Fleetwood's last remaining fishermen feel pressured by Associated British Ports to leave Jubilee Quay

The group of boat owners are based at Fleetwood’s Jubilee Quay, an area which has been reserved for the small indoor fishing vessels for generations.

Now there are less than 20 vessels in the quay and just three are licenced to fish professionally.

The fishermen’s latest worries revolve around future proposals by the Environment Agency for an extended sea wall along the River Wyre which could have a direct impact on Jubilee Quay, and plans by the port authority, Associated British Ports, for a ‘full clean up of Jubilee Quay and the marina’ which they feel is pushing them out.

The fishermen say that if they have to leave the quay, they will never get back there and their own livelihoods – and the future of the industry – could end up being lost forever.

Fleetwood’s once mighty fishing fleet was once so sizeable that big distance water trawlers packed the main fish dock, and Jubilee Quay was full of boats as well, with the town being one of the nation’s top fishing ports.

But the Cod Wars of the late 1970s – after which British boats were ultimately banned from the lucrative waters off Iceland - hit the industry hard and Fleetwood’s fishing livelihood fell into a tragic tailspin from which it has never recovered.

Yet three veteran fishermen – John Worthington, 56, Rod Collinson, 73 and 79 year old Billy McGough – plough on, catching fish such as plaice, skate, sole and turbot out in the Irish Sea.

John Worthington, who owns the 10 metre trawler Mi Amor, said: “We feel we are being bullied by ABP to get us out of Jubilee Quay because what they really want is to use this land as part of their plans for development for housing.

"We feel they are using the talks of a future sea wall here as an excuse to get us out of the way.

"We’ve been asked to move the equipment we use for our jobs, and remove our security fencing, which we need to keep our boats safe after we had lots of vandalism here a few years back.”

Rod Collinson, who runs another 10 metre trawler, Bonny Lass, said: “They want us to move our boats into the main fish dock, but the problem with that is that we will be reliant on the dock gates being opened and closed, which could slow us down by a couple of hours

"Jubilee Quay is perfect for quick easy access into the sea for small inshore boats and it has been since Victorian times.

"We understand that as long as there are registered vessels here, we would be allowed to stay and fish from here.”

The boat owners are determined to maintain Jubilee Quay as a working site and heritage area for future generations and have even set up a friends association, but they are worried about dock owners Associated British Ports’ long-term plans for it.

They are also concerned about the public right of way that runs alongside it.

Although ABP is regarded as the owner of this land, there have been historic claims it was granted to the town’s fishermen by Queen Victoria herself.

Although the fishermen are able to use Jubilee Quay rent-free, the fishermen say it has been neglected by the dock authority.

But an ABP spokesperson, said: “We are proud to own and operate the Port of Fleetwood.

"Our core values of safety and environmental protection are driving our plan for a full clean-up of the Marina and Jubilee quay areas and wreck clearance.

“We have been in consultation with boat owners at Jubilee Quay for over two years.

"We have repeatedly offered alternative berths in the main dock, and we will continue to engage with the boat owners to resolve the situation.”

The Environment Agency was approached for a comment about future plans for an extended sea wall.

Peter Scott, a member of the Friends of Jubilee Quay, says he understands there is a need for coastal protection but he says Jubilee Quay could still be retained with the sea wall, if the plans are handled in the right way.

He said: “We want assurances from ABP about the future of Jubilee Quay as a working fishing quay.

"We realise Fleetwood is a very small concern for ABP because they run much bigger ports like Southampton, Plymouth, Barrow, Lowestoft and others.

"But other smaller ports like Whitby, Scarborough and Brixham have manage to retain their fishing industries alongside their tourism.

"Fleetwood has just been run down and neglected by ABP – instead of making the docks the hub of development, it’s been allowed to die.

"But now we’re out of the EU, we should be looking at ways of reviving fishing, on a smaller scale, for future generations who still have time to learn this trade– before it’s too late.”