No one disputes the need for the inshore fleet to have a voice. However, there are many differing views on how to accomplish that. This is the story of how Mandy Wolfe approached Fishermen across Lyme Bay to see if there was an interest in forming an organisation.

We knew this was going to take time. There is no way to rush this process, and getting Fishermen involved, asking them to ignore the loss of hope, asking them to ignore the feeling that this will be, yet again, another futile endeavor, where they are ultimately disappointed and disadvantaged, was difficult for me. I couldn’t promise the Fishermen anything, only that this had not been done before, but I had every confidence in them and in the dream of a united voice for the Fishermen.

We estimated 3-4 months for engagement. Over the course of these months, the action plan was to:

• Put up social media posts
• Instructions to create a Facebook account here
• Put up notices for quayside visits to talk about a fishermen led organisation
• When visiting ports, always check the weather and try to determine when the vessels will be launching and returning. Many times I have been quayside at 6 am to see vessels off, then back again around 7 pm – 8pm, for vessels returning.
• We researched venues to hold evening meetings monthly meetings to discuss the idea and gauge interest. I was lucky to obtain funding so I could hold meetings at a local fishing college, but had there been a charge, it would have been £50 for 2-hour venue hire.

We would recommend researching:

• Council venues that may be available for free.
• You could speak to council and explain what you are doing, see if they can recommend somewhere, or if they have any funding to support the initiative.
• Local football clubs to see if they have space available.
• Contact local Fisherman’s associations, see if they can recommend them anywhere.
• Put social media posts up asking for recommendations for venues that do not charge.

What days/times to hold meetings

• We always try to hold meetings in the evenings, Fishermen need to work during the day, The worse the weather, the better the attendance. That’s why we prefer January and early February if a daytime meeting is necessary but try to avoid holding meetings in June – August.