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A Newlyn skipper says that the decline of the fishing industry
is reason enough to scrap proposals for a seafood park at Newlyn
Coombe.
Shaun Edwards, a full-time commercial fisherman who runs a family
business and employs five local men, says that the recent news that
the port's biggest employers - W Stevenson & Sons - had warned
of possible cuts to workforce and vessels is a clear indicator that
the industry is now in a state of decay.
"There are no youngsters coming into the industry because
it's a dying trade.
"If you don't believe me then just ask any skipper from the
catching sector which way the industry is going.
"They all say the same - and that is that its on the way down,"
he said.
The skipper, owner of the netter Nova Spero and part-owner of the
Harvest Reaper, is vehemently opposed to controversial plans to
build a £4m seafood park on a greenfield site - and says that
if the plans go ahead the only people who will benefit will be the
fish merchants, not the catching sector.
He believes that the merchants are backing the scheme so that they
can turn their existing premises into apartments to let.
"In effect they are diversifying and securing an alternative
income for themselves elsewhere because they know as well as we
do that their income from buying and processing fish and shellfish
is and will continue to be on the decline."
Mr Edwards has also criticised Newlyn Fisheries Officer Tony Woodhams
flagging up the need to encourage all fishermen operating in Area
7 to land their fish in Newlyn to strengthen the seafood park case.
In a recent edition of The Cornishman Mr Woodhams said that if
there are going to be less fishermen operating in and out of Newlyn,
all Area 7 fishermen would need to be encouraged to land at Newlyn
rather than Brixham or the Breton port of Douarnenez.
The skipper says that Mr Wodhams is in "cloud cuckoo land"
as Douarnenez is itself a struggling port.
"There are no boats left working there, they were all sold
or scrapped about four years ago and it's now just a toy-town port.
"The same situation faces Guilvinec.
"That port is set to lose 80 20-metre boats in the next year
because they are running at a loss.
"And as for Brixham, well no skipper would sail past Plymouth
and its state-of-the-art market and technology to get to Newlyn.
"It is only a minority of the Brixham boats that will come
here."
Shaun Edwards warns: "In five to seven years time Newlyn will
also be a toy-town industry with only small day boats.
"It needs trip boats for a scheme like the Seafood Park at
Newlyn Coombe."
He also discounts claims that the creation of a park would generate
local employment.
"It won't. We all know what will happen. It will generate
employment but only for eastern Europeans - Poles, Russians and
Latvians - because they are cheap labour.
"Some of the local merchants employ them now - and one in
particular has a mostly eastern European workforce. So it won't
mean jobs for locals."
Mr Edwards says that instead of money being ploughed into a seafood
park, it would be better spent invested in the catching industry
and its mostly 40-50 year-old vessels.
If proposals for a seafood park do go ahead then it should be sited
on the Long Rock Industrial Estate, he says.
"It's only a mile or two outside of Newlyn and would alleviate
traffic problems. If its a good enough venue for Marisco Fish, then
surely it's good enough for all the other merchants and processors."
Shaun Edwards is the first to 'put up his hand' and admit he doesn't
want a seafood park in "beautiful countryside" and near
his own home.
"Yes I live near the proposed site - and no, I don't want
it on my doorstep.
"But that aside, this isn't the area for it.
"Environmentally its all wrong and will only result in a beautiful
site ruined.
"And for what? An industry that is dying."
article copyright © THE CORNISHMAN
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