Although the steep rise in the price of oil and diesel has had a major impact on the overall costs of operating beam trawlers, beaming remains the most effective way of catching the many species of prime fish for which the South West is famous, says Rick Smith, ex-beam trawler skipper/owner and now the boss of Brixham Trawler Agents (BTA), reports Phil Lockley.
Beam trawler owners reject claims that beaming may soon become history because of its heavy fuel dependence in the modern era of high fuel costs.
They
