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 The
future of fishing at Newlyn hangs in the balance this week as huge
hikes in fuel prices pose what could be the biggest threat in the
history of the industry.
The port’s biggest employer, W Stevenson and Sons, who operate
24 beam trawlers out of Newlyn, have warned their employees that
vessels may have to be laid up or sold and that the workforce may
have to be restructured.
A total of 80 members of staff received a letter in their pay packet
last week informing them that the South West fishing industry has
been severely hit by the rise in fuel prices.
The letter also notified them of a 30-day period of consultation
over the future of beam trawling in Newlyn and invited them to elect
representatives to attend board meetings with company partners over
the coming weeks.
Elizabeth Stevenson told The Cornishman this week that the consultation
period would enable employees and the company partners to look at
cost saving and ways of streaming-lining the business.
“We knew this crisis was coming sooner or later,” said
Elizabeth.
“Beam trawlers are fuel thirsty vessels and the South West
fishery has been particularly badly hit by the rise in the price
of fuel.
“All of our sea-going staff are self employed, but letters
have been given to our 80 shore based employees inviting them to
join a consultation process over the next 30 days.
“We need to look at ways of saving money to ensure there
is a future for the fishing industry here in Newlyn.”
In the letter to employees the company states: “Measures
that may have to be taken include, but may not be limited to, sale
of vessels, consolidation of business premises, re-letting of some
business premises, the restructuring of the work force and diversifying
into new markets or the extension of some other business activities.”
Elizabeth told The Cornishman that any laying up of vessels will
affect the workforce and that redundancies could not be totally
ruled out.
She squashed rumours circulating in the port that vessels would
be de-commissioned, pointing out that there was no Defra de-commissioning
scheme operating at the moment.
“The first consultation meeting between company partners
and employees will take place at a board meeting in Newlyn on October
17,” she said.
“We have to streamline our business and make cost savings
in order to get through this crisis. We will be consulting our employees
to see if they have any suggestions on how best this can be done.”
Newlyn Fisheries Officer, Tony Woodhams, said that this week’s
shock news about the possible down-sizing of the Newlyn fleet, made
it even more imperative to develop a Seafood Park in Newlyn Coombe.
“If there are going to be less Cornish fishermen operating
in and out of Newlyn, we will need to encourage all the fishermen
who operate in Area 7 to land their fish at Newlyn, rather than
at Brixham, or Dournanez in Brittany,” he said.
“In order for them to choose Newlyn, we must have the very
best and most up-to-date facilities here where fish can be landed
for top prices.”
Mr Woodhams added: “It is absolutely necessary for a sea
food park to be built in Newlyn and for the port to develop and
diversify if it is survive as a workingcommunity.”
However, Tony Williams of “Save Newlyn Coombe” continues
to object to a Sea Food Park being built in the coombe.
“There is a five acre site at Long Rock already owned by
the Regional Development Agency which would be a better site, in
my opinion,” he said.
“They are planning to build a 16 acre Sea Food Park in Newlyn,
which will be enormous and according to all the fishermen I know,
totally unnecessary, as they are already able to sell all the fish
that is landed.”
On Friday and Saturday, a public exhibition on the latest proposals
for the regeneration of Newlyn Harbour and Sandy Cove will be held
in the Newlyn Mission. This will be open to the public from 9.30am
to 6pm, and will include the latest 3-D model of the proposals.
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