Under 12s - remember remember!

A typical under 12m trawler - the Harvest Reaper.

Just a quick reminder for the over 12m boats that today is the last day for your grant forms to be in for the tracker and e-log!

Read this review of e-log books published earlier this year by the World Academy of Science and Engineering.

This report from the World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology on the advent of electronic or e-log books in fishing makes interesting reading.

Good mix of fish on Newlyn this morning.

Ocean-grabbing 'threatens world's fisheries': UN

Industrial freezer trawler

Big fishing concerns are engaged in "ocean-grabbing," plundering the seas while scoffing at the environment and local interests, the UN's food watchdog said on Tuesday.

In exceptionally sharp words, the United Nations' special rapporteur on food, Olivier de Schutter, said the interests of smaller fishermen, local communities and sustainable fishing were threatened by long-distance, industrial-scale trawling. "Future generations will pay the price when the oceans run dry."
Global fishing fleets should be cut drastically to ensure that stocks are not depleted, De Schutter told AFP.

"We must divide our capacity by half," he said, before concluding that fish farming should replace a large part of deep sea activity. "That is the only solution," De Schutter said. "'Ocean-grabbing,' in the shape of shady access agreements that harm small-scale fishers, unreported catch, incursions into protected waters, and the diversion of resources away from local populations, can be as serious a threat as 'land-grabbing,'" he said. "It is clear that as fish are becoming less abundant, fishing vessels are tempted to evade rules and conservation strategies... without rapid action to claw back waters from unsustainable practices, fisheries will no longer be able to play a critical role in securing the right to food of millions."

De Schutter made the remarks as he unveiled a new report on the world's fishing industries.
"Land-grabbing" is a term coined by green campaigners for the purchase or leasing of tracts of arable land in Africa by companies in Europe, the Middle East and China. Some of these firms are accused of exhausting the soil, depleting water resources and exploiting local labour in order to provide food for a lucrative market back home. De Schutter said fish provided 15 percent of all animal protein consumed worldwide, a figure that reaches 50 percent in parts of West Africa.

Fisheries and aquaculture directly employ 54.8 million people worldwide, and another 150 million people indirectly. International trade was worth $102 billion (79.06 billion euros) in 2010. But the sector is being badly damaged by over-trawling at sea, while aquaculture, which accounts for 63 million tonnes of fish, faces environmental challenges on shores, lakes and rivers, he said. Between 10 million and 28 million tonnes out of a global annual trawled catch of 78.9 million tonnes are illegal and some 7.3 million tonnes discarded.

The blame lies mainly with "licence and access agreements" by which countries allow long-distance industrial trawlers to scoop up fish, he said. Many of these accords are weak, for they fail to scrutinise illegal or unreported catch, turn a blind eye to exploited labour, abuse the fishery's sustainability limits and ignore the interests of small-scale local fishermen, said De Schutter. "Industrial fishing in far-flung waters may seem like the economic option, but only because fleets are able to pocket major subsidies while externalising the costs of over-fishing and resource degradation," said De Schutter.

Fish farming presents challenges of its own, he noted, including potential damage to local ecosystems and water pollution. UN figures show that at present, industrial and artisanal fishing each account for around 30 million tonnes of fish for human consumption per year, with industrial fishing employing 500,000 people and artisanal fishing providing jobs for 12 million. Meanwhile, farming operations already provide 63 million tonnes of fish per year, while industrial fishing also accounts for 30 million tonnes used for flours and oils.

Fresh-water fishing provides another 11 million tonnes for human consumption. In terms of subsidies, industrial fishing receives the equivalent of 25-27 billion dollars per year, while artisanal operations receive between five and seven billion dollars, the UN data showed.

Story courtesy of France24.

Close call in the Irish Sea as prawn trawler sinks in seconds.

The footage shows skipper of the Ardglass-registered boat the Snowdonia Stephen Kearney and his crewmate stranded on their sinking ship. Shot using a camera phone by Airidas Grabauskas in the passing trawler Tribute, the film shows the doomed vessel rapidly sinking and falling apart, scattering debris in the Irish sea. The two can be seen trying to leap to safety as the trawler suddenly starts to slip stern-first into the deep, threatening to suck them under.

Read the full story here from the Belfst Telegraph:

Sailing by - RV Celtic Explorer

On passgage from her base in the Cork, the Irish Fisheries Research vessel steams past Land's End and then the Lizard. There are one or two ex-fishewrmen aboard the vessel who must have felt twinges of homesickness as the towering cliffs of Land's End and the familiar flash of the Longships lighthouse greeted them during the night!

Council deal on fisheries fund criticised for boosting overfishing

Updated: 2012-10-29, 17:48 Fisheries ministers have reached a provisional agreement on the future fisheries subsidies scheme, reintroducing controversial modernisation subsidies.

Hurricane force winds like Sandy? - we get them here too they're just not called hurricanes!

Just as well this sort of depression doesn't hit the coast here too often - Hurricane Sandy's got nothing on this low which hit the west coast of the UK on the 9th January 1993 as seen in the surface analysis chart...

it was predicted to go much lower within 48 hours as this printout from the Fleet and Oceanographic Centre at Northwood shows...

luckily it never hit 911 - note the extreme winds given around the centre of the low.

Sandy's on her way!

What the US gets today we get in a few day's time! Hurricane Sandy looks set to cause chaos and possible severe damage to the east coast of the US in the New York area if she goes ashore as predicted.

Hurricane Sandy image courtesy of NASA.

Potentially the biggest storm for over 20 years will eventually travers the Atlantic as all hurricanes do and hit the west coast of the UK - normally having lost the bulk of its destructive power.

Google have extended its mapping technology to include this crisis map in an attempt to keep the US informed at all levels.

How does Sandy measure up in the statistics league? The Guardian rates her features against the norms.

Get your ideas to the FLAG in Newlyn - Flying the FLAG for Cornwall & Isles of Scilly

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG)
 

Flying the FLAG for Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Over £1.13 million of European Fisheries Fund (EFF) money has been secured to support the sustainable development of fishing communities in Cornwall & Isles of Scilly. The funding has been made available from the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) and DEFRA through the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), and is managed locally by Cornwall Development Company (CDC). It will be used by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) to maximise available private investment to build a sustainable future for local fisheries communities. The FLAG area extends along the entire Cornish and Isles of Scilly coast, plus approximately 1 mile inland. The fund will be available for projects to bid into for investment up to a maximum of 100% of total project costs, depending on the project activity and proposed outcomes. The decision making board will comprise of representation from the local community including fishing, private, public and voluntary sector organisations. The FLAG would like to hear from projects that will contribute to one or more of the following key themes: Developing sustainable supply chains and market development Providing infrastructure and communal facilities for fishing communities and cooperatives Capacity building, cooperative development and networking Training, retention and recruitment including diversification Coastal communities, tourism and economic development Advocacy and engagement for fishermen Regional sustainable management engagement Projects will have an on-the-ground support mechanism available to them from Cornwall Rural Community Council to aid development and help through the application process. The FLAG recognises that whilst the industry landed over £27m worth of catch last year, the changes it continues to face mean these communities, their residents and workers need a boost to support their well-being. Suzanne Bond, Chief Executive of Cornwall Development Company, says “This fund recognises the importance of fisheries communities in Cornwall & Isles of Scilly. Driving forward the local economy is at the heart of CDC’s mission and the FLAG offers the means to invest in sustainable development at the community level.” Alison Thompson, Director for the Marine Management Organisation said “I’m pleased that, through this scheme the MMO is providing support to local fishing communities, such as in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, to develop and implement their own sustainable solutions to the challenges they face. “The FLAG involves a wide range of representatives and we believe their combined knowledge, experience and ideas could make a real difference to the future of the local fisheries sector. This is reflected in the significant amount of funding awarded to them.” Paul Trebilcock, Chief Executive, Cornish Fish Producers Organisation said “The involvement of the Cornish & Scillies fishing community in shaping the FLAG means that the benefits of the fund will have a real impact locally, regardless of the size of the project”. Peter Jefferson Chief Executive of Cornwall Rural Community Council commented “This funding is a real opportunity for Cornish coastal communities to develop projects that will enable them to become vibrant, sustainable and inclusive, which is our aim as a charity”. How to apply for funding: This is the FLAG Delivery Plan for this year. It sets out how the FLAG plans to deliver the Strategy and shows where and how the investment is intended to be used. A good tip for potential projects is to check how what you are intending to do, fits with the Delivery Plan. It is also a good idea to discuss this with the Animateur as they will be able to help you identify what areas of the delivery plan your project targets. Please read the FLAG Guidance Notes below. There is a three stage application process. The Project Idea Form enables the Animateur to provide feedback; the Expression of Interest will provide the Board with an outline of your project. If that is approved, you will be invited to make a full project application, which will contain evidence of need or demand, risk assessment, cash flow forecasts etc. The FLAG board meets once every 2 months to consider projects so you should consider your project's timescales in line with this. The FLAG cannot pay for any work or defrayed money that has occurred before approval has been given.

Busy markets with top quality fish in Newlyn and Penzance Farmer's Market.

Friday's market had more than its fair share of top quality inshore fish to tempt the buyers this morning, like these red mullet...

irresistible bass...

with just enough...

to go round...

the big Padstow netter, Charisma had a solid trip with plenty of white fish like these pollack...

stretched the length of the western end of the market...

and including plenty of those ultra scarce cod...

the relief boat for the Penlee boat, Ivan Ellen which is due for a bottom job on the slip...

it's Friday so it must be Penzance Farmer's market...

someone, somewhere has cold hands this morning.

January to September figures just released for French fishing ports

Trawl fish on the market at Loctudy, Brittany.

There's a chance to compare the price of fish across almost a full year from all the major French fishing ports as France AgriMer release their latest round of data sets. See their web site for a full set of downloadable documents here:

UCC Scientists involved in Major Discovery in the Atlantic

Irish research has led to the discovery of a volcanic landscape along the Mid- Atlantic Ridge, a vast underwater mountain range that extends almost the entire length of the ocean. 

The discovery team has named it Moytirra, after the great battle between the Fir Bolg and the Tuatha Dé Danann in Irish mythology. According to the channel, some of the study sites were so deep that the ROV — limited by its 3,000m tether to the ship — could investigate only chimney tops and cliff sides. "We really were pushing the machines we had to the edge," said marine biologist Patrick Collins of NUI Galway. "And that’s a credit to the ROV pilots — they pulled it off." 

The programme will be broadcast this Sunday at 6pm on the National Geographic channel on Sky (channel 526) and also UPC (channel 215).

Ajax bound away!

After a major gearbox failure at the start of the last trip, the Newlyn netter Ajax is finally given the thumbs up form the engineers at Penwith Marine Services evidenced by the AIS image which shows the boat thankfully steaming away from Newlyn on route to the fishing grounds west of the Scillies.

Defra data

The most recent set of landing figures provided by the MMO have a whole 1 tonne of hake landed in Brixham from February to August this year. Which seems strange as the Newlyn netter Ajax alone has been landing regular quantities in excess of 1 tonne for much of the year? 

A simple explanation will hopefully be forthcoming - it could be that because the fish is landed in Newlyn and shipped by road to Brixham that for the purposes of the MMO the fish remains in Newlyn? Seems likely!

UK secures major step towards reform of the Common Fisheries Policy

CFP in Brussels - the latest news from Defra

The Government has secured another major step towards fundamental reform of the broken Common Fisheries Policy today following agreement on the future of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

Following a day and a night of lengthy negotiations in Luxembourg, UK Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon played a pivotal role in brokering a preliminary agreement, which will fund radical changes to the Common Fisheries Policy through the EMFF.

This agreement will allow funding to be used to support measures such as paying for more selective catching gear that will contribute to eliminating discards, or to fund innovative research projects to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the fishing industry.

Richard Benyon talks to local Newlyn fishermen a few years ago when he was first appointed.

UK Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon said:

“I came to Luxembourg determined to ensure that UK fishermen and taxpayers get the best possible deal from these important negotiations. I am delighted that the Council has agreed to allocate the vast majority of the new EU funding stream towards implementing CFP reform.

“The priority for me has always been to make the changes that will be so vital for a reformed Common Fisheries a reality, and this outcome signifies a major step towards that vision. We are moving ever closer to the UK goal of being able to create healthy fish stocks, a prosperous fishing industry and a healthy marine environment.”

Notes

Under the current arrangements funding has been channelled into measures which have increased fishing capacity and led to widespread overfishing. It has also led to unsustainable practices such as the discarding of perfectly edible fish.

The new proposal puts safeguards in place to prevent this. Funding will now be directed towards delivering a reduced capacity in the fisheries sector, providing support to fishing communities and managing the transition to a sustainable fisheries policy.

The European Commission published its proposals for the EMFF on 2 December 2011, as part of its package on reform of the CFP. In addition to three discussions on the EMFF in Council, negotiations have taken place at official level in working party meetings since January.

Fishing deal: EU ministers criticised

From the BBC:

EU ministers have reached a provisional deal to reshape the Common Fisheries Policy, long blamed for overfishing. The deal has been hailed by the UK environment ministry Defra but criticised by the EU fisheries commissioner and environmentalists. A Commission source told BBC News the new funding arrangements would continue to promote overfishing. He said measures to support selective nets that avoided discards would be outweighed by funds for bigger engines. The deal took away with one hand but gave with the other, the source said. 

Under current arrangements EU funding has increased the capacity of fleets and led to widespread over-exploitation of fish stocks. The new plan is to help fleets switch to more sustainable fishing. It is part of the 10-year reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The reform aims to eradicate "discards" - the practice of dumping tonnes of perfectly good fish back into the sea - dead - in order to meet quota targets. But EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki says the ministers' deal is weaker than the Commission wanted. 

Greenpeace environmentalists say ministers have sold out to the economic interests of the industrial fishing sector by also agreeing to continue subsidies for the modernisation of vessels and their engines, which will increase capacity rather than reducing it. Greenpeace believe the majority of the funds will still be taken by large fishing companies to increase capacity through new boats and engines.  
The group's EU fisheries policy director Saskia Richartz said "there is already not enough fish for all the boats out there, so it makes no sense at all for governments to continue throwing subsidies at the EU's oversized fleet. "Wasting taxpayers' money on what causes the problem in the first place is ridiculous - it is like paying someone to rob you." UK government upbeat The size of the European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is yet to be decided in EU budget talks for the next financial period, 2014-2020. The UK Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon said: "I am delighted that the Council has agreed to allocate the vast majority of the new EU funding stream towards implementing CFP reform. "The priority for me has always been to make the changes - that will be so vital for a reformed Common Fisheries [Policy] - a reality, and this outcome signifies a major step towards that vision. We are moving ever closer to the UK goal of being able to create healthy fish stocks, a prosperous fishing industry and a healthy marine environment." 

The original Commission proposal will be reviewed next by the European Parliament and may be further amended before becoming law. The Commission source told the BBC that it would be left largely to the discretion of member states to apportion the money as they saw fit. The UK would probably use the cash to make fishing more sustainable, but France would be likely to give most cash to large-scale fishing firms to increase the power of their fleets, the source said. 

Roberto Ferrigno from the green group WWF said EU governments "are keeping to business-as-usual by using taxpayers' money to subsidise a spate of destructive, unrealistic and unjustified fishing and aquaculture activities. "EMFF funds should instead support measures aimed at improving data collection and scientific knowledge of fish stocks, promoting the dissemination and adoption of selective fishing gears; and ultimately improving the state of fish stocks, the well-being of coastal communities and the fishing industry."

Full article from the BBC here:

The Young Man and the Sea - where are they?

From Maria Damanaki's blog:

Discussions ongoing among EU ministers in the Councilshow that views are still divided on the future financial instrument for fisheries and maritime affairs, which theCommission proposed in December last year. So we are continuing discussions to find the best way forward to secure the implementation of the reform.

This reform of the Common Fisheries Policy and the funds that will serve to back it have to contribute to offering a better future to our youngsters.

The future of fishing is ahead of you.....

"If we do not manage to attract the young in the sector, the reform itself will be more difficult: they are the ones who can bring innovation, that are open to the diversification and are better aware of the need for sustainability.

The fund that I proposed is designed to offer a number of opportunities for youngsters: for instance for training and for diversifying their activities through pescatourism. But I understand that entering a profession that is extremely hard work, dangerous and where your income can fluctuate so much, requires a lot of commitment. It is a choice dictated by the love for the sea.

I want to go a step further and give a positive signal to all regions that want to attract the young into fisheries and support aid to young fishermen to buy a second hand vessel with a maximum of 15% of the price of the vessel and 50 000 EUR.

What I propose is a reform for the future; without including our young in that future, there won’t be a reform.

Wednesday morning's market

The scales of bass are used to age the fish unlike most fish when the good guys from Cefas take the otolith from the ear...

a fine shot of ray with the beam trawlers...

and a handful of squid, including this 'torpedo' as the big guys are called...

the Emma Looking good this morning before the sun comes up...

signs of more black gold on the ground...

KitchenAid Blender KSB560 - Empire Red - KitchenAid Artisan (Google Affiliate Ad)

just the one net boat at the western end of the market.

A first for Padstow as Paul Aisworth's No6 restaurant earns town’s first Michelin star

Chef Paul Ainsworth in the kitchen at his Padstow restaurant.

Padstow restaurant Paul Ainsworth at Number 6 has earned the town’s first ever Michelin star, it was revealed yesterday. The news came as a surprise to Mr Ainsworth as the Michelin website accidentally published details of the new restaurants included in the 2013 guide a week ahead of the official release.
After being alerted to the news by comments on Twitter, Mr Ainsworth telephoned Michelin who confirmed that the Padstow restaurant had been awarded its first star.

He said: “I just couldn’t believe it, I didn’t know whether to celebrate or what to do, and then Twitter went crazy, every tweet was about Michelin. So I called Michelin and they confirmed that we had been awarded a star which was an amazing feeling.

“It’s something that I’ve always dreamt of as a kid; for every chef I’ve ever worked for, that was the point to prove you were cooking good food. There are lots of other lists and guides but Michelin has always been a super-special guide.”

Mr Ainsworth’s restaurant brings Cornwall’s total of Michelin-starred establishments to three alongside the two-starred Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in nearby Rock, and the Driftwood at Portscatho, where last year chef Chris Eden became the first Cornishman to hold the honour.

Mr Ainsworth praised the hard work and support of his team at Number 6, especially his head chef John Walton. “Padstow is such a foodie-orientated area but the town has never had a star, and for it to be with John, who has been with us since day one and is a Padstonian lad, it’s incredible. I’m so proud of all my team here at Number 6 who are just brilliant, it’s been seven years of really hard work and it’s amazing to be recognised in this way.”

Mr Ainsworth started his culinary career with acclaimed chef Gary Rhodes, starting work at his London restaurant Rhodes in the Square in 1998. He then spent three years under Gordon Ramsay at his flagship restaurant Royal Hospital Road, before working with Marcus Wareing at Pétrus and then The Berkeley.

He moved to Padstow in 2006 to take on Number 6 in partnership with two colleagues from London, taking sole ownership of the restaurant in 2009.
Now 33, Mr Ainsworth came to national attention with his success on the 2011 BBC2 series Great British Menu, where his Taste of the Fairground dessert was served at the show’s final banquet.

Mr Ainsworth acknowledged the debt that Cornwall owes to Padstow’s best-known chef. He said: “Lots of people assume there’s a big rivalry between me and Rick [Stein] but there’s not, I’ve always thought Rick Stein is an absolute legend and what he’s done for Padstow has been absolutely brilliant.

“I’ve always admired his ethos of serving great local fish cooked brilliantly, and he’s made the town famous. I’ve tried to complement him and offer something different – showcase Cornwall’s game and the shellfish and the meat, and the great artisan producers that we have here in Cornwall.”

Survey - Will the poroposed MCZs impact on your fishing?

Get your views and thoughts recorded - you chance to influence the impact that the proposed MCZ programme will have on the fishing industry off the coast of Cornwall.

The purpose of the study is to gain opinions from three selected user groups of the Cornish Waters to ascertain whether the proposed Marine Conservation Zones will impact on the various users and to what extent. It also aims to understand the level of conservation needed in the areas. Honest opinions are needed as it is not a government study.

No names are required.

The three chosen stakeholders are: inshore and off shore fishermen, divers and anglers have returned a mix of results.

Any additional comments that the participants have are greatly appreciated and can be put at the end of the questionnaire. If people want to fill them out and send them electronically back I have attached a word version so it can be electronically sent back, I also attach a PDF later today, please send any electronic copies to my hotmail address above.

Download a copy of the questionairre or complete it online.

The inshore and offshore maps referred to  in the survey are below - after opening, they can be dowloaded as pdf files for printing:



Any additional comments that the participants have are greatly appreciated and can be put at the end of the questionnaire. Please send any electronic copies to the email address below.

Rosilyn Baker
Development Officer
Cornwall Council
Planning and Regeneration (East )

E mail rbaker@cornwall.gov.uk
Tel No 01579 341416
Internal 1416

Room 57
Luxstowe House,
Liskeard,
Cornwall,
PL14 3DZwww.planning.east@cornwall.gov.uk

Please let us know if you need any particular assistance from us, such as facilities to help with mobility, vision or hearing, or information in a different format.

FishStock! 2012

Another accolade for Fishstock Brixham!

This enjoyable one-day event, a Celebration Festival of Seafood with Music held this year on September 8th to raise funds for the Fishermen's Mission, has been selected as Finalist for the 2012 Visit Devon Tourism Awards in the Category "Tourism Event of the Year".

Fishstock Brixham 2012 recently won the Herald Express Tourism & Hospitality Awards "Tourism Event of the Year" for Torbay & S Devon.

Earlier this year the leader of the Fishstock Brixham team of volunteers, Jim Portus was presented with the Marsh Christian Trust Award for Heritage Volunteers at the Heritage and Crafts Association gathering at the V&A Museum London.

Jim Portus said of this latest accolade, "This is a further testament to the dedication of a fine team of volunteers. First and foremost they support the Fishermen's Mission. Secondly they believe as I do that the fishing industry has a glorious tale to tell in its maritime history, its wonderful seafood produce,  its contribution to local education and economic prosperity and its place at the core of the vibrant Brixham town community. Finally they know that a determined group of volunteers can produce professional quality entertainment for a discerning audience through hard work and proper planning. 

"At the wash-up meeting last week I was pleased to announce our donation to the Fishermen's Mission from this year's event amounted to £10,000. This reflected growth in visitor numbers and spend at the event on September 8th, when we basked in untypical late summer sunshine. The Fishstock Brixham Team had also organised during the summer a fabulous Concert by shantymen "Stamp & Go" held at the All Saints' Church and a Chowder Cruise held aboard historic ship "Fairmile". It's great to have such a brilliant team who truly know how to put the FUN in fund-raising for the Fishermen's Mission.

"I am pleased also to announce that the date has been set for the 2013 Festival. Thanks to the kind permission of the Landlords, Torbay Harbour Authority Brixham Harbour Master and the tenants, Brixham Trawler Agents, we will push the boat out again on Saturday September 7th for Fishstock Brixham 2013.

The Devon Tourism Awards ceremony will take place at the 4 star Saunton Sands Hotel, North Devon, on Thursday 22^nd November.

 

The EU Series: Part I – The Need to get Back to Basis

Article courtesy of Ciaran O'Driscoll

Posted: October 21, 2012 | Author: ciarandanielodriscoll | Filed under: Marine Times | 1 Comment »

To many reading the Marine Times, the topic of the European Union (EU) is one few wish to eagerly engage in. It is a discussion that is often filled with bitterness, frustration and often dismay as a result of their personal experience with the EU and its flawed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

But even after several EU referenda in recent years, is the fishing community as a whole in a better situation in understanding what the EU is and how it arrives at decisions that impact so many along the coast of this island?

It was noted by one Irish journalist that for the average EU citizen, their knowledge of the EU’s often cited complex institutions and functions is akin to that of understanding a sewage system; we all know it’s very important but don’t want to know a thing about it.

This is true when data is examined from some of the recent EU referenda. Two reports by the Dept. of Foreign Affairs under the same title (‘Attitudes and Behaviour in the Referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon’) were published in March 2009 and July 2010. It focused on the Treaty of Lisbon referenda, but also included data from the previous ones from the Treaty of Nice.

Both highlighted a positive opinion of the EU by Ireland at around 70%, however, they both clearly identified that there is a lack of knowledge of how the EU operates by those questioned in the survey. This in turn contributed to citizens becoming misled and confused as to what may or may not have been in the treaties i.e.: the issues of abortion, Irish neutrality, corporate tax control.

An example of this confusion involved many believing that with the possible loss of an Irish commissioner in the European Commission, under the Treaty of Lisbon, Ireland would lose their only voice in the EU. Although this proposal was removed, this belief was false due to the fact that Ireland has many low and high ranking voices within the EU from Permanent Representatives to Members of the European Parliament.

This confusion is a key highlight to what many term as the ‘democratic deficit’, where EU citizens see little connection, and thus understanding, between them and the EU at large.

Yet even with many lacking an clear understanding as to what is the EU, several high-profile statements from leading individuals from the EU recently identify that the EU as a whole is set to shift direction through deeper integration across the Union. It is expected the EU will play a greater role in many prickly policy areas which Member States had previously retained as their own responsibility. This will therefore dynamically change the roles and relationships between citizens, Member States and the institutions themselves.

It must be stated that this treaty change is not imminent, as the process takes place over several years involving inter-governmental conferences between Member States and the EU. These are organised at every treaty change to negotiate what such a change will consist of.

There is also little appetite to rush into another treaty change, due to the recent experiences with the failed Constitutional Treaty, and its successor Treaty of Lisbon, and the difficulties involved in both.

Previous Treaty changes involve preparing for further enlargement, changing the balance in the decision making between the institutions or Member States, such as a greater role for national parliaments or giving increased responsibility for the EU in policy areas. It is therefore the aim of each Treaty change to facilitate integration within the EU as a whole.

This push for integration is a theme very familiar with the European continent; it is what many refer to as the ‘European processes’. That is, the process of integration across the continent at economic, political and social levels.

This process goes back thousands of years of the continent’s history; from the birth and break-up of the Roman Empire, the Medieval Crusades, the Catholic Church’s Reformation, the French Revolution, the Great and Cold War to name but just a few. All of which have directly and indirectly effected the course of the modern face of Europe.

At the fore of this process today is the EU, shaping policy across a vast amount of legislation, from copyright protection to competition law, within an ever expanding number of Member States, which currently stands at 27.

But what has been the dominating element of the EU’s agenda since the start of the global economic recession, has been the ‘sovereign debt crisis’, or more commonly known as the ‘Euro Crisis’.

It exposed the faults of the single currency, ambitiously created in haste to integrate the vastly dynamic economics of the EU, thus glossing over the economic problems between its members in an attempt to bring greater prosperity to the continent.

The formation of the Euro during the 1990s, came at a period of a renewed call for greater European integration, this time on finalising what was previously the core of the European Economic Community (EEC), the common market.

The common market, along with the Common Agriculture Policy, was one of the key policies created when the EEC was set up in 1954 with the Treaty of Rome. It sought to bring to an end centuries of trade barriers between Member States as a means to increase the volume of the free movement of people, goods, capital and services.

It was another ambition to increase opportunity of employment and generate better economic fortunes between Member States by pooling the resources each possessed. The decades before had hindered its expansion due to external factors such as the oil crisis in the 1970s, to the global economic turn down which followed. This in turn fuelled the internal sluggishness to advance legislation between Member States who were slow to end their protectionist policies.

Just as elements to proceed with the finalisation of the common market were taking effect, the momentum behind this coincided just as the final decade of the millennium arrived, along with its significant and defining historical events. What were previously unyielding obstacles were then coming down in many parts of the world, and finally a divided continent had the chance to rebuild itself as a single entity when the Iron Curtain at last fell.

This momentum grew as the global economy expanded, ushering in a period of startling prosperity for many across the globe. Things would only go on in an upwards manner economically it was thought at the time, and many in the EU now believed that at long last, the opportunity had arrived that an often divided continent, could finally come together in solidarity through a single currency and begin charting together a new Europe defined by peace and prosperity for its citizens.

However, just over two decades later we find the continent in the throes of an economic crisis that has shaken it to its foundations. It has been repeated numerous times since the crisis first took hold, that the likes of this have not been seen since Great Depression. It is not just the economic similarities they speak about, but the social ones too.

Just as we have seen a rise in far-right group in many national parliaments across Europe, using the economic crisis as a back-drop to push their narrow-minded policies, we can see similarities to Europe of the 1930s. It was within that defining decade in the wake of the Wall Street Crash, where ignorance and a lack of understanding between the people of Europe grew, festered and became exploited by many to achieve positions of power, eventually yielding what would be a war of unprecedented suffering.

Although the idea of wide-scale war on the European continent is now deemed laughable and the basis of the plot for a book or video game, this reality of today was only achievable through the commitment and compromise of the founders of what has grown into the EU.

Born as a result of what was World War II, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up in 1951 through the Treaty of Paris, to make war between France and Germany ‘not only unthinkable but materially impossible’. This hope and proposed future was presented in a speech by French foreign minister at the time Robert Schuman. Such is the significance of his now famous Schuman Declaration on 9^th May 1950 that the date is now celebrated across the EU as European Day.

He called for the formation of a collective European organisation of states in the wake of two wars to ensure such tragedies would never takes place again. Through the success of peaceful economic cooperation and integration between Germany and the other members of the ECSC, it set the precedent for the founding of the EEC on a platform of equality of countries, between countries as a lasting solution to ensure peace on the continent.

Just as Europe in the 1950s saw dramatic changes in terms of integration, Europe of the 2010s is about to see another such important step in the ‘European process’. As the EU begins the slow process of a Treaty change, as mentioned above, to bring about ‘more Europe’, a debate on the changes will undoubtedly take place in time to come.

However, it appears to be that the only time the average Irish citizen hears about the EU and its dimensions, in any sort of an informed manner, is around the time of a Treaty referendum. But the reports by the Dept. of Foreign Affairs highlight that even after the referenda citizens still possess a loose knowledge of the EU. Could this be sourced from the manner of the campaigns themselves?

When the parting shot rings out across the land, each of the opposing sides catapult themselves across the campaign start line and launch immediately into a brisk battle of yay or nay. Quickly, our homes come under siege with bombardments of leaflets cascading through the post box, while outside its mayhem with street by street combat for lamp posts and poster space. Although newspaper articles, television/radio debates, online blogs take place to discuss the topics at hand, snappy slogans and a few choice words take centre stage in order to boil the debate down into bit size treats, just like a tin of Roses.

What takes places is a short and sharp political campaign that often fails to engage citizens on what exactly the EU does for us as citizens. For example, we all know what a councillor or a TD is supposed to do, or not doing enough of; but what exactly does a European Commissioner actually do? What is the difference between the Council of the European Union and the Council of Europe? Why is the HQ for the European Parliament in Strasburg and not Brussels? Who is Ireland’s representative on the European Court of Auditors? Many, whether it is or not through any fault of their own, would not be to answer those questions decisively in an EU table quiz.

What this author is therefore aiming to do in the coming editions of the Marine Times, is to outline the institutions under the title of ‘The EU Series’. This will include looking at the five principle institutions; the European Commission, the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, the European Court of Justice and the Court of Auditors along with other bodies that make up the EU. Next in ‘The EU Series’, Part II – The Treaties will be published in the next edition of the Marine Times.

Ciarán O’ Driscoll, originally from Castletownbere, Co. Cork, is currently undertaking a PhD on European fisheries policy at University College Dublin. He previously studied a BA in History, Politics and Social Studies and an MA in European Integration, both at University of Limerick.

This article first appeared in the October 2012 edition of the Marine Times