Jake Hutchison
“No fisherman wants to harm the environment. We just need policies that reflect the reality for boats like mine."
Location: Orkney
Job: Skipper, shellfish vessel
Jake has been on the water for most of his life. Now 30, he runs his own shellfish boat, the Njord, fishing single-handedly along the Scottish coast. Fishing was always in the picture. “My dad had boats and my uncles worked on ferries. There was always going to be some involvement with a boat in my future,” he says.
Jake started out creel fishing on his dad’s vessel and inherited it when his father retired. “It was the obvious next step, I knew I could work hard, and I wanted to build on what we had already started.
“I’ve learned many things over the last few years but one that really sticks out for me is just how vital fishing is to our local communities. We see the positive impact that fishing has on our small coastal communities every day, and without it – well we just wouldn’t want to think of the consequences.”
Running a single-handed boat is no small feat. “It's quite hard to get a crew now. I’ve had a couple of people over the years, but nobody sticks it,” he says. “Folk think it’s easy, but you’re up early, you’re lifting hundreds of creels, and the weather decides your schedule.”
But Jake says the rewards are worth it. “You only make money if you go and work. It's very honest and very rewarding in that sense. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.”
He’s made a point of fishing sustainably, using larger escape panels, avoiding berried lobsters, and working with the seasons to give grounds time to recover. “At the time I was probably against some of the new rules,” he admits, “but you see why it’s important. It’s got to be done for the future.”
Jake recently spent six months fishing in New Zealand, a trip he describes as “a good eye-opener”. “It made me realise how well we actually do things here. We’ve got high standards, hygiene, traceability, everything. But at the same time, it’s clearer now how much pressure we’re under.”
That pressure, he says, is coming more from policy than nature. “The government keeps coming up with ideas that hit us hardest, especially small boats. It's like they don’t understand what we actually do.”
He’s concerned about the speed and scale of marine developments and spatial restrictions being introduced, often without proper consultation. “It sometimes feels like they’re working for France and Spain more than they are for us,” he says. “We get pushed out, and we’re the ones who live and work here all year round.”
Jake believes that a lot of the tension between the fishing industry and decision-makers comes down to misunderstanding. “People think we’re the bad guys - that we’re out there wrecking things. But no fisherman wants to harm the environment. That would be shooting ourselves in the foot.”
He just wants fair treatment and honest dialogue. “Most of us are trying to do the right thing. We’ve adapted, we’ve listened. But we need policies that reflect the reality for boats like mine.”
Looking ahead, Jake wants to keep fishing, to keep building on what he’s started. But he’s clear that survival depends on space, and a voice at the table. “We’re not asking for special treatment. Just a fair shot.”
