Fathom: getting below the surface of the UK fishing industry.
There is so much more to fishing than just catching fish. Through real conversations with real fishermen, fishing experts and the people who write the rules, we'll help you navigate complex fishing regulations, be more safety-aware, keep up to date on market trends and much more. We'll also be scouring the UK coast for amazing stories from fishing families - connecting you to harbours, boats, and people, around the country. Fathom is brought to you by the Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation and funded by The Seafarers' Charity.
Fathom: getting below the surface of the UK fishing industry.
General Election 2024 – A five-point plan for fishing (Part III: Marine Planning)
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.