Devon fisherman defends decision to fish in Storm Austen

Summarised from DevonLive's report · Updated 25 Oct, 07:32 · Archive

A Brixham skipper with 29 years' experience defended fishing during Storm Austen, saying his location made it safe.

A Brixham skipper with nearly three decades of experience at sea defended his decision to fish during Storm Austen on 23 October, when winds of 60-70mph hit Devon. Matt, who documents commercial fishing on his YouTube channel Beyond the Breakwater, said members of the public had urged him to stay ashore for safety.

He explained on social media that the direction of the storm determined whether it was safe to proceed. Fishing in Lyme Bay, roughly 12 miles offshore and about an hour from Brixham, his location was protected from the worst effects of a northwest storm. He noted the contrast: 'If this was a southwesterly Force 11, it would be a completely different story and we would be home already 100 per cent.' He concluded: 'It's not the first storm we're out in and it certainly won't be the last.'

Read the report

• Devon fisherman of 30 years defends decision to be at sea in stormy weather'It's not the first storm we're out in and it certainly won't be the last'DevonLive · 24 Oct, 21:49

In this story: Matt · Brixham · Beyond the Breakwater · Lyme Bay · Devon · William of Ladram

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