2008 November | The Fleetwood Motor Trawler Site

EU ‘insult’ to fishermen

A huge euro hand-out to Belgian fishermen has been slammed an insult to Fleetwood.

Paul Nuttall, the UK Independence Party’s lead North West candidate in the Euro elections, says the taxes of Fleetwood fishermen are to be used to subsidise the Belgian fleet despite it “harming their livelihood”.

The 52.5 million Euros subsidy has been approved by the European Commission over a six year period. Half of it 26.3 million is coming from the Belgian government which is match funding an EU grant.

“It is a disgrace that Fleetwood trawlermen’s taxes are going to subsidise the Belgian beam trawler fleet” said Mr Nuttall.

“For years the Belgians have been destroying the stocks in the Irish Sea with their large beam trawlers, decimating Fleetwood’s historic industry”

“The fact that the Belgians are getting nigh on £50,000 per head, while our government refuses to help is a national disgrace,” said Mr Nuttall.

But a spokeswoman for government department DEFRA (the department for fishing and rural affairs) said UKIP had missed the point because Britain had also match-funded a similar EU subsidy for UK fishermen.

A DEFRA spokesperson said, Fleetwood fishermen can bid now for a share of more than £60 million, half of which is government math-funding, under the European Fisheries Fund grants scheme. We announced this three months ago.

This is a significant amount of money and will help make the industry more sustainable.

Controversy over the Belgian and Dutch was particularly strong when Fleetwood’s now tiny fishing fleet was larger in the 1980’s and 90’s.

The Common Fisheries Policy, which in theory brought in quota resections to preserve fish stocks, also allowed EU boats to “share” fishing grounds of fellow member nations.

This meant that when Fleetwood boats were tied for conservation reasons, much larger bean trawlers from the continent still had quota right to scoop up white fish in the Irish Sea.

Details of how to apply are available from the Marine and Fisheries Agency
; http://www.mfa.gov.uk/grants/grants.htm

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Posted under Fleetwood News

This post was written by Alan Duggan on November 27, 2008

M.F.V. Arcona Bay - GY244

Fleetwood Trawler - M.F.V. Arcona Bay GY244
Official Number: 359885
Gross Tonnage: 47 grt / 20 nrt
Length: 55 ft
Engine: 110bhp
Built: Denmark, 1949
Owner: Arcona Fishing Co Ltd, Grimsby, later by Arbay Fishing Co Ltd, Grimsby.

History
Sometime in the 1970’s Egon Thomsen brought her to Fleetwood from Denmark.

1995: Decommissioned and dry landed on Fleetwood Freeport as an attraction.

Undated: Removed from Fleetwood Freeport. Im unsure what has happend to her since.

Images

Arcona Bay FD244 - Picture courtesy of Tony Frith

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Posted under Fleetwood Trawlers

This post was written by Alan Duggan on November 26, 2008

Fishing Memories by John Bradshaw

I did my first trip in Fleetwood as a galley boy on the Wyre Vanguard. It was unusual in those days (1961/2) for an out of towner to be a fisherman. I was from Radcliffe north of Manchester, and ran away to sea at 15 years of age. I had to first do my deep sea fishing training with Bill Carruthers at the fishing school on the docks. The training was mainly for non Fleetwood people, and they came from all over Lancashire. I do have a photo from within the school when we were learning knots.

We lived in the deep sea fishermans mission on dock st. Thats where I got my first tattoo, and had to have a gold earring in my right ear before going to sea. It was good luck for the ship to have its youngest member wear an earring in the right ear (so I was told???)

After a couple of trips as Galley boy, i went through the ropes as Brassy, quarter half and into full decky. This was a bit unusual for a none Fleety…and bloody hard going. I lasted for a couple of years at this, eventually the sea sickness got the better of me, and I joined the merchant Navy out of Manchester.

I wonder if anyone remembers the training school on the docks, and Bill Carruthers?

Many years later, I look back on the discipline and lessons I learned at sea, especially on the different trawlers, and never regretted a minute of it (apart from sea sickness of course, always fixed up with cooks greasy bacon butty)

I hope my memories come in handy. I also have a half model of the Boston Seafoam, which I commissioned later in life. Its travelled round the world with me, and is now in my office in Australia!!

John Bradshaw

Below are some images John has been kind enough to send to me including 2 images of the half model of the Boston Seafoam.