Spencer Carter (winches/haulers) in Falmouth Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Ice machine on quay. Operated by Porthleven Fishermen s Association. No fuel on site - too much trouble with bunds/booms etc. Most keep fuel on local farms and have it brought down when needed. Newlyn Small amount done by local fishmonger Table 27: Porthoustock Gravel beach. Multiple winches in small huts. Launching tractor At top of beach. Some swinging moorings On site for small jobs Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies No ice No fuel Unknown 30

37 Table 28: Portloe Slipway, winch and storage shed. Ungraded winch and shed funded by FLAG Tidal harbour, boats pulled onto slipway No Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies No Most fish sold through two shellfish processors, one in mid Cornwall, one in North Cornwall No No Table 29: Portreath The harbour is railed all the way round, so boats use block & tackle on rail stations to unload boxes. Wooden shed on site for equipment storage and block built bait store Against quay walls Most do repairs themselves. Harbour is fully tidal, so can get underneath boats each tide. Boats craned out onto trailers if major repairs needed Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies No ice No fuel Macsalvors for most chandlery items 2 boats fish rod & line for Fal Fish 3 potters sell to John Earl or private buyers Additional Comments Harbour is owned by Cornwall Council. Leased to Harbour Association 36 moorings. Only accessible for 3½-5 hours either side of High Water. Boats come out in October and go back in March. Rarely used at other locations over winter. Would benefit from a cold store and ice machine to hold catches and ice for boats. Table 30: Portscatho Fish are landed onto slipway or beach, no davits or other landing gear. Boats all pulled onto slipway Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies No ice or fuel, minimal supplies available in village. Very small fisherman s store for equipment at top of slipway. Fish sold through local hospitality and fisherman s own farm shop. 31

38 Table 31: River Fal A&P Shipyard Deepwater quay within A&P dock basin Davit on quayside Shellfish storage Blast chillers unload and go Some in A&P yard. Mainly in-house repairs Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Ice brought in from Fal Fish factory in Redruth No fuel Falcon supplies in dockyard Fal Fish Crabs processed on-site. Fish sent to factory at Redruth Table 32: River Fal Falmouth Harbour Commissioners Quays at Custom House Quay and North Quay, but not used by fishermen for landing catches. Berths in inner harbour. Some swinging moorings Falmouth Boat Construction. Mylor Boatyard Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies No ice Fuel on fuel pontoon and fuel barge Additional Comments Commercial fishing is not really their market. There are other landing places nearby Table 33: River Fowey Fishermen use a redundant clay jetty (Jetty Number 3). There is a davit on the end of the jetty. A potter working out of Fowey also uses the ferry slipway at Caffa Mill (Fowey side of Bodinnick Ferry). Chain moorings on river C Toms and Sons of Polruan serious boatbuilding and repair business can take boats up to 300t and 30m length on two slipways. Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Ice at shellfish processors, fuel and chandlery at C Toms, Polruan Shellfish (mussel) boats have their own direct markets, Ocean fish also purchase a great deal of shellfish from Fowey Only for mussels Only for mussels decontamination tanks etc. 32

39 Table 34: Isles of Scilly Good - no tide issue, hoist to 500kg - a bigger crane would be useful Catch (mostly crab/lobster) kept in keep pots - vivier tanks on the harbour would be better OK Good for the current <10m fleet - boat storage, slipway and repair yard at Porthloo Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Ice - owned by the fishermen's association Fuel available Supplies available Local sales but bulk of catch to Newlyn on Scillonian/Gry Maritha Additional comments Expense of getting catch to mainland is a problem Overall the picture on Scilly is reasonably positive, the community understands that the fishing fleet is an integral part of the islands tourist appeal. Two new boats are joining the fleet in 2015, both crewed by local men. An open retail fish stall on the harbour in the summer sold out daily - a co-operatively run permanent retail outlet would give a great boost to the industry on Scilly as would a general raising of awareness of the industry on Scilly - perhaps a Scilly fish 'brand'. Table 35: Sennen Slipway with tractor for launch/recovery Cold store on site Maintenance shed on site Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Ice machine on site and ice bins Diesel on site at cost price. Petrol supply own Newlyn, with some direct to wholesalers in Newlyn & St Ives Processing facility currently under construction Table 36: St Agnes Slipway with tractor for launch/recovery Small net store Small hardstanding at top of slip Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies No ice No fuel small petrol outboard fleet Unknown 33

40 Table 37: St Ives Land at Smeaton's Pier. 2 cranes 500kg and 250kg - unload and go off to moorings Loan generator for on-boat repairs. Boats go to Newlyn or Penzance for major work Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies Ice machine on site Diesel store on site Newlyn or Macsalvors for supplies Newlyn. Land at St Ives and sent over by road Some done by Matthew Stevens and Celtic Fish & Game Some done by Matthew Stevens and Celtic Fish & Game Additional comments Access difficult in summer Smeaton's Pier is Grade 2 Listed, so causes problems for upgrades etc. Need somewhere secure to store gear. Table 38: St Mawes Harbour wall with 500kg davit, slipway opposite. Limited number of moorings Some at Pasco s boatyard a short way up the river at St Just in Roseland Facilities to provide ice, fuel and supplies No Fisherman owned retail unit on St Mawes Harbour, most fish landed sold under contract to FalFish 34

41 1.5. Aquaculture Aquaculture in Cornwall is limited to shellfish farmed mussels, oysters and, more recently, clams but has been dogged throughout history by the hazards of water quality. The Helford River, for example, which had been known for generations by the London market as a source of fine oysters was decimated by the Bonamia parasite in the 1980s. Then, after reinvestment and its successful rebirth around 2007, the same fishery was hit by a serious algal bloom attack in 2009, a factor that is reflected in figures showing reduced output from the Helford River fishery. The oyster farm in question now spreads its risk by focussing on sales of a wider variety of wet fish. Prior to 2014, investment in mussel farming in the Fal River had enabled it to reach a purification capacity of 1 tonne a week. However, this was seriously affected when the 2013/14 winter s storms caused high levels of pollution, closing the fishery during the height of the season and placing severe strain on the businesses involved. It is yet to be seen whether the businesses affected will fully recover. Porthilly Farm, producing oysters, mussels and clams on the Camel Estuary on the north coast, has been luckier and is now selling approximately 800,000 Pacific oysters and 100 tonnes of mussels for wholesale and retail per annum. Floating oyster cages, part funded by an EU grant, have increased production, and investment in purification equipment has enabled the farm to sell direct to restaurants and other retailers. Shellfish farming also takes place on the Fowey River. It should be noted that shellfish farming is often carried out alongside wild harvesting, and that the wild and farmed shellfish industries appear to work well side by side. Padstow is home to the National Lobster Hatchery, a charity that works with the industry to secure and enhance stocks of this valuable species, not only by collecting berried hens and releasing their offspring into the wild at the optimum moment for survival but also by undertaking academic research into the species and the global lobster fishery. A PhD student at Exeter University s European Centre for the Environment and Human Health based in Truro is currently investigating people s attitudes to shellfish in an effort to identify ways of overcoming negative perceptions and food safety fears. The research is based on the rationale that shellfish can be a valuable and sustainable source of protein and is a potential substitute for other less sustainable protein foods, suggesting that shellfish farming could help satisfy that need. This is also interesting in terms of the potential depletion of natural stocks of shellfish in Cornish waters, mentioned previously. A recent government-backed move to investigate the potential for finned fish farming off the Cornish coast is currently on hold following the identification of a number of potential drawbacks, notably that it was found that Cornwall s waters are not sufficiently sheltered for this type of farming and that the storms of the 2013/14 winter would have decimated any such farms had they existed. Water quality is the number one priority (and worry) to those operating in the aquaculture sector, especially as it is a factor beyond their own control. The opportunity for aquaculture in Cornwall therefore needs to be considered with care, but the county s geography undoubtedly lends itself to further exploration of the possibilities within what is almost certain to become a growing market. 35

42 1.6. Workforce Data on Cornish fishermen is grouped by Administrative Port rather than the vessel s home port. As stated, Newlyn covers 29 of the 32 ports in Cornwall, with the remaining three being accounted for within the Plymouth area. There are over 800 fishermen in Cornwall, the highest number of all the administrative areas in England, which reflects its position as the area with the highest number of vessels in the UK. Figure 24: Fishermen numbers by Administrative Port 2013 (UK) 9 9 Taken from MMO Annual Statistics Report

43 Over the period , the overall number of fishermen employed in the UK fell by about 8%, from around 13,000 to 12,000. The decline, shown in Figure 25, has been generally slow but steady. Figure 25: Numbers of UK Fishermen A fall in numbers was recorded for the Administrative Port of Newlyn between 2012 and 2013, the only period for which detailed figures are available. The fall in the number of part-time fishermen was larger than the fall in full-time fishermen. On the whole, the fall in numbers in Newlyn, although not large, is higher than many other areas of England over the same period. However, Plymouth, (where Looe fishermen are registered) recorded a significant drop in full time numbers from almost 900 in 2012 to around 650 in 2013, and a drop of over half its part-time fishermen. By comparison, the number of full-time fishermen at Brixham increased by around 150 over the same period. As these two changes are far more significant than any of the other changes in England, it suggests that there has been some switching between registrations at the two ports. 37