10.04.06
Newlyn Fishermen on French Study Tour

A group of fishermen from Newlyn, Cornwall have just returned from a two and a half day study tour which involved touring fishing ports in Brittany, North Western France. The group were interested in learning best practice from the French with regards to improving the quality of their fish and therefore potentially increasing the selling price of their fish at market. The tour included visits to fish markets at Roscoff, Le Guilvinec and Concarneau. The group also visited a training centre, net-making factory and boatbuilding company, as well as meeting with members of the local fishing industry.

The group have been meeting regularly to take French lessons, held at the Cornwall Fisheries Resource Centre in Newlyn, in order to help them communicate with French trawler men when out at sea. The Brittany visit was funded through the Fish Rural Enterprise Gateway (Fish REG), a SW Regional Development Agency funded project, which aims to give people involved in the fishing industry the skills and information necessary to develop their businesses and find solutions to problems in a rapidly changing economic and policy climate.

Evonne Amblin, Business Link project officer for Fish REG across the South West region said: "I am delighted that we were able to assist this small group of local fishermen. The knowledge they gained through the visit will enable them to improve their working practices and develop their businesses. This is an ideal example of the type of activity that Fish REG can support."

"The French lessons have been delivered in an informal, but focused manner with the course content being student led. This approach has proved very successful and the France trip was a great opportunity to put into practice what they have learned," added Jon Lansley, project officer, Cornwall Fisheries Resource Centre.

Newlyn fisherman Andrew Pascoe felt that the trip had been very worthwhile. "The local fishermen we met made us feel very welcome and were more than happy to share their knowledge with us – we were even featured in the local Brittany newspaper!" he said.

For more information on the Rural Enterprise Gateway, contact Business Link Devon and Cornwall on 0845 600 9966.

For further information please contact Jon Lansley of the Fisheries Resource Centre on 01736 874304 or email jon@cfrc.org.uk.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in the Fisheries Resource Centre through the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance Fund (FIFG) and Business Link through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF).

Editor's notes:

SWREG is an element of Business Link's Gateway service aimed at helping rural businesses in the south west, through access to information, training and business development support.

It is one of the support schemes aimed at helping rural and land based businesses across Devon, Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly and administered by the Business Link Agricultural Team. Others include:

• Cornwall Food and Drink Partnership scheme
• Rural Business Support Initiative
• Rural Diversification Capital Grant Initiative
• Rural Directory

Business Link Devon and Cornwall delivers the national Business Link service to the two counties under contract from the DTI's Small Business Service.

Business Link provides a free information and enquiry service via an information gateway on the web www.bldc.co.uk and via the telephone on 0845 600 9966 to all businesses and those considering starting a business.

The South West of England Regional Development Agency is one of the nine RDAs covering England and charged with creating conditions in which businesses and communities can thrive. The South West region comprises Gloucestershire, Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly; and the unitary authorities of Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth, City of Bristol, North Somerset, Plymouth, Poole, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, and Torbay.

South West England has almost 5 million residents. More than half live in rural areas – the highest proportion for any English region. It also covers the largest land area of any English RDA. The RDA has a budgetary allocation of £131.4 million in 2003/4 and £130.8 million in 2004/5.

The Cornwall Fisheries Resource Centre project was a key project in the Objective One Fisheries Taskforce Strategy, published in May 2002.

The project is funded by: EU Objective One – Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG), Barclays Bank plc, Defra, Penwith District Council, Rural Community Partnership, Newlyn Pier and Harbour Commissioners, Cornish Fish Producers Organisation (CFPO) and Seafish (SFIA).
3. The Cornwall Fisheries Resource Centre is at 78b The Strand, Newlyn, tel: 01736 364324.

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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