A planned fish processing plant is a “pipe dream” that will fail to revolutionise the industry, according to fishermen.

The Fishermen’s Association of Bermuda added that the facility would be an unnecessary “middle man” that would not fit into the island’s economic model.

The Government first unveiled plans for a fisheries development centre as part of its Economic Recovery Plan in March 2021.

Last week, a spokesman for the Ministry of Economy and Labour confirmed that the initiative was still on the table after the completion of a viability study — but insisted that fishermen would need to embrace the project for it to succeed.

Yesterday, the FAB warned that co-operation from its members appeared unlikely. It accused the Government of a lack of consultation and repeated broken promises.

The spokeswoman said: “FAB understands this government doesn’t have money to spare. Why do they keep chasing these pipe dreams and not addressing real management issues?

“A shoreside fish processing facility is not a ‘build it and they will come’ moment. Government is correct that fishermen buy-in would be essential but what are they doing to entice fishermen and to build a trusting relationship?“

According to a 2022 report on the state of Bermuda’s waters, the island imports more than two thirds of its seafood and fish, which is cheaper than local fish, which often undermines the value of catches from local fishermen.

The spokeswoman said: “A shoreside processing facility just doesn’t fit the economic reality of Bermuda’s fishing industry. A processing facility, or middle man, makes sense when you have many participants who produce more than they can process or sell themselves, like industrial fishing boats in Alaska.

“But that’s not what we have. We have small boats, individual fishermen who, for the most part, process and sell their catch the same day as it’s caught. Our boat-to-table local fishery is the envy of the world — or could be, if it was promoted as such.”

The spokeswoman pointed out that a 2010 study by the Department of Environmental Protection put forward several recommendations including improved enforcement, updating legislation to account for recreational fishing and other collecting activities, and a research programme to prepare management plans for key fishery target species.

The spokeswoman said: “All of the above have been asked for by the Commercial Fisheries Council, the Fishermen’s Association of Bermuda and the general industry; and none have been accomplished.

“The 2010 document stated that Cabinet had already seen this report and its next step would be public consultation. This never happened and the report has apparently languished on a shelf, with hardly any of its goals addressed.

“Instead of working out a co-management plan to work with the industry, the Government brought in a global NGO with a cookie cutter template based on no-fishing Marine Protected Areas that don’t take into account the reality of Bermuda’s low impact, small vessel, owner-operated fishery.

“Broken promises, a neglected industry, stakeholders ignored, a failed consultation process failed. Sound familiar?”