Ship out there. Too close, by the sound. It's the loneliest sound...like a child lost and crying in the dark. Mmm, he's lost, all right... with a captain cursing a blue streak and wondering why he ever went to sea instead of opening a grocer's shop like a sensible man.... Fog in the channel is treacherous. I'd rather face a northeaster. Still, it's honest, the sea. It makes you face things honestly, doesn't it? (The Ghost and Mrs Muir, 1947)
Saw the JEP a few nights ago, about the rising fuel costs hitting local fishermen. And Philip Ozouf pops up, because economic development is the monster department that swallowed up (like a Behemoth), the old Agriculture and Fisheries Department. What did he have to say to help the fishermen? Read on...
Support offered to struggling fishermen By Diane Simon
Saw the JEP a few nights ago, about the rising fuel costs hitting local fishermen. And Philip Ozouf pops up, because economic development is the monster department that swallowed up (like a Behemoth), the old Agriculture and Fisheries Department. What did he have to say to help the fishermen? Read on...
Support offered to struggling fishermen By Diane Simon
ECONOMIC Development Minister Philip Ozouf offered despondent fishermen a package of support last night as they combat rising fuel costs and low lobster prices. But that support will not be financial or in the form of fuel subsidies.
The Jersey Enterprise support package which Senator Ozouf has offered includes:
*Continued efforts by the Bureau de Jersey director to persuade French Customs to allow local fishermen to land their catches direct in St Malo, which is being refused by an agent there at present.
*Helping the industry to promote their lobsters more in the Island.
*Support in gaining eco-labelling for lobsters which could increase their value.
What happens to the many fishermen who have other fish to catch, and also have rising fuel costs, no one can say.
A typical Ozouf strategy, no financial help or fuel subsidies - i.e. real help - but "continued efforts", "helping to promote", "support in gaining". Nothing definite there then, only the usual vague generalities.
Specifics are missing -
Exactly how will he help the industry to promote the lobsters, how much by way of cash for advertising (for example), and how the effectiveness of that support of that will be judged. What kind of feedback would indicate the support had been of benefit?
Only the first item on the list has any substance, and we are not told how long this has taken the Bureau de Jersey so far to attempt, what kind of new arguments they have, and what the likelihood there is of them succeeding. If it is something that has been "continued efforts" for many years, that is really not much in the way of "support"!
How will he support the fishermen to gain "eco-labelling"? How much of an increase might they expect in the value? Note it says "may increase their value"!
It is like throwing a drowning man a gift wrapped set of speeches when what he really needs is a life belt.
Perhaps he should go to sea with them some time and see first hand, in bad weather as well as good, how their lives are:
All those comfortable swabs who sit at home in their beam-ends reveling in the luxuries that seamen risk their lives to bring to them...and despising the poor devils if they so much as touch a drop of rum, and -- and even sneering at people who try to do them some good like you and me. ( (The Ghost and Mrs Muir, 1947)
Port Registry: Jersey
Name: INCONNU J557
Date: 70th
Year ( date if known ) of Loss1996
Any Casualties ??1
A typical Ozouf strategy, no financial help or fuel subsidies - i.e. real help - but "continued efforts", "helping to promote", "support in gaining". Nothing definite there then, only the usual vague generalities.
Specifics are missing -
Exactly how will he help the industry to promote the lobsters, how much by way of cash for advertising (for example), and how the effectiveness of that support of that will be judged. What kind of feedback would indicate the support had been of benefit?
Only the first item on the list has any substance, and we are not told how long this has taken the Bureau de Jersey so far to attempt, what kind of new arguments they have, and what the likelihood there is of them succeeding. If it is something that has been "continued efforts" for many years, that is really not much in the way of "support"!
How will he support the fishermen to gain "eco-labelling"? How much of an increase might they expect in the value? Note it says "may increase their value"!
It is like throwing a drowning man a gift wrapped set of speeches when what he really needs is a life belt.
Perhaps he should go to sea with them some time and see first hand, in bad weather as well as good, how their lives are:
All those comfortable swabs who sit at home in their beam-ends reveling in the luxuries that seamen risk their lives to bring to them...and despising the poor devils if they so much as touch a drop of rum, and -- and even sneering at people who try to do them some good like you and me. ( (The Ghost and Mrs Muir, 1947)
Port Registry: Jersey
Name: INCONNU J557
Date: 70th
Year ( date if known ) of Loss1996
Any Casualties ??1
And he was the skipper, who made sure his crew were safe before leaving himself, but the wheelhouse exploded, and he lost his life. For months on end, they would leave Jersey, and fish in the North off the Orkneys, and bring back catches. A brave man, and one of the best.
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2 comments:
Tony
The actual problem with the fishing industry which is that it has over exploited the stocks and are fishing at an unsustainable pace, what is actually needed is some conservation measures that would not only benefit the fishermen but the public at large. The current move is to create "no take zones" such as off Lundy, these were pioneered off New Zealand and have been a great draw to the public who flock to them to view the rising marine life.
Look at last years Bass landings and their dramatic plummet. Look at the scrutiny fisheries review and how there is no focus for the future of the industry.
Ask yourself why Smo had to travel so far to catch lobsters?
Cheers Captain
I take your point about over exploited stocks, but Smo was actually running a North Sea trawling vessel. Not many lobster pots in the depths of the North Sea!
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