Crossing Hastings Country Park New Signs etc...

Yes, I'm still wandering backwards and forwards across Hastings Country Park when I have the time, which I do my best to ensure as much as possible, and new signs have appeared here and there, notably at the east and west ends, eg up at the top of the steps on the East Hill (above). 

And I'm still 'spotting' birds this year too, Dunnocks and Stonechats aplenty over the east end of the Park, as well as the more regular Robins and Blackbirds singing away right across the Park, and Blue Tits and Great Tits too, not to forget the 2 Goldfinches I saw recently, and a Jay too (although that was in Alexandra Park 😉).

And a new sign has been erected at the east end of the Park, at last!

A closer look of the information provided, and close by is the...

... new Hastings Country Park Visitor Centre at Fairlight (HBC website), made of straw, and funded by the European Union, one of our final grants from them I'd imagine, and part of their UP STRAW programme (website). Apparently due to open at the end of this month, behind time, whatever, The Bale House should open this summer, a wee bit delayed because of, guess what, the COVID-19 Crisis...

I do love Hastings Country Park!

Fishing, Hastings and the European Union

The fishing fleet that works from the Stade in Hastings is one of the oldest fishing fleets in the country, the largest beach-launched fishing fleet in Europe, and also famous for its unique and 'listed' tall black huts that were originally used to dry nets, and now used for storage. But what of Britain and its fishing relationship with other European countries, was being part of the Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union (EU) the first time Britain entered into agreements with other countries? 

Well, unsurprisingly, no it wasn't, indeed Britain came to an agreement called the North Sea Fisheries Convention as long ago as 1888, an agreement with Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and the Netherlands, that allowed each country to fish in each other's waters to within 3 miles of respective coastlines. 

However, Britain wasn't happy with this agreement many years later and withdrew in 1963, subsequently instigating the 1964 London Fisheries Convention, signed by the same countries, plus a few others, which allowed each country to fish within each other's waters between 6 and 12 miles from respective coastlines. I wrote about this convention and when Britain submitted its 2 years notice to leave in this blog from 2017.

Since then, of course, Britain joined the EEC in 1973, subsequently becoming the EU, and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which seeks to ensure environmental, economic and social sustainability that fosters a dynamic fishing industry and ensuring a fair standard of living for fishing communities (European Parliament website). It also allows each country to fish between 12 and 200 miles from each other's coasts. 

By 2009 the EU sought to reform the CFP, following a wide-ranging public debate on the way fisheries were managed. A new Common Fisheries Policy came into effect from the 1st of January 2014, and which included policies that particularly effected Hastings fishing industry (European Union website), that is, firstly, to bring in sensible steps to prevent already caught fish having to be discarded. 

Secondly, to bring in quotas to prevent over-fishing and ensure sustainability of fishing stock. This has been very contentious in Hastings, indeed, for the smaller fishing boats and local sustainability, and part of the reason why Greenpeace came to Town in 2015 (blog). It also contributed to anti-EU feeling and Ukip inspired protests like the above demonstration in 2018 (blog).

However, as explained in my Greenpeace blog, and the point was made at that meeting by Paul Joy (NUTFA) too, the job to divide quotas, indeed, to fight within Europe to exclude Under Ten Metre Fishing Boats from quotas, as they had previously been (before 2015), was the British Government and Defra's responsibility, not the EU's. Indeed, the new Common Fisheries Policy (website) states that "Small scale vessel owners would need to receive the right quota mix from national administrations."

So what did Defra do? Well, they gave only 4% of the allocated fishing quotas (blog) to the smaller, and more sustainable, fishing fleets, which make up 80% of British fishing boats... Consequently, this allowed for 96% of quotas to go to larger fishing boats/businesses, and, surprise surprise, over half of Britain's fishing quota has been sold off to foreign fishing boats, although this had been happening already (BBC), for example, 55% of the annual value of catches in 2019!

So, what will British fishing fleets, including the Hastings fishing fleet, gain in coming years? Well, the ability to fish 3 nautical miles from other country's coasts allowed between 1888 and 1963 is no more. The ability to fish 12 miles from other coastlines allowed from 1964 has disappeared already as we left the London Fisheries Convention very recently. Now we will not have agreement to fish between 12 and 200 miles from other coasts either, oops, but as I explained in my blog, neither will EU fishing boats have rights to fish in British waters. We may need to reach agreements...

Oh yes, and approximately 90% of Hastings' catch is sold to Europe...

Plus Defra will still be in control of whatever quotas British governments allocate over the years, experience reminds us that for years they've favoured the 'Big Boys' 😬

Register to Vote!

We don't appear to be having local elections in Hastings this year (Hastings Borough Council website), but elections for the European Parliament are starting to look like a distinct possibility now (BBC)! If you are not already on the Register to vote, it only takes a short while to register online at the Government website. Don't lose it!

Au Revoir EU

Our letter of resignation from the EU, ie the 'trigger' of Article 50, goes out today... Whatever our opinions, whether we are Remainers or Brexiteers, let's hope it doesn't all go ar*e up, fingers crossed for the future and good luck to the negotiators!

Do vote today...

A poster in the High Street

Whatever position you take, please do vote today; in 1975, 17,378,581 voted to remain in the EEC, with 8,470,073 voting to leave, and with a turnout of 64.62% of the electorate. To ensure legitimacy is enshrined in whatever decision is reached, a large turnout should be necessary... 

Whatever your opinion, this is probably the most serious electoral decision you may ever make or influence, certainly since the referendum in 1975. It is about the future of your children, their children, and of our country, the UK, people have died to ensure you can vote, and a good person has died more recently too, R.I.P.

The Winch Road - Part 2

I've got there! Having just spoken to probably the best person to talk to, ie very likely the most informed person... The work is planned to last for up to 11 weeks, and is being jointly funded by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the Hastings & St Leonards Foreshore (Charitable) Trust, funding doesn't come from HBC, nor from the fishermen, but does include money granted from the European Union. The rest of what I said before, as in, this is to resurface the existing Winch Road for the benefit of the local fishing industry, and for a better walkway, remains true. Now the rumours can stop, hopefully...   

Sustainable Fishing: Greenpeace comes to town...

I was working elsewhere when the Greenpeace fishing boat 'Rising Tide' landed in Hastings, but got to the Fishermens' Beach well before the public meeting started to take a few photographs of their boat.

I also discovered that the public meeting was being held in the East Hastings Sea Angling Association bar, soon after I discovered that the upstairs area above the 'Classroom by the Coast' is a tad too small to hold such a meeting! Anyway, there was a very good turn-out, indeed, though my photographs don't do this justice because most people weren't in line with my images, as the camera lens was pointing directly at the politicians.

There were the General Election candidates from the Labour, LibDems, Greens and the Ukip parties all present, Sara Owen, Nick Perry, Jake Bowers and Andrew Michael, and, because she was tied up in Parliament, hopefully not literally or another scandal could emerge (he says with a wink in his eye), a recording of the Conservative candidate, and current incumbent, Amber Rudd. They all agreed with the Greenpeace 5 point action plan, of course, though the Ukip man hummed and haa-ed before agreeing to do so, presumably for dramatic effect, as I'm sure he must have already known what he was going to do, wasn't he? Better than getting lynched by the Hastings fishing community!  

I'd already signed their petition on-line a couple of weeks go, but I perused the other literature and badges that Greenpeace brought with them before the talking began; I also signed a 'pennant', all of which are to be given to the Fishing Minister by Greenpeace, together with the petition, after the tour is completed.

As you can see above, Paul Joy represented the local fishing industry and the New Under Ten Fishermens Association (website) as spokesperson, as one would expect, and provided much technical information, and less the warm fuzzy feelings candidates expressed, about the realities of small boat fishing and how the larger boats/fishing industry work. The problem is not to do with the Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union, so much, as in how British governments have divided up the British share between the small and larger fleets; ie nearly 80% of fishing boats, the smaller ones as in Hastings fleet, are only allowed 4% of the allocated catch!    

The joint mission of Greenpeace and the NUTFA is to get politicians to sign up as 'Coastal Champions', promoting their five point action plan, in the run up to the General Election:

• Give local, sustainable boats a fair share of quota
• Restore fish stocks by rewarding selective fishing methods
• Protect the ocean in a way that benefits local fishermen and coastal communities
• Give local, sustainable boats priority access to coastal waters 
• Make sure small scale fishermen are represented at the highest level in Europe

For more information go to Greenpeace 'Coastal Champions'. 

Take Your Fish To (Common) Market...

The local fishing industry has many problems with the European Union, and justifiably so, particularly the ever decreasing fishing quotas being allocated, but I felt a wee bit concerned when I saw so many Ukip flags on the fishermen's beach yesterday. See below, where 3 flags are on show. Sorry the photograph is so poor, but it was damp, and, just when you want wind to fly the flags, it dropped, the 'law of sod' apparently! 

Anyway, my mind went back to the excellent 5 or 10 minutes of the Jamie Oliver Channel 4 television programme at the end of January, when Tush Hamilton shared his knowledge of whole fish and their culinary delights with Jamie and Jimmy. Also, Tush and Paul Joy bemoaned the fact that the UK market has become obsessed with filleted fish, which also means wastage, and Paul explained that, consequently, 90% of his catch that morning, and 90% of the Hastings catch of whole fish generally, goes to Belgium or France via the local market (Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast).

Now I'm wondering if supporting the UK leaving the EU isn't a wee bit myopic considering that amount of fish crossing the Channel? I'm sure that the French, Belgian and Dutch fishing fleets would scramble for the UK's share of fishing quotas, and that the UK's power to influence European fishing policy would be lost...

Shouldn't our MEPs and MPs be representing the interests of our fishing industry and fighting more forcefully within the EU, earning their keep, in effect, rather than sticking their heads in the sand, or, as is the habit of Ukip MEPs, not even turning up for debates (confirmed by EU records)? They then claim their salaries and allowances, paid for by the UK taxpayer, but fail to represent the people who voted them in, shame on them...