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A new report has shed light on the decline of the number of workers in the fishing and farming industries... but why has this happened? And what can be done to help tackle the issues?
The latest figures from Statistics Jersey – which were obtained by combining data such as ITIS and Social Security returns to build a picture of the island’s workforce – showed that the agriculture and fishing sector represented just 2% of total employment.
The report said that the sector was the only industry to see an annual decrease in total employment, down by 60 from June 2022 to June 2023.
President of the Jersey Fishermen's Association, Don Thompson said that Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic negatively impacted the fisheries export market.
This, coupled with a lack of fisheries management and political support during this time, put a strain on the industry and seriously harmed stocks of crab and lobster.
Pictured: President of the Jersey Fishermen's Association, Don Thompson.
He said: "The biggest factor leading to the decline in our fleet has been the negative outcome to the Brexit negotiations on behalf of the entire UK.
"This is due to political interference on a local level and weak support from our politicians throughout the implementation of a post-Brexit trade agreement between the EU and the UK.
"This lead to fishermen becoming very disillusioned and unwilling to make the necessary investment into their own futures."
Meanwhile, Mr Thompson added that plans to protect areas of Jersey's marine environment and to create an offshore wind farm were further deterring fishers and threatening jobs in the industry.
The Marine Spatial Plan outlined plans to create protected zones in 30% of Jersey's waters in a bid to curb destructive fishing methods like bottom trawling.
"This is responsible for fishermen leaving the industry or simply not being willing to reinvest in their future," he said.
Mr Thompson added that a further threat the fishing industry is posed by plans for an offshore wind farm.
He said that this will add another 7% of 'no-go' areas for fishermen, taking the total exclusion area to almost 40% of Jersey's territorial waters.
Mr Thompson asked: "Who would want to invest as a newcomer or to reinvest as an established fisherman in an industry surrounded by so much adversity?"
However, he feels there is hope for revitalisation under new government leadership, with the Environment Minister and Economic Minister showing an interest in supporting the industry.
Gabby Mason of Jade-S Fisheries said she had seen droves of fishers leaving the industry in recent years because it has become unfeasible and unviable due to high operating costs and increasing regulations.
She said: "I have watched the fleet disappear exponentially."
"It is now only about 30 boats, and very few of them have crew."
Her partner Leyton Hunnisett previously told Express: "The sheer number of those who have left the industry in the last few years would bring tears to the eyes of even the hardest seaman.
"Finding those to replace lost crew, skippers and even fishmongers seems near impossible in today's world.
"The cost of living and the lack of political and economic support has disheartened the industry and has meant many have been forced to leave as ends could not be met.
Pictured: Gabby Mason of Jade-S Fisheries.
"The increased prices for boat parts, fuel and bait have just exacerbated the continuing problems being caused by changes to our waters, regulations, and Brexit, with landings still severely affected into France."
Ms Mason explained that Jersey's fishing industry was shut down overnight in March 2020, and as the pandemic previously took hold in Europe, the export market on which local fishers relied shut down.
"This happened even before covid had hit the island so fishing really was one of the first economic casualties," she said.
She added that the impact of climate change, coupled with strong winds and swells, posed further challenges for fishers as it restricted the number of days they can work.
Meanwhile, rising sea temperatures mean warm water species, like octopus and Tuna, have entered Jersey's waters. However, vessels and regulations are not generally equipped to deal with these species.
Ms Mason said that government support is fundamental to the survival of the ancient profession.
"The cod-trade was our first international industry and the island was the pioneer of the trade in the 1800s."
She has called on the government to create a more adaptive legislative framework informed by the fishers.
"The government should enhance its adaptability and demonstrate a greater openness to listening and collaborating effectively."
"We need more support as we can't keep up with the running costs.
"Boats are so expensive to operate and can be dangerous, especially as you can't get crew anymore as people can make easier money in other industries."
She also called on islanders to switch their eating habits from "fashionable imported fish" like salmon to local fish like mullet or sea bass even if it is just once a week.
"This can make a massive difference in supporting local fishers and promoting food security," she said.
Douglas Richardson, the chair of the Jersey Farmers Union, said he was "not surprised" by the findings of the recent employment report.
He claimed that the diminishing agricultural workforce was due to improvements in technology rather than any serious challenges affecting the industry.
Mr Richardson explained that a lot more potatoes are now planned using automatic planters, which are used in conjunction with hand farming.
Pictured: Chair of the Jersey Farmers Union, Douglas Richardson.
"This is a much cheaper process and means there are less workers," he explained.
Mr Richardson said that there are also less Eastern European workers in Jersey now due to changes to the ITIS system.
He advised government to "listen to the farmers".
"The unrest across Europe has shown the need for government's to have close relationships with farmers," said Mr Richardson.
The Chair of the Jersey Farmers Union added that a "primary factor" is the reduction in local production is due to the closure of Charlie Gallichan's project at the Trinity-based Woodside Farms.
Woodside Farm became the primary grower of local vegetables when it bought Amal Grow in 2015, including the business's 50 staff.
In 2022, Express reported that the farm grew and supplied 80% of the local veg sold in Jersey and that Mr Gallichan was the fifth generation of his family to run Woodside.
During this interview, Mr Gallichan said that he business – along with the whole of agriculture in Jersey – faced a very uncertain future.
Pictured: Charlie Gallichan, former owner of Woodside Farms.
Covid had had a significant impact on trade, he added, compounded by the lack of Government support through the pandemic.
A local grower called Ollie Griggs spoke about the challenges of centralised distribution systems and called for more direct consumer sales.
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Mr Griggs, who started his small market garden business 'The Land of Milk and Honey' in spring 2022, said: "It's happening all over Europe, with more and more restrictions put on what they are allowed to do by regulatory bodies and by supermarkets to show to the consumer that they are being 'sustainable'.
"They are in the middle, pushed on one side by increasing prices and 'red tape' and on the other by falling crop prices and supermarkets who are rather mercenary about their buying policies, with the global farm at its fingertips, ready to provide crops for cheaper than UK farmers can produce."
He added: "I feel that the way forwards has got to be away from these centralised distribution systems that squeeze the value out of the farmer's produce, and more towards selling direct to consumers- though the routes to market are not yet in place for this to support many farms and supply many customers.
"It is one of the myriad challenges facing farming today. Not only is production subject to the weather and conditions of nature but to the need to develop new markets as old ones become less favourable, and more centred around a large scale, non-seasonal globalised food system."
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