JERSEY’S fishing industry is in a “dire” state and practical, long-term decisions need to be taken now to ensure the fleet can continue to survive over the next decade, the chair of the Fisherman’s Association has said.
Stephen Viney said spiralling costs – largely linked to inflation – had meant that margins for commercial vessels had been eroded and that it was a “case of the deepest pockets” for those working in the sector.
Mr Viney was among those who took part in a protest at Les Minquiers this time last year, when Jersey and French fisherman came together to voice concerns over the way their livelihoods have been handled by their respective governments.
Commenting on the current state of the industry, he said: “It’s dire. Inflation is killing it.
“You can’t absorb the losses so easily – the price of the pots, the price of rope, all the materials, the upkeep of the boat, regulations – it’s a combination.”
He also cited “the pressures of living in Jersey” where “rents are through the roof and everything is higher”.
And he said that the approved expansion of the Island’s network of Marine Protected Areas would “seriously affect” the mobile gear fleet.
Additionally, Mr Viney referenced the reported rise in numbers of octopuses, which has been hampering shellfish catch – though he noted that Guernsey was worse-affected.
Commenting on what could be done to support the industry, he stressed there was “no silver bullet”, but acknowledged that the government’s Marine Support Scheme had “kept a lot of people in the game”.
“It’s important that Jersey keeps its fishing industry,” he added.
“There might not be an instant fix now, but we’ve got to look forward ten years, 15 years – how are we going to make sure we have still got a fishing fleet then.”
In August last year, former JFA president Don Thompson outlined how the once “dynamic” fleet – which previously boasted around 100 full-time commercial fishermen – had diminished over the past 20 years, with only around 34 “well-established” vessels left today.
At the time, he told the JEP that “we’ve gotten to the stage where, if we were to lose any more of the fleet, the infrastructure would go as well”.
