Last fisher standing
Posted on December 18th 2009
Great Yarmouth is just about to see their last fisherman family hang up their ropes and drop anchor for the last time. The Clarke brothers have ran the last remaining fishing boat in Great Yarmouth for several years having made a pledge to carry on their family tradition which stretches back 4 generations.
However Richard Clarke, recently had to pull away from the family business because it was becoming an almost impossible task to fish; he now works on a vessel which repairs wind turbines out at sea.
Richard left his brother, Jason with their boat Eventide to manage the business and although it was a challenge Jason was prepared to take up, he has now been forced to retire from the trade. It is not the harsh living conditions, cold winters, icy winds or hard work which has deterred Clarke from following his vocation but EU legislation being discussed regarding fishing quotas.
Clarke felt that he has been pushed out the industry because the cod quotas set for vessels under 10 metres, which is Eventide's class, make the trade economically unstable. Clarke explained that to run a boat like Eventide as a fishing boat economically balanced, Clarke would have to catch £2000 of stock a week. However due to the quota system he and his brother have been unable to achieve that for some time.
Clarke is reminiscent of the days when the Great Yarmouth harbour was brimming with fishing boats, however since tighter restrictions on catch quotes were implemented from Brussels the industry has become far too bureaucratic in Clarke's opinion.
Eventide however will not be entering into retirement as she is being loaned to a member of her current crew who intends to refit her with more modern equipment to fish crayfish and lobsters, which are not subject to quotas - yet!
Insure My Boat provides boat insurance for ship owners across the UK whether they be commercial enterprises or pastime favourites.
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