As local fishermen given the choice we would much rather be landing our fish on a competitive local market.
However, we are in business and are only doing this as we are profiting more from transporting our fish there.
After meeting with the buyers from Newlyn last year, expressing our concerns we took this decision.
It was not taken lightly or hastily.
Last
week I visited Plymouth market, and the team at Plymouth Trawler Agents
(PTA) for the first time since our fish has been auctioned there.
We have been transporting our fish there from Newlyn every week since last May.
After
being shown around a pristine market, which was fully refrigerated, I
was shown how our catch, after being graded (by grading machines that
work), was automatically put through the computer system linking it
with an internet auction.
I was then taken to the auction room where up to 30 buyers bid electronically in person and currently 60 buyers bid online.
All parties have full confidence in the quality and grading of the fish they are bidding on.
PTA
also provides the ability via its website to view the quantity of catch
that each of the vessels they deal with has on board and give the dates
they are due to land: quite simple but impressive to see working.
I question why this has not been done in Newlyn.
I also question the ability of the commissioners to implement the New Harbour plans.
I totally agree that a new market is a must for the fishermen in Newlyn but it should have been built yesterday!
There are rumours that this cannot be afforded, I disagree.
The fishermen in Newlyn at present pay 2% to land their catch; this is one of the highest rates in the UK.
But why have the harbour commissioners not looked at other income streams?
For example, in many other ports they have fuel bunkering run by the harbour for profit.
In Brixham it is a known fact that this pays for all the staff wages alone.
Further more the HARBOUR could also run the auction, bringing it another 5% income alone!
I am sure that this would make the venture profitable.
All
of these ideas have been brought forward by the fishermen at the
consultation stage but have been ignored by the Board of Commissioners.
In
my opinion, I feel that there is a conflict of interest within the
Board of Commissioners that is preventing progress and common sense to
prevail.
I can only hope that when the new harbour constitution
is revealed that the community and harbour users get the right people
to see this project through, and that the present commissioners are not
involved in choosing the new harbour appointees, as this process will
have been of no benefit at all.
It is the role of the harbour
commissioners to provide the facilities and conditions for the harbour
to prosper, and I feel that this whole project has been totally
mismanaged.
It is of such importance to the community of
Penwith, I fear that if swift action is not taken Newlyn will never
gain back its status as the premier landing port in England.
Our few vessels make up almost a quarter of the total of landings into Newlyn.
We are not alone in our views and I know many other fishermen feel the same way.
David stevens, Crystal Sea; with the support of ANTHONY HOSKING, Silver Dawn; SHAUN EDWARDS, Nova Spero; STEVEN NOWELL, Nellie; MICHEAL NOWELL, Elizabeth N; MARK ROUSE, Don Bosco and Intuition and Emma Louise; GARY LEACH, Wayfarer; DAVID and COLIN WARWICK, Valhalla; ROGER NOWELL, Imogen; TOM McCLURE, Harvest Reaper.