Fathom: getting below the surface of the UK fishing industry.

It’s been a while, but we are back with a brand new episode! Chris Ranford catches up with Mike Cohen, NFFO CEO, after a year off from the fathom mic - they talk the good, the bad, and the ugly of the past 12 months.

In the lead-up to polling day, Fathom has produced a flash series detailing the key priorities for the UK fishing industry. With few references to fishing in the main parties’ plans, Chris Ranford, Fathom’s co-host and Chief Executive of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation sits down alongside Mike Cohen, the CEO of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations to lay out the action the...

In the lead-up to polling day, Fathom has produced a flash series detailing the key priorities for the UK fishing industry. With few references to fishing in the main parties’ plans, Chris Ranford, Fathom’s co-host and Chief Executive of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation sits down alongside Mike Cohen, the CEO of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations to lay out the action the...

In the lead-up to polling day, Fathom has produced a flash series detailing the key priorities for the UK fishing industry. With few references to fishing in the main parties’ plans, Chris Ranford, Fathom’s co-host and Chief Executive of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation sits down alongside Mike Cohen, the CEO of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations to lay out the action the...

In the lead-up to polling day, Fathom has produced a flash series detailing the key priorities for the UK fishing industry. With few references to fishing in the main parties’ plans, Chris Ranford, Fathom’s co-host and Chief Executive of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation sits down alongside Mike Cohen, the CEO of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations to lay out the action the...

In the lead-up to polling day, Fathom has produced a flash series detailing the key priorities for the UK fishing industry. With few references to fishing in the main parties’ plans, Chris Ranford, Fathom’s co-host and Chief Executive of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation sits down alongside Mike Cohen, the CEO of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations to lay out the action the...

For episode 5, Fathom headed to the launch event organised by the first-ever Young Fishermen Network , here in the UK. We speak to young fishermen Will Jaycock, a 20-year-old 3rd generation fisherman from Looe whose heart is set on a sustainable future for fishing, and 28-year-old Tom Lambourn from Newlyn who only decided to pursue fishing full-time after graduating from university. Also featured...

Fathom’s back with its first episode of 2024. A new jingle isn’t the only thing we’ve refreshed on the podcast as Charlotte Scotland from the CFPO takes her maiden voyage in the host’s chair. In this episode, Charlotte is joined by CFPO CEO Chris Ranford, economist Jim Plunkket-Cole, and Edd Hind-Ozin from Defra. They unpack the key findings of the CFPO-commissioned  ‘Value of Seafood to Cornwall,...

In this third episode of the fourth series, CFPO CEO Chris Ranford and guest co-host Charles Blyth, the Risk, Safety & Training Lead at the NFFO are joined by Julie Carlton, Seafarer Safety & Health Manager at the MCA as we revisit medicals ahead of the fast approaching November 2023 deadline. Fathom kicked off this series at the start of the year with a broad look into the world of health...

In this second episode of the fourth series, CFPO CEO Chris Ranford and guest co-host David Stevens, skipper of the Crystal Sea and Chairperson of Fishing into the Future, are joined by Hannah Fennell, Head of Orkney Fisheries Association; Fiona Taylor, Head of Sea Fisheries, Policy and Grants at DAERA; and Robbie Fisher, Head of Domestic Fisheries Sustainability and Devolution,at DEFRA. The episo...

For the premiere of the fourth series, CFPO CEO Chris Ranford and guest co-host Clive Palfrey, from Seafood Cornwall Training, who is Fathom’s in-house specialist on all things safety, are joined by Charles Blyth, the Risk, Safety & Training Lead at the NFFO. It’s been over two years since Fathom has recorded a safety-themed episode, and given the ever-shifting nature of health & safety re...

The Fathom podcast has partnered with The National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations (NFFO) to produce a series of informative and highly topical episodes, focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing UK fishermen in the post-Brexit landscape.  In our fifth and final episode of the series, NFFO CEO Barrie Deas and CFPO CEO Chris Ranford are joined by a series-record number of gue...

The Fathom podcast has partnered with The National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations (NFFO) to produce a series of informative and highly topical episodes, focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing UK fishermen in the post-Brexit landscape. In this fourth episode, NFFO CEO Barrie Deas and CFPO CEO Chris Ranford are joined by Lewis White and Robbie Fisher from the Department fo...

The Fathom podcast has partnered with The National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations (NFFO) to produce a series of informative and highly topical episodes, focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing UK fishermen in the post-Brexit landscape. In this third episode, NFFO CEO Barrie Deas and CFPO CEO Chris Ranford are joined by Newlyn-based fisherman Andrew Pascoe as Fathom embark...

The Fathom podcast has partnered with The National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations (NFFO) to produce a series of informative and highly topical episodes, focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing UK fishermen in the post-Brexit landscape. In this second episode, NFFO CEO Barrie Deas and CFPO CEO Chris Ranford interview two Defra policy officials about a new piece of fishing...

In the next 30 minutes, the MMO team deliver a collection of high-level updates to fishermen across the UK. This episode is hosted by Chris Ranford. Chris welcomes guests including Tom McCormack, MMO's CEO, Richard Hoskin, MMO's Head of Fisheries & Marine Conservation Management, Mike Coyle, MMO's Head of Compliance and Control, and Michelle Willis, MMO's Director of Financ...

The Fathom podcast has partnered with The National Federation of Fisherman’s Organisations (NFFO) to produce a series of informative and highly topical episodes, focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing UK fishermen in the post-Brexit landscape. In this first episode, NFFO CEO Barrie Deas and CFPO CEO Chris Ranford interview a Defra policy official about a big new funding opportunity fo...

Recycling Fishing Gear  Part 2: Odyssey Innovation - Helping Fishermen to be Custodians of the Sea In part two of this bumper marine plastics episode, we catch up with marine conservationist, campaigner and innovator, Rob Thompson, Founder of Odyssey Innovation. Odyssey began as a passionate group of volunteers, and is now pioneering a circular economy approach in Newquay and beyond by recycling m...

Part 1: Fishy Filaments - Localised, Self-sustaining Solutions  In part one of this bumper marine plastics episode, we venture inside the genius mind of inventor and scientist, Ian Falconer. Ian is Director of Fishy Filaments, a company that recycles nylon fishing nets into engineering grade filament for 3D printing. Sounds complicated, but Ian explains the process from start to finish.  Based in...

In this third flash episode, we hear previously unreleased material from June’s conversation with Roger Gee from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Clive Palfrey from Seafood Cornwall Training. This time we delve into the details about how to approach unannounced MCA inspections, paperwork requirements, and risk assessments. This is followed by an insightful exploration into other issues such...

Our second flash episode sees us talking to Duncan MacInnes from the Western Isles Fishermen’s Association. We chat to Duncan about how the new Marine Fund Scotland is helping young Scottish fishermen buy fishing vessels, and how this could help revitalise Scotland’s fishing industry. Duncan also talks about the history of funding and cooperation in his region, and we consider whether these models...

For our first ever flash episode, we head out to sea in Wells with Ashley Mullenger, aka The Female Fisherman.  We chat to Ashley from her boat about using social media to connect with other fishermen around the UK, engaging with the media and public on the realities of small-scale commercial fishing, and spreading the word of local seafood.

' This isn't about a regulator wanting to do something for regulation's sake. This is about ensuring that the industry has somewhere to go in the years ahead ' .  Are you a vessel owner? Did you recently receive a letter from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) about safety and compliance with ILO188? We’re here to help. You will have heard a lot of safety talk flying arou...

For our second episode of the season, we delve into the baffling, yet essential topic of finance. We wanted this episode to be as useful as possible for the industry, so we’ve reached out to gain practical, on-the-ground insight, and understand what fishermen can do to become financially secure and get businesses off the ground. With various grants being announced for the industry, such as the MMO...

We’re back for the second season of Fathom, and we have a treat of a first episode for you. Following what’s been an incredibly difficult year, we shine some positive light on the future of British Fish. This episode weaves together three stories of how individuals and organisations are pulling together to promote quality, wild-caught, sustainably harvested seasonal British fish and shellfish to B...