England's largest daily fish market is limiting exposure to coronavirus risk by banning visitors from the auction hall.
It comes as the iconic Grimsby setting “knuckles down” after three successive Monday auctions were left without vital Icelandic supply due to recent storms.
Chief executive Martyn Boyers has weathered many in his time at the helm of market operator Grimsby Fish Dock Enterprises, but while Ciara, Dennis and Jorge brought floods, the adverse conditions meant a famine of fish.
Now he is ensuring England’s largest daily auction stays operational in the eye of another issue out of his hands, following recent years that have included prolonged Icelandic strikes.
Mr Boyers, who oversees supply of 15,000 tonnes a year – predominantly whitefish – said: “We are not having any visitors on site at all. The people who work here, buyers and sellers, know the routine. We have two entrances to the hall and both have hand wash basins and antibacterial soap. We insist on people washing hands before they get on the market.
“To keep continuity and businesses supplied we have to have people on the market, so we have made the decision to have only people we know. It is just a contribution to the overall picture, people need to assert common sense. Hygiene is high on the agenda, and always has been - it is what we do. It is a chilled environment, fish is iced up, everything is looked after. There is no suggestion anything can be cross-contaminated but when people are handling food, and fish, it is important that standards of hygiene are kept to the maximum.
“The main aim is to keep the fish market going.”
The edict comes three months after Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched into the final week of his successful General Election campaign there - when Brexit rather than Covid 19 was the key issue.
Of the impact recent weeks have had, with images of solitary boxes for sale circulating as the facility relies on Iceland for more than 75 per cent of supply, Mr Boyers said: “The weather has been horrendous. It is the worst start to the year we have had for some time. We have had three Mondays on the trot with no Icelandic supply. The disruption has caused us a problem, you don’t get double on the next sailing, and it causes issues along the chain for fish and chips shops, restaurants and the like.”
That was supply, now there’s potential lack of demand to work around. “It is going to be difficult, it comes back down the chain again,” Mr Boyers said, aware Easter – one of the industry’s peaks – is only weeks away.
