Trawler Wars with a difference - 'All at Sea' - the dirty side of the fishing industry from EJF.

ALL AT SEA-The Abuse of Human Rights on Illegal Fishing Vessels from Environmental Justice Foundation on Vimeo.

Life as a crew member aboard any fishing vessel is a difficult and often hazardous occupation, and widely considered to be one of the most dangerous occupations in the world. However, in addition to the hazards associated with weather and the catch itself, the fishing industry is home to some of the worst examples of abuse in the workplace.  Pirate fishing operations in particular are often characterised by the lowest standards of working conditions and extensive reports of abuse. EJF’s investigations have documented crews on illegal fishing boats working under slave like-conditions, and facing daily exploitation and abuse.

In a new report ‘All at Sea – the abuse of Human Rights aboard illegal fishing vessels’ EJF exposes these human rights abuses, and documents how the lack of international regulation, including the exploitation of Flags of Convenience, allows pirate fishing operators to perpetuate these abuses with virtual impunity.

SEA Communications' Discovery Day in Newlyn

Along with migrating birds, recent visitors to Newlyn included a team from SEA Communications - not a sales team giving it the hard sell for the latest in digital cell phones, DSC kit or VMS - but a Service Design Agency based at Jubilee Wharf, Penryn whose mission is to 'solve problems creatively'.

Meeting up with a few of the locals, the SEA Comms people (not to be confused with SeaCom as was, also from Penryn) spent the day taking a close look at the current state of the local fishing industry for their aptly named, Discovery Day. A tour round the harbour and its facilities was followed by a heads down in SeaFood Cornwall's office where tuna man Quentin Knights seems to have been subjected to a seabird identification Discovery Day of his own - [well that's what it looks like in the photos] - bit tough on a fisherman for whom the exact species of seabirds are of little significance other than the fact that they always appear from nowhere at hauling time, shit on you from a great height on deck and, in fine weather, constantly make a mess all over the boat - still, he's shown the picture again but somehow the right answer seems to have eluded him and then, in the final shot, it looks like the point where Quentin gives in and says, "you got me beat!" - meanwhile, Nathan looks on, relieved he isn't the one being given the bird degree.

A trip at sea might have proved enlightening for the SEA Comms team where they could have observed at first hand how skippers and crews are constantly driven to 'solve problems creatively' in order to keep their boats at sea, beat the weather and make their gear catch as much fish as possible.

Never mind the weather, as long as we're together....

'

Early morning diver action in Penzance.....

with only one beamer on the market......

and a couple of inshore trawlers, the merchants were paying top dollar for fish this morning, especially with no boats due the next day......

the heavy sky an indication of the even heavier overnight rain......

not that that will stop Mario and the boys heading out for a day on the pots.......

or Mr Curtis Jnr on the Elisabeth Veronique.

"N'' notices.

 Reminds me of the of the Shrove Tuesday years ago when there wasn't a lemon or egg in the shop.....

let the boys from St Ives lighten up your life this Christmas.....

one of the few boats registered in Truro is up for sale......

make a note of the Cornwall Sea Fisheries Committee meeting dates, and take the time to read their service plan for this current year before you attem......

there's a good berth still available aboard the Sea Spray.

Lights aboard.

 There's power aboard the Tranquility once more.....

 and a pair of BMs in tier......

 all in a day's work for the crabbing fleet....

landing at the end of what must have been a scuffly sort of day.

James Bowden, Trawler Wars photographer aboard the Billy Rowney.

Check out the work of photographer James Bowden who spent 8 days aboard the Billy Rowney earlier this year shooting stills for the Trawler Wars series.

Meanwhile, here's another taster video clip - this time its the turn of decky learner Wayne aboard Shiny's Angel Emiel who bears the brunt of the skipper's angst - you just can't get the staff it seems.

Gold fish.

Almost time Monday's auction to start......

with a big shot of bass from the Cynthia sure to make big bucks.......

along with just one box of red mullet which willl make big money for the  Go for It this morning.....

dawn was a dull grey affair.....

with mystery light on the move.......

and the back end of a front passing overhead the Anglian Princess at anchor in the Bay.

Trawler Wars review.

First impressions from armchair reviewer of the Trawler Wars! series that ran its first episode on the Discovery Channel last night.

Tranquility.

Things are still tranquil aboard the Tranquility while her main engine is replaced.....

no fish on the menu tonight - just a Roman chicken dish courtesy of Apicus - the honey coating burns easily.....

followed by a marinated pear.

Hooray.

 The St Georges's trip included a good shot of ray......

 while the night's endeavours of the sardine fleet were evident in this study of perspective......

a night in the Swordy not to be missed for any fans of Ska.

Contre jour - an academician at work.

At this time of year when the weather is in two minds and it is either about to rain, or just has, the light in Newlyn has a unique quality - hence the attraction over one hundred years ago for a group of artists that became the Newlyn School as they sought to capture those light tones on canvas.  Today, if you are early enough down among the boats you can catch local artists at work 'en plein' in the early morning light. Today was no exception, with one of the doyens of English coastal artists, Ken Howard, at his easel intent on capturing the constantly changing moody sky above a harbour crowded with boats over the spring tide.

For reference - the photo, in order to apply the correct exposure to the painting on the canvas, is over exposed and has therefore failed to capture the dramatic sky that the artist is in the process of capturing - contre jour translates as 'against the light' - a photograph exposed for the background when taken against the light inevitably causes the subject and foreground to be under exposed.

Ken has dedicated his life's work to capturing the tonal qualities of coastal scenes, not only in the West of Cornwall but also in the Venice. His technically informative video, 'Inspired by Light' is essential viewing for any artist with an interest in improving understanding and technique. In his long career that began at Hornsey School of Art in the 1950s he has since achieved many of the milestones that similar artists aspire to such as becoming a Royal Academician and more recently the Professor of Perspective at the RA. Early in his career, while serving as a marine in Northern Ireland he was appointed the official war artist by the Imperial War Museum. His current work is available through his agent Richard Green in London, where he spends much of the year. The Royal Academy of Arts ran a story on him in their summer magazine last year - unable to resist the temptation to give it the strap line, Howard's Way.

Today, in a world of video and digital according to Ken, many art students, seem reluctant to subject themselves to the rigours of the craft of drawing and painting and in learning to apply centuries old techniques like the one he is using above - using his brush to measure proportion from the scene against his canvas.......

not all images have such strong and obvious vanishing points as this showing the gangplank leading aboard the Ripple. Different cultures see perspective in different ways.

I see.

One lump or two? ice gets recycled back in the harbour......

the megs from the Cornishman come under close scrutiny from the buyers,,,,,

along with a selection of big cod or 'green'.......

the Ben My Chree was one of the last netters to land this tide......

some of the buyers are just too quick......

seems there were some doubting Thomas' with regard to the Starmobile.

Trawler Wars on Sky - Discovery Channel beams the beamers to your screen this weekend.

Starting this Sunday at 9pm on the Discovery Channel - Trawler Wars! sees the big Brixham's boys of the blackstuff take on the three top towing teams from Newlyn including the Billy Rowney above.  Available for viewing on Sky at the moment, a short sample movie sets the scene for the coming series. The opening sequences show the big Bricky beamer Angel Emiel

as she fishes away in the comparitively calm waters off the South Devon coast while in storm lashed Newlyn, skipper Steve Mosely wrestles with the decision to go or not go during a brief weather window - he sails, only to find the friendly man in the Met Office is dishing out 10s again........

Too many toms.

Hardly sun-kissed - twelve hours in a very low oven doused with olly oil, garlic and sea salt.

Russsian Federation research ship Atlantniro on passage.

The screen shot taken from VesselTracker's AIS display today revealed the Russian Federation's research ship Atlantniro steaming south west in the Western Approaches. Atlantniro is a leading scientific research institute of Russia to investigate fishery biological resources in the Baltic Sea, Central and Southern Atlantic, Southeastern Pacific and Western Indian Ocean. The research is aimed at the development of scientific basis for rational utilization of biological resources on the base of up-to-date technologies.

The company uses satelite technology to predict the likely areas in which to locate fish based on received data like sea temperature, wind direction and plankton levels and provides additional services which are available commercially via their web site.

New Seafood traning oppoortunities in Newlyn.

Money secured by Newlyn-based Seafood Cornwall Training will provide a major boost to the shore-based seafood sector across Cornwall and the rest of the South West. The organisation has secured £26,650 from South West Food & Drink (SWFD) to train students in fish filleting, fishmongery and seafood quality. The training is open to anyone involved in the South West's fishing industry.

Fish handling and filleting courses will be held in the purpose built training kitchen in Penwith College's new Zennor building in nearby Penzance.

Trainees will also be able to use the restaurant facility with its stunning views over Mount's Bay and the Lizard.

Cornish claws have it!

Newquay's Blue Reef Aquarium now has a full compliment of two-handed lobsters in its tanks. Last month the first arrived with two cutting claws and now, thanks to the Pen kernow from St Just, they have a fish with two crushing claws to make a matched pair!

Monday's market - as ever, top quality Cornish fish.

 There was a high percentage of the very best in quality fish on the market this morning starting with more gold than red, red mullet.....

 the shiniest of line caught pollack......

and a huge shot of line caught bass.....

 a growing number of big squid......

 and the western end of the market was full of net fish......

time for tea after putting seven tons of ice aboard the Breton trawler Maranello whose ice machine had packed in......

after a quick check of the log book the skipper says cheerio to the team from the MMO.....

and Andrew gets to let go the stern rope......

before the skipper uses a bow spring to kick the boats stern from the quay.....

when its time to let go the spring.....

before heading for the gaps.....

and off to complete the rest of the trip.......

always an answer from Debbie in the Star Inn.