View: Save Britain’s distant-waters fishing!

Dear Prime Minister,   

We are the first mates of the Kirkella, pride of the UK distant-waters fishing fleet and workplace of the last British distant-waters fishermen based in Hull. We’re writing to you on their behalf. 

On Sunday, we returned from a successful two-month trip to the winter darkness of the sub-Arctic waters north of Norway, bringing home cod and haddock for Britain’s fish & chip shops.

But Kirkella is now moored in Hull, and the question on all of our minds over our Christmas break is this: will any of us have jobs in the New Year? It’s just three weeks away, and for all the assurances of your government on the importance of fishing we still have no idea.

There are about a hundred crew and other colleagues based in and around the Humber whose livelihoods – along with those of their families – are dependent on us being able to put to sea again in January. This is a close-knit community in an area of England where good jobs are hard to come by. The fear for our jobs is real, as is its impact on our families.

Can you give our crew your assurance that we will not lose our historic rights to distant-waters fishing off Norway, Greenland and the Faroes as a consequence of leaving the EU? As you must know, the Framework Fisheries Agreement with Norway does not guarantee anything like this. 

Prime Minister, our future is literally in your hands. 

Yours sincerely 

Mark McGorrin
Charlie Waddy

First Mates, Kirkella