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Name: Andrew De La Haye Dear Panel Members,
As a commercial fisherman of 27 years fishing from St Helier with a 12m vessel I felt that after reading other submissions from time severed fisherman other additional information needed to be mentioned.
After many years of hard work by old and present committee members who have battled for the islands fisherman against French regional committees as well as local politicians who it seems don't really have our Islands fishing industry at heart or just want a small vessel industry of under 10m vessels that only fish within the 3nm limit.
So, the UK voted on Brexit, something the Island had no vote on and a glimmer of hope for the island's fleet for a once in a life time chance to finally have a possibility of a level playing field with our French counterparts instead of the out dated Granville bay treaty which leaves the island fleet basically fishing inside the 3nm or battling a fleet much bigger then ours. But alas within 2 weeks it changes and we are again dictated too by pen pushers 500 miles away!!
Our Industry needs our Government to help the industry in the following ways:
- Scrap the need for a UK license for our waters , Issue permits like the French this will help future generations coming into this industry and investment.
- Set our OWN quota on species caught locally! Not by pen pushers 200 miles away. We once had a good undulate Ray fishery But alas because they were not caught in the North Sea it was closed!! A hammer blow to our local fisherman . Good fresh fish dumped dead back to sea. More fishing pressure on the Lobster stocks
- Measure our territorial waters like the rest of the world!! By international law, not like now to satisfy the French or EU. I fail to understand why our Government does not want to pursue this avenue! Words fail me ( not for the first time really )
- The Government to start to listen to what the industry is saying and not just what it wants to do so Face fits"
- The Government and officials to fully understand that the Jersey Fleet has never been able to compete fairly with the UK or EU fleet as we have never been subsidized or been able to access EU fishery grants for new gear, vessel upgrades and processing machinery but have had to adhere to all the EU and UK regulations and restrictions. Always a one-way street!! Never a fair position!
- In my view the Government and officials need to back bigger vessels in OUR fleet to help preserve offshore fishing grounds for our fleet not the French fleet. Limiting our fleet to 12m is cutting our fisherman's throats !! Pushing fisherman in to small vessels not really capable for the target fishery. This also reduces target fisheries because boat cannot carry any weight!! Once again restricting viable sustainable alternative fisheries in the future. The current thought of limiting Jersey vessels to 12m in our waters doesn't really help our industry, it limits our fleets possibilities in the future. How can a 9m vessel compete for fishing ground against 16m French vessels in our waters?? How can they push back?? They cannot so end up retreating back to the safety of the 3nm limits.
- Take back full control of our islands waters
- It is time to start pushing back at these dictators .
STAND FIRM FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR ISLANDS FISHERMAN
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