VIRUS HITS ANGLING

Pandemic fears for recreational fishing trade

Coronavirus is set to impact the charter boat and small tackle shop industry like no other crisis seen before, according to skippers and business owners.

Tackle shops, bait diggers and the general tackle industry have all been hit hard. The lockdown, which started on March 23, has meant anglers cannot go fishing, causing a knock-on effect to the whole recreational angling sector.

With social distancing in force and exercise strictly limited, there is no demand for bait or the multitude of small items of tackle that anglers want, meaning the mass of High Street tackle shops have been forced to close for the foreseeable future. That has impacted the bait diggers who supply their ragworms, lugworms, crabs and razorfish. Although diggers can argue they cannot work at home, there is no demand for their products.

With the pandemic starting in China, the major tackle companies, who often rely on manufacturers there to produce their products, found supplies dried up. However, as China eased its lockdown restrictions, the big companies expected tackle deliveries to resume.

Mail order tackle businesses have been hit too. While they have been able to trade online, some have had to safeguard their own staff and ensure they stayed away from work.

LOSS OF TRADE

Lyle Stantiford, membership secretary of the Professional Boatman’s Association, is urging the Chancellor of the Exchequer to give a fair level of support for charter boat operators.

In a letter to the Chancellor, he said: “The current package of assistance made available by the Government does not support the majority of the UK charter boat industry.”

The PBA wants immediate access to the small business grants, the suspension of payments for berthing fees and local licensing, support for directors of small limited companies to an equivalent level to that offered to the self-employed, and support for self-employed sole traders who have only recently established trading in the charter industry or hold less than three years’ worth of accounts.

Sea Angler contributor and charter skipper Dave Roberts, said: “I believe the latest outbreak of Covid-19 or coronavirus that is sweeping across this country is set to impact the charter industry like no other phenomenon to date.”

The skipper of AlyKat, out of Minehead, Somerset, has been involved in charter fishing for more than 40 years. During this time, the industry has experienced disruptions in many forms.

“One was the three-day week back in the Seventies. This put pressure on the charter industry as anglers understandably had little money available to spend on leisure activities,” he said. Other past pressures have been several financial calamities, some of which resulted in interest rates rising to record levels, putting unprecedented pressure on skippers burdened by loans and mortgages on their vessels. There was also foot and mouth disease, mad cow disease, various fuel crisis, the list can go on.

The impact of the virus started to take its toll even before the lockdown, as Dave outlined: “I had many trips cancelled by anglers who, quite correctly, were worried about going to sea and subjecting themselves to contact with other people.”

Skippers, bait diggers and small tackle shop owners had hoped to take advantage of Government furlough schemes and help for small businesses. One skipper asked: “I have loans to pay, will the Government support or compensate us for loss of trade?”

Some skippers have been using the shutdown as an opportunity to carry out maintenance on their vessels. Skipper Clive Mills, at Littlehampton Harbour, West Sussex, said: “Normally, the Littlehampton charters would be out catching the first of the bream and plaice, visiting wrecks to catch cod and early pollack, but it is not normal at the moment and we can only dream.”

Three of the local charter vessels were out of the water for annual refits and hull buffing – Dickie Leggett’s Lynander, Martin Donald’s Spirit of Arun and Clive’s new boat Jenifers Pride II. Clive brought his new vessel from Essex to Littlehampton, assisted by Dickie Leggett. Once in harbour, it was lifted out of the water to be recoded and inspected.

BIG IMPACT

Even the country’s biggest tackle shops, such as the Fishing Megastore in Glasgow and Edinburgh, have felt the impact of

the lockdown too. Boss

Paul Devlin said: “We are still taking orders on our website as we have stock...we will put a very clear notice to the customer when they should expect their order.”

It was a similar story at other businesses, including Breakway Tackle, where Dave Brown said: “We are sending out orders as best as possible.”

Speaking as a small-business owner, Craig Collins, boss of Channel Angling at Dover, Kent, said: “This is the time of year tackle shops normally make their money to see them through the hard winter months.

“The sad thing is a lot of less wellestablished businesses and those that rely on bait sales might not come through this. We had an awful winter and, unfortunately, this could be the final nail in their coffins.”

The plight of small tackle shops has hit the nation’s self-employed bait diggers too. Match angler and professional bait digger,

Rob Tuck, from Essex, said:

“I have stopped trading as I have nowhere to sell to, as all the shops are closed and anglers are not allowed to fish.”

He had been crabbing as part of his work and did not come into contact with anyone else.

“Male crabs only peel during March and April in Essex so I’m freezing them in the hope of selling them later in the year,” said Rob.

“As I can’t work from home, I have no money coming in and, hopefully, will be able to survive. Six months, the best six months of the year, with no money; most will go bankrupt, in my opinion. From what I’ve seen about the help for self-employed people, most small businesses won’t get anything.

“These are very sad times for fishing and the fishing industry. Let’s hope we get back to fishing sometime this summer, because waiting for winter will be too late for most.”

AT RISK

Anglers gave a mixed reaction to the lockdown with social media at the forefront for those expressing their views. Most agreed the lockdown was necessary and that fishing should be stopped, but a minority felt fishing on their own was not a risk. That is contrary to Government advice to stay at home; advice that is being supported by the Angling Trust. ■