Television’s Monty Halls is calling on the UK’s fleet of small boat fishermen to follow in the footsteps of farmers in a bid to help boost their industry.
From rising fuel costs to the lack of a new generation of fishermen, he notes that these issues have challenged the future of small boat fishing.
Monty offers a solution. He says he has seen first-hand how community supported fisheries are netting greatly increased income for fishermen in America.
Monty is heading a national campaign, supported by Seafish, the seafood authority, to encourage British fishermen to set up similar schemes.
This follows the Fishing into the Future conference in Brixham in July.
The industry’s aim was for Seafish to help facilitate and encourage co-operatives for fisheries and communities to develop new markets.
Monty, presenter of the BBC series The Fisherman’s Apprentice, said: “Community supported fisheries work in a very similar way to the vegetable box schemes our farmers have been successfully running.”
Monty is committed to boosting the profile of fishing communities.
He added: “The customers would pay in advance every month for their delivery of fish and will know by whom, where and when the fish was caught.
“It’s also a great way to introduce people to the different varieties of seafood that are caught around our shores.”
Monty says a small proportion of the fish caught would be set aside for community supported fisheries, with the rest being sold to fish wholesalers, processors and distributors as normal.
It’s a win-win for fish lovers and the seafood industry.
Paul Williams is chief executive of seafood industry body Seafish