Fathom: getting below the surface of the UK fishing industry.

In the lead-up to polling day, Fathom has produced a flash series detailing the key priorities for the UK fishing industry. With few references to fishing in the main parties’ plans, Chris Ranford, Fathom’s co-host and Chief Executive of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation sits down alongside Mike Cohen, the CEO of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations to lay out the action they would like to see from the incoming government.

In this mini-series finale, Chris and Mike pull the pieces of the puzzle together, consolidating the topics covered in episodes one to four with a call for a national fishing strategy. Could a nationwide strategy transform the piecemeal approach we’ve seen to date, to provide a joined-up, logical approach to planning that ensures the long-term growth and prosperity of the industry? 

Find the CFPO’s election manifesto here: https://cfpo.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CFPO-manifesto-2.pdf

The fourth series of the Fathom podcast has been produced by the Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation (CFPO) with funding from The Seafarers' Charity.

In the lead-up to polling day, Fathom has produced a flash series detailing the key priorities for the UK fishing industry. With few references to fishing in the main parties’ plans, Chris Ranford, Fathom’s co-host and Chief Executive of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation sits down alongside Mike Cohen, the CEO of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations to lay out the action they would like to see from the incoming government.

Most seafarers are aware of the risks to their safety involved in their professions. How these risks are managed is an important area for the next UK government to consider. Top down approaches have left fishermen with the impression that measures being introduced to safeguard them are instead proving to be obstacles preventing them from doing what they do best: catching fish. 

After the attempted, controversial introduction of a new medical certificate requirement by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) recently, more than ever, fishermen are looking for government departments to work together and listen to the industry. In this episode, Chris and Mike discuss the need for a fundamental reform of how health, safety and welfare regulations are developed and managed in the fishing industry. 

Find the CFPO’s election manifesto here: https://cfpo.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CFPO-manifesto-2.pdf

The fourth series of the Fathom podcast has been produced by the Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation (CFPO) with funding from The Seafarers' Charity.

In the lead-up to polling day, Fathom has produced a flash series detailing the key priorities for the UK fishing industry. With few references to fishing in the main parties’ plans, Chris Ranford, Fathom’s co-host and Chief Executive of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation sits down alongside Mike Cohen, the CEO of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations to lay out the action they would like to see from the incoming government.

In our third instalment, Fathom considers the importance of the next government pursuing fair, representative marine spatial planning policies to guarantee a viable future for the UK fishing industry and its ability to continue to produce seafood. In recent years the use of space in the sea by fishing fleets has become contested with the introduction and expansion of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), offshore wind infrastructure and underwater cables. The NFFO and SFF published a report titled ‘Spatial Squeeze’ in 2022, which highlighted the cumulative effect MPA’s, cables and offshore renewables are having on the fishing fleet's ability to harvest food from the sea. 

There’s a concern that fishermen’s voices are being ignored as increased jostling for space around our coasts ensues. Indeed, this is not just a practical issue of fishermen having access to the sea to carry out their livelihood. It also speaks to an increasing sense that fishing as an economic activity is becoming deprioritised. In this episode, Chris and Mike discuss the importance of making fishing a statutory consultee to ensure it is engaged at the earliest stage of marine planning. 

Find the CFPO’s election manifesto here

The fourth series of the Fathom podcast has been produced by the Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation (CFPO) with funding from The Seafarers' Charity.

In the lead-up to polling day, Fathom has produced a flash series detailing the key priorities for the UK fishing industry. With few references to fishing in the main parties’ plans, Chris Ranford, Fathom’s co-host and Chief Executive of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation sits down alongside Mike Cohen, the CEO of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations to lay out the action they would like to see from the incoming government.

In this second instalment, we explore the future of fisheries management. Over the course of the last parliament, the government has developed and begun to roll out one of the biggest overhauls in fisheries management and decision-making in decades, following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy. The idea behind Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) is to replace the EU’s top-down system with one that invites collaboration between fisheries managers and fishermen themselves. 

If a new government takes charge from July 5th, what do they do with the ambitious timetable set out in the joint fisheries statement, as well as the design and implementation of FMPs? Mike and Chris offer their view. 

Find the CFPO’s election manifesto here: https://cfpo.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CFPO-manifesto-2.pdf

The fourth series of the Fathom podcast has been produced by the Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation (CFPO) with funding from The Seafarers' Charity.

In the lead-up to polling day, Fathom has produced a flash series detailing the key priorities for the UK fishing industry. With few references to fishing in the main parties’ plans, Chris Ranford, Fathom’s co-host and Chief Executive of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation sits down alongside Mike Cohen, the CEO of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations to lay out the action they would like to see from the incoming government.

The first episode tackles the topic of fishing as a part of food security. Much has been made during the course of the General Election 2024 campaign about the value of energy security through domestic production in reducing reliance on imported energy – critical in the context of unstable global markets. Similarly – though not as well emphasised – in recent years we’ve seen the impact of global supply chain disruptions and soaring food prices trigger the need for a strategy to keep the population fed with inexpensive, nutritious, sustainable food. This episode poses the question; do our politicians recognise the role fishing plays in bolstering our food security?  

Find the CFPO’s election manifesto here.

The fourth series of the Fathom podcast has been produced by the Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation (CFPO) with funding from The Seafarers' Charity.

For episode 5, Fathom headed to the launch event organised by the first-ever Young Fishermen Network, here in the UK. We speak to young fishermen Will Jaycock, a 20-year-old 3rd generation fisherman from Looe whose heart is set on a sustainable future for fishing, and 28-year-old Tom Lambourn from Newlyn who only decided to pursue fishing full-time after graduating from university. Also featured are the CFPO’s Chris Ranford, and Matilda Phillips in her new role as Network Coordinator. This episode broadcasts some of the unconventional and refreshing ways in which the Young Fishermen Network are bringing young fishermen together, to talk fishing gear, life at sea and the future of fishing.

The view is simple, young fishermen need to feel like they are a part of something, in a profession with a viable future. In this episode, Tom and Will talk about how welcoming it has been to meet up with other young people who fish, and offer their vision for how a young people's network can develop the relationship between older generations and mentors, and strengthen the relationship between fishing communities and ports across the UK.

CFPO Chief Executive Chris Ranford, and co-ordinator of the Young Fishermen Network Matilda Phillips, tackle the issue of retaining young fishermen already in the industry while ensuring new generations of fishermen are coming through. They reveal the practical nature of bringing people into commercial fishing with more meetups, career events at schools, and active social media platforms offering behind-the-scenes information for young people. 

Listen and learn how the network is developing future leaders of the industry, and hear from young fishermen themselves on being closer to the decision-making processes determining their future on the seas. 

The fourth series of the Fathom podcast has been produced by the Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation (CFPO) with funding from The Seafarers' Charity.

Fathom’s back with its first episode of 2024. A new jingle isn’t the only thing we’ve refreshed on the podcast as Charlotte Scotland from the CFPO takes her maiden voyage in the host’s chair. In this episode, Charlotte is joined by CFPO CEO Chris Ranford, economist Jim Plunkket-Cole, and Edd Hind-Ozin from Defra. They unpack the key findings of the CFPO-commissioned  ‘Value of Seafood to Cornwall,’ report and discuss ways it will benefit the fishing industry. 

But let’s take a step back and first ask: where did the report in question come from? A strategic review by the CFPO in 2021 identified four pillars of focus to support the Cornish fishing fleet in the post-Brexit and post-COVID landscape. A series of small-scale pilot projects that aligned with these priorities ensued. Soon after, it became apparent that evidence proving the economic importance of Cornwall’s seafood sector was needed to fulfil the vision set out in the strategy and attract longer-term investment. This is where the report comes in!

In the episode economist Jim Plunkket-Cole, who co-authored the report with the former chief economist for Seafish, Hazel Curtis, reveals some of the startling statistics that illustrate how uniquely critical Cornwall’s fishing industry is to the economy and Cornish communities. Meanwhile, Edd Hind-Ozan, Defra's Head of Fisheries Social Science and a member of the report's advisory group, offers his view on how this research should be deployed to shape future policies and address the challenges confronting the Cornish fishing fleet.

The fourth series of the Fathom podcast has been produced by the Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation (CFPO) with funding from The Seafarers' Charity.

LINKS:

Read the full report

The True Value to Seafood in Cornwall Infographic 

In this third episode of the fourth series, CFPO CEO Chris Ranford and guest co-host Charles Blyth, the Risk, Safety & Training Lead at the NFFO are joined by Julie Carlton, Seafarer Safety & Health Manager at the MCA as we revisit medicals ahead of the fast approaching November 2023 deadline.

Fathom kicked off this series at the start of the year with a broad look into the world of health and safety at sea and shared insights and issues to be aware of for the year ahead from fishing safety experts. This episode focuses in on the most significant issue within the fishing industry at present: the requirement for every fisherman to be in possession of a ML5 or ENG1 medical certification by November this year. Medicals have become the talk of many coastal communities in recent months. The requirement has come into force as part of the ILO188 Working in Fishing Convention, which has set common worldwide standards for health, safety and working conditions at-sea.

With growing concern, and some confusion, about what the medicals entail and why they are needed, we brought on Julie Carlton from the MCA to help us answer some of the most frequently asked questions Chris and Charles have been getting from fishermen.

We cover the who, where, when, what why of medicals in the fishing industry, as well as getting into the detail of the getting an appointment ahead of the November deadline and what the MCA are trying to do to address that, the requirements for Grandfather rights and the flexibility of the medicals in terms of meeting the deadline and conditions required to pass.

If you have any concerns or questions, you can get in touch with Charles at the NFFO at c[email protected].uk or find details or contact the MCA directly.

The fourth series of the Fathom podcast has been produced by the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation (CFPO) with funding from The Seafarers’ Charity.

LINKS

• Find how to apply for your medical certificate here 
• More guidance from the MCA on medicals can be found here
• You can also get support and advice from Seafit, an initiative jointly run by Fishermen's Mission and Seafarers Hospital Society helping to connect fishermen to both physical and mental health services.

In this second episode of the fourth series, CFPO CEO Chris Ranford and guest co-host David Stevens, skipper of the Crystal Sea and Chairperson of Fishing into the Future, are joined by Hannah Fennell, Head of Orkney Fisheries Association; Fiona Taylor, Head of Sea Fisheries, Policy and Grants at DAERA; and Robbie Fisher, Head of Domestic Fisheries Sustainability and Devolution,at DEFRA. The episode picks up on the development of new Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs), with the guests reflecting on what they learnt about the U.S. co-management system on a recent exchange trip to the Gulf of Maine.

The fourth series of the Fathom podcast has been produced by the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation (CFPO) with funding from The Seafarers’ Charity. 

What can we learn from the rest of the world as we embark on one of the largest overhauls of fisheries management in the UK in decades? 43 FMPs that seek to replace the Common Fisheries Policy are in development, with the UK looking to change what’s seen by some as a top-down system in the E.U. in favour of a more collaborative approach.

Across the pond, the United States has a well-established co-management model. Last year, The Fishmongers’ Company Fisheries Charitable Trust funded an exchange trip with fishers and managers from all corners of the U.K. to the Gulf of Maine to learn more about how the industry, managers, and scientists work together to collect data and make collaborative management decisions. 

In this episode, we explore the values and principles that underpin the U.S. system and the investment and education that goes into making co-management work. We consider how possible it would be to translate this approach to the U.K.’s new framework, taking into account the differences between the U.K’s four nations. Robbie and Fiona also give us an update on the development of FMPs, with Hannah and David providing an industry perspective on what they would like to see from the co-management approach included. 

The episode is a really useful insight into how the future of fisheries management may look, with the exchange trip and the innovative, cutting-edge ideas that came out of it likely to play an influence in establishing the U.K’s new framework.

For the premiere of the fourth series, CFPO CEO Chris Ranford and guest co-host Clive Palfrey, from Seafood Cornwall Training, who is Fathom’s in-house specialist on all things safety, are joined by Charles Blyth, the Risk, Safety & Training Lead at the NFFO. It’s been over two years since Fathom has recorded a safety-themed episode, and given the ever-shifting nature of health & safety regulation and new requirements on the horizon, it’s a really important topic to start on and a must-listen for anyone working onboard fishing vessels! 

The fourth series of the Fathom podcast has been produced by the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation (CFPO) with funding from The Seafarers’ Charity. 

The new MCA code for fishing vessels under 12m, which was implemented in September 2021 and new regulations emanating from ILO188 has caused some apprehension as to what exactly fishermen need to do to remain compliant with the law. In this episode, Charles and Clive are on hand to help disentangle some of the complexities and answer some frequently asked questions arising from these new regulations, specifically focusing in on three areas: medical examinations, lifting equipment and enclosed spaces.

In regards to medical examinations, by November 2023, all fishermen will be required to hold a medical certificate, not just those out at sea for more than 72 hours. We’re taken through the two different options open to fishermen: the ENG1 which is regarded as a higher grade medical but can only be undertaken by an MCA-approved doctor, or the ML5, which is only applicable to inshore fishermen. We compare the benefits, shortfalls, practicalities and costs involved. Listen in to find out which one is more likely to suit you!

The conversation then pivots to safety, with our guests speaking to their experience travelling around quaysides and noticing an endemic of unmaintained lifting equipment. There’s a reminder of the importance of regular, close inspections and maintaining a proper paper-trail of all your machinery. Imminent changes to the rules around enclosed spaces are also discussed, with a focus on accessing support to stay ahead of compliance as the rule changes come into force in May.

The entire episode is a must-listen health & safety checklist, with the main message from our guests that fishermen should  get themselves sorted now and to speak to organisations that can provide help. Seafit is one such organisation that can provide advice if you’re concerned about your health ahead of a medical examination. While broader advice about what you need to do to stay ahead of compliance and the grants available to help you do just that can be found by contacting the NFFO.