Skippers and vessel owners in Cumbria are being urged to take part in a research project to better understand the UK’s fishing fleet and its economic performance.

Researchers from Seafish, the public body that supports the £10bn UK seafood industry, will be visiting ports from Whitehaven to Kirkcudbright from September 16 to 18 to talk to skippers and owners of fishing vessels to collect data on the financial and operational performance of vessels.

The results help paint a picture of the UK fishing fleet, its economic performance and the challenges it faces as it prepares for life outside of the EU.

Barrie Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO), said: “I would encourage every skipper and vessel owner to assist Seafish by taking part in the UK fleet survey. By sparing the small amount of time required to take part, you will be helping to create the most accurate picture possible of the UK fishing fleet, across boats of all sizes and the entire country.”

The survey interviews should take no longer than 15 minutes for skippers and vessel owners to complete and all responses are treated as confidential, with no figures from any individual vessel revealed in any outputs.

The Economics of the UK Fishing Fleet 2018 report shows that the UK fishing fleet had a turnover of £1 billion for a second year. Annual fishing revenues stood at £978 million, largely unchanged on the previous year, although operating costs increased by 2% compared to 2017. This is largely attributable to a marked increase in fuel costs, with average fuel price increasing by 19 per cent to 50p per litre.

Steve Lawrence, Economics Project Manager at Seafish, said: “Considering the potential changes, challenges and opportunities on the horizon, it has never been more important for us to produce an accurate picture of the UK’s fishing fleet and the pressures it faces.

“The UK fleet survey is the major piece of research into the health of the sector touching on both the economics of those that make a living from it and its social impact on communities built around it. The results are always poured over by industry, as well as those looking to understand how management measures and policies play out practically.

“We spoke to around 400 skippers and vessel owners last year and we hope to build on those numbers as well as ensuring representation from all sectors of the fleet across every type of vessel and throughout the whole of the UK.”