Not one Welsh skipper rated crew availability as ‘good’ in Seafish 2024 survey

PEMBROKESHIRE’S fishing industry is facing a critical shortage of skilled labour, with local skippers among the most concerned in the UK over their ability to crew boats, a national report has revealed.

The 2024 Employment in the UK Fishing Fleet report, published today (May 15) by Seafish, shows that not a single Welsh skipper rated access to skilled crew as ‘good’ or ‘very good’. In contrast, nearly all described it as ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’.

This bleak outlook is far worse than in other parts of the UK. In England, 11% of vessel owners reported a positive view on crew access, while in Scotland the figure was 7%. Only Northern Ireland fared worse overall — but even there, some skippers expressed satisfaction with crew availability.

Researchers interviewed 32 Welsh vessel owners, including those operating out of Milford Haven, Fishguard, Saundersfoot and Tenby. Many of these vessels — including scallop dredgers and demersal trawlers over 10 metres — require larger crews, making the labour shortage even more acute.

Locally, the consequences are already being felt.
“I’ve had to cancel trips because I couldn’t crew the boat. That’s lost income — and it’s happening more often,” one Milford Haven skipper told The Herald.

According to the report, access to skilled crew is now the dominant employment issue across the UK fleet. The causes are varied:

• An ageing workforce, with the average age of UK fishing workers now 44.
• Tightened visa rules, making it more difficult and expensive to employ experienced foreign crew.
• Competition from offshore wind and aquaculture, which offer steadier hours and better conditions.

Despite the difficulties, a few Welsh vessel owners praised their current crew for loyalty and hard work — in contrast to other areas, where morale and experience were seen to be declining.

The report also highlights Wales’ heavy reliance on seasonal labour. A staggering 28% of full-time fishing workers in Wales are classed as seasonal — the highest figure anywhere in the UK. In Pembrokeshire, many fishermen are now taking second jobs with the RNLI, ferry companies, in engine repair, or selling seafood directly.

Visa-linked salary rules were also criticised. Under the Skilled Worker Visa scheme, crew must now earn over £30,000 per year — a figure some small boat operators say is unaffordable. Others have lost long-serving foreign crew due to English language requirements.

“They were like family,” one skipper said. “But they couldn’t pass the test, so I had to send them home. The new lads are fine, but they don’t have the same experience.”

Seafish is calling on government and industry to expand training and recruitment efforts, including Fisher Apprenticeships, Maritime Studies courses and Sea Fishing Diplomas, in an attempt to attract more young people into the trade.

But concerns remain. No women were recorded as working aboard Welsh vessels in the latest survey, and nearly one-third of deckhands were foreign nationals on temporary visas.

With a shrinking pool of experienced crew and a growing reliance on seasonal and overseas labour, the future of Pembrokeshire’s fishing heritage is at a crossroads.

Renting somewhere long-term means doing all you can to find the right place and avoid getting a UK landlord eviction form. In this post, we’ll show you the ten steps you must follow to secure a long-lasting let that suits all your needs.

1. Set a budget

With an ongoing cost of living crisis, you need to be sure that you can keep up with rent. Ideally, you won’t spend more than 30% of your income on rent – but this rule is slowly becoming nearly impossible to follow.

Plan out how much you can spend on rent while still comfortably making ends meet. You cannot go beyond the amount you set, even for a place you really love – your stability has to come first.

2. Identify must-haves

You’ll likely already know plenty of non-negotiables for your next place. The particulars here are all up to you, but higher-budget places will always have more to offer. 

Here are some common renter must-haves:

• Proximity to schools
• Nearby parking
• Allowed to own a pet
• In-unit washer/dryer
• Low local crime rate
• Ample outdoor space

Lacking any of these could be enough to turn you away from otherwise great homes. If you own a pet, for example, you need a pet-friendly place. However, you should still ask yourself if your list of non-negotiables is suitable for your budget.

3. Check listings

Look at properties on many sites, including Rightmove, Zoopla, and SpareRoom. The home for you might be on just one platform; you can’t afford to limit your search just to one site.

When checking listings, always compare their prices and get a vague idea of the market rate – this will help you identify places with outrageously high rent.

4. Prepare a rental application

Once you find the perfect place, it’s time to send in an application. These are typically available on the listing, but you may have to use your own. Look online for an affordable rental application template – this will already include everything you need.

Any UK-ready rental application you fill in and submit should include:

• Your personal information
• Your rental history
• Your employment history
• References (personal, professional, and landlord)
• Permission to carry out a background check

5. View the property

You should always inspect a potential new home before signing anything – ideally, you’ll be able to view it before you even send in your application.

If you spot any damages, bring this up to the landlord or letting agent. You must visit rooms that weren’t on the listing’s photos; the agency might be trying to hide something.

6. Check the agreement

Assuming all goes well, the landlord will give you a tenancy agreement. However, you must look it over first to ensure it’s fair. These agreements must have the following:

• Names of all parties
• The rental amount
• The rent’s due date
• The tenancy’s start/end dates
• Tenant and landlord obligations
• Repair procedures
• Deposit protection scheme details

If you previously discussed any extra clauses with the landlord, check they’re in the lease – don’t leave anything to a verbal agreement.

7. Conduct a move-in inspection

Once you sign the lease and move in, inspect the property in full, even if you already attended a viewing. Take photos of anything that’s off, or the landlord might accuse you of being the culprit.

Your landlord may carry out the inspection with you – and possibly provide their own checklist of every appliance and fixture.

8. Change your address

Before you settle in, you have to go through the hassle of updating your address everywhere, or you won’t get your post.

You need to tell HMRC about your new address, as this will likely affect your tax. You must also inform the DVLA and re-register to vote.

9. Follow the lease

With your tenancy now in effect, all that’s left to do is follow the lease’s rules and make sure you stay on your landlord’s good side. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

• Pay your rent on time
• Explain any late payments
• Report maintenance issues
• Keep noise to a minimum
• Make sure guests follow the rules
• Don’t secretly get a pet
• Keep the property in good condition

10. Renewing or moving out

As the lease draws to a close, you’ll need to decide whether to renew it or move out.

You should talk to your landlord about this at least a few months before the lease ends – this will give you time to negotiate and them time to find a replacement if necessary.

If you’re moving out, make sure you have enough time to conduct a move-out inspection before you go, preferably with the landlord present.

Final thoughts

How you conduct yourself throughout the rental process massively affects your chance of getting a great property. By following the steps above, you’ll stand out as a model tenant and find a home that fits your needs.

Campaigners call for permit reduction instead, warning trust has been “shredded”

THE COMPANY behind Pembrokeshire’s controversial Withyhedge landfill site has sparked outrage by applying to increase the volume of waste it is allowed to receive by an extra 50,000 tonnes per year.

Resources Management (UK) Limited (RML), the operator of the privately-run site near Dreenhill, has submitted an application to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) seeking a formal variation to its existing environmental permit.

Currently, the site is authorised to accept up to 250,000 tonnes of non-hazardous waste annually. The proposed increase would allow a further 50,000 tonnes specifically for what RML describes as a new “waste recovery activity”.

NRW confirmed this week that the additional material would be used solely for “engineering and capping” purposes—namely, restoring the site using soil-based materials. According to the regulator, RML has depleted its on-site stock and now needs to import external material to continue these works.

But campaigners say the timing and nature of the request are unacceptable, given the site’s recent history.

Colin Barnett, a founder member of the campaign group Stop the Stink, said: “We will be taking part in NRW’s consultation and will be insisting that rather than increasing the waste accepted, NRW should decrease it by 50,000 tonnes.”

“This whole saga began because they rammed waste they should not have accepted into that landfill. Until they can be trusted to manage the site professionally, the answer must be no to any increase.”

Mr Barnett and others have criticised NRW and Pembrokeshire County Council for what they view as premature scaling back of oversight, after the multi-agency Incident Management Team (IMT) and Air Quality Group were both stood down earlier this year.

The IMT had been established in 2023 following a major public outcry over emissions from the landfill. Residents across Haverfordwest, Merlin’s Bridge and beyond complained of overpowering smells and health impacts linked to Hydrogen Sulphide (H₂S), a gas that smells like rotten eggs and can cause nausea, eye irritation and headaches.

One local described the site at the time as “a stink bomb on steroids.”

The site was temporarily closed in May 2023 and only reopened in January this year after NRW confirmed that RML had completed all required compliance works. Despite this, odour complaints have continued, including a flare-up in Haverfordwest earlier this month (May 1), prompting further public anger.

PCC later stated that no landfill-related odours were detected during its investigation of those complaints, while air quality monitoring at Spittal School has reportedly shown no exceedances attributable to the site.

NRW says it remains committed to unannounced inspections and that its investigation into previous breaches is ongoing.

“We recognise the high level of public interest in this landfill,” said a spokesperson. “We will be enhancing our communications as part of the upcoming consultation. Further details will be shared in due course.”

But campaigners remain sceptical, warning that trust in the operator—and in the regulators—has been “shredded.”

“We would like to reassure residents that unlike NRW and PCC, we are still monitoring the landfill’s activities closely,” said Mr Barnett.

“People’s lives were turned upside down last year. You can’t just forget that because the wind changes direction for a few weeks.”

Have your say: Residents wishing to comment on the application can do so during NRW’s public consultation, details of which are expected to be released shortly.