Two Chinese fishermen rescued on Moreton shore

Aug 6 2008 by Sue McCann, Birkenhead News

TWO Chinese fishermen were plucked to safety after being trapped by an incoming tide at Moreton shore.

They were among a group of around 50 people who were farming for razorfish at low tide at 8am on Sunday.

RNLI New Brighton’s lifeboat operations manager Cliff Downing said the incident had chilling echoes of 2004’s Morecambe Bay cockling tragedy, when 21 migrant workers drowned.

Although not widely popular here, razorfish is a delicacy in Japan and the market in the Far East is booming.

The two men spoke no English and were apparently unaware of the nature of the tide in the area. The other farmers had come inland in time but they were left behind.

New Brighton’s RNLI hovercraft raced to their aid after they heard on their radio that a lifeguard at Moreton was going in to help them.

Mr Downing explained: “They were not aware of the hazardous nature of the tide. I think they expected it to come straight in - in reality, it can come in round the back of you and create islands. They were in a dangerous situation.

“Obviously, the first thing that came into our mind was the Morecambe tragedy. The language barrier meant the men did not have the knowledge to keep themselves safe.

“We were extremely concerned by the incident, which fortunately had a happy outcome thanks to close working between the lifeguards and the RNLI.”

While catching razorfish is not illegal, some foreign gangs have broken the law by using electric cables hanging from a bar to stun the fish, which then surface.

The gangs can make up to £2,000 a day.