Fishing at sea is a way of life under threat
FILM PREMIERE FOR PROUD INDUSTRY
AFILM showing the truelife experiences of Welsh fishermen, depicting a way of life that’s under increasing pressure, will have its premiere in North Wales this week.
“Meet the Fishermen” introduces a handful of Welsh fishermen and explores their past and present contributions to the Welsh seafood economy.
By presenting a candid account from the fishermen’s perspective, the short film reveals both the enduring pride in their trade and their worries for the future.
Lobster fisherman Brett Garner has been fishing for lobster and crab out of Hell’s Mouth on the Llŷn Peninsula for 30 years – but he admits times are getting tougher.
“We’re just working harder and harder to make less and less money,” he said.
“I think we are getting close to being the last generation.”
Currently, there are 450 registered vessels off the Welsh coast, of which 380 are small boats under 10 metres long.
Fishermen featured in the film include Dean Parry from Aberystwyth, whose family have been involved in the industry for 150 years – as boatmen and fishmongers.
He too fears he may be the last of an illustrious line.
“I fish for that one day a year when you leave the harbour at 7am in the morning, the sea is like glass and there is no better job,” he said.
Like most Welsh seafood, Dean’s catches go abroad, mainly to Europe, and there are fears a no-deal Brexit will push the industry over the edge.
As Welsh shellfish are shipped live to EU markets within 24 hours, any delays at ports will affect quality and mortality, causing prices to slump.
Last month rural affairs minister Lesley Griffiths warned the industry could collapse if a Brexit deal was not forthcoming.
Bangor Mussel Producers, which operates on the Menai Strait out of Port Penrhyn, is continuing an aquaculture tradition which has been going on in the area since Roman times.
Geographically, the fast-flowing Strait is the best place in Britain to grow mussels.
The company also sends the majority of its harvested mussel to the Continent – in particular, to northern France.
Director Trevor Jones believes that, with the right support, mussels production has the “potential to realise a vibrant and sustainable future”.
But he added: “Fishing and aquaculture in Wales has never had the profile it deserves.”
The film was commissioned by the Welsh Government’s Seafood Cluster programme.
It will debut at Catch 22 Brasserie in Valley, Anglesey, today, February 20. A second screening is being held at the Fisherman’s Rest, Cardigan, tomorrow, February 21.
Both viewings begin at 6.30pm and are aimed at businesses in the Welsh seafood and aquaculture sector.
They include a free seafood buffet and the chance to network with industry experts and gov- ernment representatives. “The film is an introduction to the lives of Welsh fishermen,” said Carol Evans, of the Welsh Fisherman’s Association, which is currently running an awareness campaign called “Sea Our Future – Support Welsh Fishermen”.
She added: “If our small scale, mainly inshore, fishing fleet is to survive, we must together try to re-introduce our fishing and aquaculture sectors to the general public.
“We need to appeal to them for support for what is one of Wales’ primary food producers.”
Free to join, the Welsh Seafood Cluster currently engages with some 58 seafood businesses, from fishmongers to hand gatherers.
Current training events include fish filleting and shellfish preparation.
In the coming weeks there will also be workshops on bivalve depuration.