Fisherman Matt
Brixham, Devon
The magazine of the photo-essay
Mar / Apr 2021 back issue
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Boat: Rebecca Louise R507
Brixham in Devon is home to one of Britain’s largest fishing fleets and has been a fishing port since the middle ages. The
town takes pride in being the birthplace of the trawling industry. Today there are plenty of big trawlers but there are also
a handful small day boats, manned by one or just a handful of fishermen.
In the aftermath of Brexit, which promised a new age of plenty and control for the British fishing industry, British
fishermen and seafood exporters in the uk are now faced with the reality that Brexit has cost them huge sums of
money, due to delays and red tape. The final deal, negotiated by Boris Johnson, has left fishermen feeling let down as it
locks in substantial access to British waters for European boats for at least five years and potentially indefinitely.
There is also anxiety in the seafood sector about the permanently increased cost of exports to the EU caused by post-
Brexit paperwork, which many fear will outweigh what they see as a meagre increase in the share of fish UK fishermen
can catch.
by Damian Bird
