Larger boats landing to the tidal port of Appledore have gone elsewhere, while the smaller ones have been tied up, leaving only a number of potters active, and the decision by Tony Rutherford of Bideford Fisheries to close the doors means that there is no longer anyone to take fish landings.
Chairman of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations’ (NFFO) south-west committee John Butterwith fears that the fishing community at Appledore on the north Devon coast could be nearing its end, faced by dwindling quotas and the threat of an MCZ that could close fishing grounds entirely.
“It’s
