One of the founders of the EMK movement in Holland that has voiced the industry opinion that the landing obligation is unworkable, Dirk Kraak has been fishing for 36 years, and has been sailing as skipper for 33 of those.
Now skipper of the Jade BRA-7, he and his family run two Eurocutters, have cut back over the years from three 2000hp beamers and three 300hp Eurocutters, taking out 8000hp from the Dutch fleet as they streamlined the way they work. The company’s two vessels now alternate pulse trawling and multi-rig trawling for nephrops.
With stocks healthy in the North Sea and changing patterns as nephrops and turbot populations grow, they are faced with the problems of the Landing Obligation and the uncertainty presented by Brexit.
Dirk Kraak is one of the fishermen who has been highly active in the grassroots EMK movement protesting against the discard ban, and he has plenty to say.
Check out the interview with Dirk Kraak in in Hook and Net
