Andrew George, MP for St Ives gets an open letter from skipper David Stevens Jnr.

Worried about his and the future of others, David Stevens Jnr, skipper of the last big trawler working from Newlyn on a regular basis has written an open letter to local lib-dem MP Andrew George.

The letter, a plea from the heart of one fishermen, but carrying with it the sentiment of many more in the region, all of whom are desperately worried that their livelihoods are about to be snatched from underneath their feet by a new quango with frightening powers.

At the heart of skipper David's plea is his concern at the almost total lack of co-operation between Natural England and the very fishermen who fish the grounds soon to be affected by Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). He points out to the MP that despite repeated requests for cooperation between the very men who fished the grounds and Natural England (whom the government has happily spent millions of taxpayer's money) - none has been forthcoming.

Here is the open letter by David Stevens to Andrew George MP, reproduced in full:


Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Mr Andrew George MP

I am a fisherman from Newlyn and I work a trawler called the Crystal Sea. We met back in the summer when Hillary Benn came to Newlyn to view the work we were doing for the fishing for litter scheme.

I mentioned to you that we were having problems with Natural England and the implication of the proposed special areas of conservation (SAC’s). The areas that they have chosen have now been submitted and we are now in the consultation period, we are happy on the whole where the boxes are sited and they generally follow the area that the fisherman work, which they have done so for many years. However we have some fundamental issues with Natural England that we need your help with.

I am sure you are aware that the boxes do not alter things on the ground too much, which is a good thing as towed gear people like myself and others will be excluded from the areas as they contain reefs and they need to be safeguarded against possible damage. This is fine with all us towed gear men as through good working practice and tradition we do not tow in these areas, as we would damage our fishing gear.

The static gear men (potters, netters, hand liners, and drift netters) who traditionally worked this area because it offers the best fishing opportunities and there gear was safe from the towed gear activities, were happy with the box drawn as it covered the areas that they traditionally worked. The government was also happy as they had a closed area under the habitats directive and would consequently not be fined as they were fulfilling the 10% of marine protected area’s that was needed by the EU/ UN.

You would of thought that this would be the end of the matter, when we asked Natural England if this box was the final solution to the matter and we seeked guaranties that the static gear men could continue to fish as they have done so for many years, they said that they were not going to give any guaranties as there was still more scientific work to do. As you can imagine the local inshore fisherman from Sennen boat cove, Cadgwith, Lizard, Newlyn, Penberth, Helford and Coverack are now worried sick, as they fear for their future.

Over the last couple of years Natural England have spent a fortune of tax payers money, using survey vessels, divers, and the working hours of the growing army of Natural England employees, so they could identify the areas of which, we have three in Cornwall (Land's End, Lizard, and Eddystone). They have not consulted the industry what so ever about where to look or where to place them, even though we asked them many times to do so. So with the amount of scientific work that has been done and the money that has been spent why can they not guaranty the future for these vessels to be able to carry on their sustainable fishing methods, which have no impact on the reefs?

I am not a cynical person on the whole but sometimes you have to question motives and ask the question when the obvious is not being done.
Natural England in reality could have sat down with the fisherman put the same boxes in place, but they would have been exactly where they needed to be, instead they chose to search a huge area at great expense and working hours.
I feel as do many others, that the lack of guaranties and constructive relations with the fisherman, has more to do with long-term job security rather than being for the benefit of the environment, taxpayer or the fisherman. With a box in place that will need constant management there will be a need to employ Natural England at great expense for many years to come.

I would also like to bring to your attention the work that is being done for the marine protected area’s MPA’s, we are currently busy mapping the area’s that we fish so we can find area’s that can be protected, for whatever reason that may be. But finding sanctuary who are tasked to do the mapping have told natural England that the current time frame to implication is to short and we will need longer to fully map the area’s and to get all the information from the interested parties, mainly fisherman and anglers. The fishing industry has also raised this issue many times and it has so far fallen on deaf ears, which does not bode well for the future.

I am writing to you, In the hope you can raise our concerns and seek the much needed guaranties that are needed, to help ease the worry that many inshore fisherman are feeling, they are baring the brunt of all this regulation and feel helpless at the power of large organisations like Natural England, who seem to have power and a remit above and beyond their capabilities, and I would say that parliament and you our last line of help as parliament is the only place with the power to make them listen, they are civil servants after all.

Yours Faithfully David E Stevens (vice chair CFPO)