Muddy water

Friday 8th January 2010, 3:00PM GMT.

From Don Thompson, Jersey Fishermen’s Association.
CAN I correct some very misleading suggestions in a letter entitled ‘Once upon a tide’ (JEP, 5 January) by the wonderfully eloquent and flamboyant Chris Fairbairn

Chris refers to the issue of the plans by Jersey Harbours to flood the Old Harbour and the effects on the fishermen, who apparently want to continue working in the mud at low tide.

He is correct only in that the South Pier was home to the commercial fleet in an era long since passed. Sadly, the wonderful sight of the South Pier packed full of our once powerful ‘Channel fleet,’ that paved the way to fishing new and distant grounds, lying for maintenance over the spring tides, is now a distant memory.

One of the last remaining vessels, the crabber Etoile des Ondes, had been operating out of Devon and was run down, with loss of life, by a ship, north of Cap de la Hague, on the crew’s final trip before Christmas (JEP, 6 January).

The Island’s current fishing fleet has, for clarity, for 35 years, been accommodated in the purpose-built, La Collette Fish Quay area, on permanently floating pontoons, where we can sail regardless of the state of tide, in the early hours, while Chris and the rest of the Island are still tucked up in bed.

Our hard-working fishermen are living through extremely difficult times, where issues that threaten their livelihoods, arise with frightening frequency. It is precisely in these times that the fishermen truly appreciate those, like Jersey Harbours, who support and genuinely work with them for a better future.

The Jersey Fishermen’s Association has no desire to engage in the debate, however contentious it may be, on the flooding of the Old Harbour. I would only comment that from my understanding of the overall scheme, I think it is likely to be of benefit, both to the Island and the vast majority of the serious boating fraternity.

We all enjoy Chris’s articles and hope they continue, but let us not implicate the fishing industry in issues which are not relevant.

Can I please just use this opportunity to convey the sincere thanks from the fleet to the public of Jersey who have given us so much support with their purchasing power during 2009? Hope you will all join us for Fish Festival 2010 on 17 June.

1
Westerly

January 8, 2010 at 7:25 pm

I was very tempted to respond to Chris’s previous letter to the editor, but could not find the words to express my sentiment. After reading this very well composed letter to the editor, I see my attempt would have failed miserably anyway. I have absolutely no idea were Chris is coming from. The proposals laid out on the table do not in any way suggest that the local boat owner will be forced out of boating. The proposals actually offer more opportunities for, as quoted above – “the vast majority of the serious boating fraternity”. The old vessels that are slowly rotting away in the old harbour do absolutely nothing for the local economy or for the image of the island as a whole. In fact they are an embarrassment. They give the outsider the impression that we here in Jersey are lazy and take our unique position for granted. The Channel Islands offer a truly unique boating experience to those who are based here. If you are based on the expensive harbours/marinas on the south coast of the UK, you have two choices each weekend. Turn left or right! Here we can go to so many different locations along the French coast, or other Channel Islands. With tides that are the 3rd highest in the world, it’s a fantastic & challenging place to be a yachtsmen. And yet there must be at least 200 vessels that reside in the Old Harbour that never move an inch year in, year out. That is a scandalous state of affairs and why? Like I said before, it is cheaper to leave those vessels sinking into the mud than it is to dispose of them or make them seaworthy. To a degree I can understand why boat owners do this, the waiting lists for a mooring are so long. And why are they so long? Because the mooring are taken up by vessels that never move. This situation suited Jersey Harbours in the past, because it was easy money. Well that steady stream of income is not enough to even keep our harbours maintained any more. Let alone move forward into the 21C. There is only so long we can live in the past. The fishermen have long since moved on. Is it not time the leisure boaters moved on too?

Report abuse
2
Westerly

January 8, 2010 at 7:46 pm

Thinking about it over my fish supper, where would be now if all those years ago, when the site of the old harbour was a mere tide line, people protested about building a harbour?

Report abuse