The All Party Parliamentary Group on Fisheries has held a virtual meeting to discuss the health and wellbeing of coastal communities.
Chaired by Sheryll Murray MP, the panel covered a range of issues from the causes of welfare troubles, to solutions to tackling them, to personal stories of success and difficulties.
Fishermen face a range of challenges to wellbeing, some common to many industries and others felt exclusively by the fishing sector. These hardships can extend to the entire community, including fishermen’s relatives and others connected to the industry. “Many coastal communities are among the most economically deprived areas of the UK,” said David Dickens of The Fishermen’s Mission, who kicked off presentations.
“For fishing communities, uncertainty of income and employment, and the unique lifestyle pressures they face lead to a range of wellbeing issues including financial hardship, disjointed family relationships, and physical and mental health issues,” he added.
Speakers presented on a number of initiatives around the UK that are helping to address these issues, such as SeaFit, a project on the Holderness coast providing harbourside access to health services and FishWell, which helps fishermen address mental health problems. Other suggestions were discusses such as more flexible ways to access wellbeing services and a better understanding of the particular nature of fishing within social welfare policies.
Finally, supporting the industry through consumption was acknowledged as important. “Fishing communities would greatly benefit from the UK general public being persuaded to eat more UK seafood,” said Derek Cardno, of the Scottish Fishermen's Association.
