NAPA sounds the alarm on blue whiting at Barcelona

As members from the North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy group gather at SEG24, the supply chain sends an emphatic message: don’t gamble with the future of the feed sector.

It’s Barcelona Seafood Expo Global (SEG24) week. Among the array of exhibitors, panel discussions and side-events at the world’s largest seafood trade event, there is a consistent theme: sustainability. Seafood buyers, sellers, suppliers, campaigners, and more, gather to discuss the future of the sector, and one thing’s clear: sustainable sourcing is the foundation of that future.

Against this backdrop, one supply chain group continues to sound the alarm about the sustainability of some of northern Europe’s most prized stocks. The North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group (NAPA) is a pre-competitive collaboration of more than 50 supply chain businesses, representing a truly global interest in sourcing from its eponymous region. These businesses carry billions of euros of market force, and their voice has been raised with concerns about the political stalemate affecting pelagics management for the past three years. NAPA’s focus at SEG24? North East Atlantic blue whiting.

"Skretting became a founder-member of NAPA because we are determined to see progress made for the blue whiting fishery in the Northeast Atlantic. This species is essential for fishmeal production for salmon feed - and sourcing from well-managed, sustainable and certified sources is essential to our 125 yr-old business. We only buy fishmeal and oil from a certified source or a FIP, and we need to see blue whiting back on track to certification. With no sign of this, and the NAPA blue whiting FIP ending in October this year, it’s time for action — or we will be forced to stop buying from this fishery" - Leif Kjetil Skjæveland, Manager of Sustainability and Public Relations, Skretting Norway.

The NAPA blue whiting FIP sits under the MarinTrust Improver Programme and will conclude in October 2024. The ‘policy FIP’ was designed and launched to drive political momentum towards a long-term, science-based sharing agreement between Coastal States in the North East Atlantic fishery complex. With the deadline looming, NAPA members at SEG24 are engaging with salmon producers and Coastal States representatives to make explicit the consequences of inaction.

"Without a science-based sharing arrangement between Coastal States, blue whiting cannot be used for Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) feeds. At Cargill, we are obliged to source fish sustainably, just as salmon producers and other aquaculture businesses are obliged to purchase certified feed. There is very little time left for change. We are preparing for a future where we must fundamentally change the sources of marine ingredients we use.” - Dave Robb, Sustainability Lead, Cargill Aqua Nutrition Group.

NAPA continues to actively seek out Coastal States representatives for constructive and purposeful conversations to help resolve the political stalemate in the North East Atlantic region. Now working to align with businesses outside the Group - across the salmon sector - and working closely with the catching sector, too, they believe that the coalition amassing around their rallying cry will be undeniable to the politicians who, according to Leif Kjetil Skjæveland, are ‘gambling'.

"Business security, environmental sustainability, food security, and responsible ocean management: these should be political priorities that rise above a disagreement on sharing stocks. Short-term pain in the region is worth the gain in the long-term, whichever nation state you represent. The long-term gain to be achieved isn't in doubt: we have some of the most robust fisheries science in the world - we know the outcome if we act in accordance with that science. The gamble here is continuing to act as if that science is meaningless.

NAPA is here to make it clear there isn't an uncertain outcome to that gamble, because the market will move away. So, I ask: is the message from the best ocean managers in the world that we give up? That we can’t manage our industrial fisheries, so now it is free for all? Then we will lose the public trust in us managing the ocean. That is a huge risk for the business, but also for nature. Please don’t make that bet!”

Interested in joining NAPA and advocating for a sustainable future for blue whiting, mackerel and herring in the North East Atlantic?

Lend your voice to the unified voice of the marketplace: https://napafisheries.org/join-us/

'Young Fishermen Network' launches a UK first!

Great turn out of young Cornish fishermen - and encouraging to see

 the guys are not alone.

A new network has been created to support the next generation of fishermen - the first of its kind in the UK.

The Young Fishermen Network has been set up by young fishermen from Cornwall. It aims to encourage new entrants into the industry and champion career progression for existing commercial fishermen under 40. Around 60 people attended the network’s inaugural event at a net loft in Porthleven Harbour this month.

Network Coordinator, Matilda Phillips, aged 21, said: “The event was an incredible way to kick start the network and it was fantastic to see such enthusiasm in the room. From Looe to Newlyn, Cadgwith to Port Isaac, we bought together all corners of Cornwall. Strengthening fishing communities through social connection and sharing skills and experiences are part of the network’s objectives, which we certainly achieved on the day. I’m excited to see the network grow as we continue developing our plans and increasing awareness of how awesome a career fishing is.”

Hosted by the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation, the Young Fishermen Network is funded by the Fishmongers’ Company and the ROCC project.

Designed by the young fishermen themselves, the event started with workshops in net mending and rope work; led by David Warwick, the Gear Innovation Manager for Seafish and Freddie Bates, a Seafood Cornwall Training instructor.

Will Greenhalgh, aged 20, from Port Isaac, said: “I really enjoyed learning new skills and meeting like-minded young people from different fishing ports, especially as I come from a small port where there are not many young people interested in fishing.”

In the afternoon, professional chef Rupert Cooper from Philleigh Way Cookery School led the network’s first ‘Seafood Throwdown’ which saw fishermen roll up their sleeves and turn their catch into three spectacular dishes.

Mat Price, aged 18 from Cadgwith said: “My favourite part about the event was being surrounded by top lads with similar interests in a great location. I also enjoyed the seafood cook-off, it was lovely to learn new recipes that I will definitely be using next time I cook my catch.”

Are you a current young commercial fisherman? Are you interested in learning more about how to enter the industry? Head over to Instagram and follow @theyoungfishermennetwork, where you can find out more and get involved.

Fine weather and good tides sees three days of solid fish landings in Newlyn

Rachel of Ladram heads for the gaps...

Layla May heads back after a morning on the mackerel...

as does young Neil with his punt Treen, though the fishing doesn't look to cracky this morning...

more bad news on the market as hundreds of kilos of dogfish remain unsold, a relatively rare event on the market in Newlyn, tough indicative of the issues there are with finding a market for dogs - something the guys were telling of for years when they were made to dump every dog they caught - it is not a fish they want to catch in the first place, they damage the gear and the market fr them has all but disappeared these days...

luckily the market for hake remains relatively strong...

and definitely so for fish like tub gurnard

monk livers...

haddock...

grey mullet...

John Dory...

monk tails...

big plaice, though they are few and far between at this time of year...

monk do come bigger than this but not often!..

Neil with his 11 mackerel, half a dozen came up with the first drop so the morning was looking promising, two hours and five fish later it was time to knock it on the head and head back for the gaps to land a very poor day's work...

the cuttles are on the move it would seem...

seems the sardine season is not quite over yet...

young Danny can't get enough...

yet another end-to-end...

fish auction this morning...

the harbour now filling up with boats over the big tide...

composing the shot, the harbour provides creative minds with any number of opportunities to capture the scene.

 

just some of the action in Newlyn over the last few days.

Sunday into Monday morning - fish galore!

Fine weather over the weekend for a change as the visiting Scottish prawn boats begin to and back in Newlyn...

from all points of the compass...

the Faithful Star...

Boy Enzo...

and the Revival...

looks like the guys on the Ygraine are happy to be back in port with a trip of hake aboard...

just one of many netters to land over the weekend...

not nearly as happy as some of the crew on the Revival...

who have spent a good part of their trip handling prawns for freezing and fish for landing fresh...

there's an even bigger smile aboard the Girl Pamela, as a certain young man regains his sea legs after a slightly longer than planned spell ashore...

time to pressure was those suds away...

meanwhile, the man or is it a machine at the heart of the market gets busy with grading and weighing hake from the prawn boats...

off with old, on with the new nets aboard the Ajax...

Bonnie Grace, one of many inshore boats heading in through the gaps today...

at just over 4.5metres there's just enough water...

for the Vision V to enter the harbour...

once the nests were taken off it's time to get the fish ashore...

where the market guys get to grips with plenty of flats to grade...

ready for Monday morning's auction with every zone stacked out with fish...

like these MSC certified hake from the Stelissa...

Ygraine...

and Ajax...

a good selection of quality fish to go with plenty of rays of one sort or another...

top drawer flats...

head-on monk...

and good haddock from the prawn boats...

a stacked out Zone 3...

as much as the guys don't want to catch dogs, they are still to be found on many of the grounds targeted by the hakers...

megrims were among the white fish from the Scotsmen...

and a good few red mullet...

there were fish stacked everywhere...

almost filling the inshore chill room...

there's plenty of spots on a smoothhound...

last night they had a bream, or three...

landing for Tuesday's market, the Rachel of Ladram puts her fish ashore...

astern of the Britannia V....

the usual gull keeping an eye on the tide clocks...

fish transport comes in all shapes and sizes...

with the Mary Williams pier still stacked out with boats...

the Voyager is looking good bow on!