Improved working conditions onboard 'Cyclone'

Kevin Matthews, owner and skipper of the Newquay based fishing vessel ‘Cyclone’ has been awarded a £1,270 Objective One Fisheries grant to help working conditions on board his boat.

While the Cyclone is potting for shellfish around Cornwalls coast, the grant funded net hauler and roller will help make the crew's job easier. This equipment will help to haul in shellfish pots, as instead of the fishermen leaning over the side of the boat to reach the pots, the roller and hauler pulls the pots into the boat mechanically. Once in the boat the shellfish are removed, the pots cleaned and baited and finally put back into the sea.

Fishermen can haul up to 200 pots a day so this equipment will dramatically reduce the backbreaking work involved in hauling shellfish pots and make the operation safer for the crew.

Alison Elvey, Fisheries Programme Manager stated, “This is a simple but effective method of improving working conditions on a small potter and will help to extend fishermen’s working lives. As it remains difficult to recruit and retain crew in the fishing industry, any project which can make life easier for fishermen on board their vessels, especially when dealing with difficult seas, is encouraged."

Kevin Matthews skipper of the ‘Cyclone’ said, “This will greatly help the bad back problems suffered by all crabbers and will also be a great ease on the workload.”