Watch again the FIS Annual Scottish Fisheries Conference

Take another look at the Annual FIS conference by using the chatroom in the viewer and ask questions to the panel or speaker.

Read the agenda below:

Policy makers need to tap into fishers’ expertise, says Mike Park

Great article in the Scotsman appeared on the back of the Gap2 conference held in Barcelona recently - let's hear it for the fishermen!

"Grown-up policy-making requires significant input from those closest to the issue at hand. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it?. But you would be surprised at how often key stakeholders, to use the bureaucrats’ beloved terminology, are kept out of the loop, especially by the European Commission. When it comes to my own industry, the politicians, officials and green lobbyists who have largely dictated fisheries policy over the past decade still view us (I’m borrowing this metaphor from our farming friends) as the fox in the hen house, that is, untrustworthy. This is despite the fact that these individuals are so far removed – both physically and mentally – from the lives of those who go to sea that they have little or no knowledge of fishing. (Had they made an effort to understand the sector better, they would be aware of the huge, practically very effective steps taken by fishermen to improve sustainability, from changes in types of gear to more efficient boat engines.) 

So you can imagine how heartened I was to hear everyone participating in a recent seminar in Barcelona, including the policy makers, saying that sustainable fisheries can only be achieved with the involvement of fishers in science and management. The meeting was hosted by GAP2, a European Commission-funded body that brings together fishers, scientists, policy makers and environmental NGOs to work together towards that goal of sustainable fisheries. The rhetoric now needs to be backed up with action. 

One of the most significant shifts in attitude seems to have taken place within Ices, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, whose scientific effort is used as the basis for calculating how much European fishermen can catch on an annual basis. Ices scientists understand that every fishing vessel is also a research platform. They appear to feel less threatened by allowing fishers to observe and comment on approaches and output. This is quite right, as recent academic research has demonstrated that fishermen are just as good, if not better, than scientists at measuring certain stocks. And the #GAP2 project has shown us that as well as providing critical information, fishers are able to assist in creating sensible policy that is respected and understood.

The locked door approach, adopted in the past by both the European Commission and ICES, which, frankly, led to the collapse of many stocks and precipitated what can only be described as anarchic behaviour in many of Europe’s fleets, is outmoded. An entirely new approach is required, and soon. 

Many observers view recent changes, such as co-decision making between the European Parliament and the European Council on regulatory matters and the move toward regionalisation, as significant steps in the right direction. However, there is clearly a chasm between gifting a share of decision making to 751 elected individuals who have little or no knowledge of fishing and delivering sensible policy. Previously, this gap was filled by the green lobby which, while in reality just as ignorant about fishing, was able to sound credible. In a mature policy environment that is just not acceptable. The GAP2 model must be rolled out across fisheries regulation. The dream of fishers to be embedded in policy making should have been realised to some degree with the introduction of regionalisation through reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, where policy making was to be detached downstream to member states in defined sea basins such as the North Sea.

This has hit the buffers because it would seem that by handing power to member states, the Commission has created monsters which appear incapable of taking advice from anyone, including the very advisory councils which were set up through previous reform to give the fishing sector a voice.You couldn’t make it up. GAP2 provides a glimmer of hope. The industry’s biggest challenge will be to grab the moment, capture the current enthusiasm of fishers to be involved and use that to deliver long lasting and meaningful change."

Source: Full story courtesy of the Scotsman.

Fabulous Fish, Fishermen and Filleting Competition at Newlyn Fish Market

Brilliant October sunshine kissed the Chefs’ Forum’s fifth Cornwall event, this time held at Newlyn Fish Market. Budding young chefs from Cornwall College got the opportunity to board fishing boats and talk to skippers about life at sea. Top chefs from across Cornwall learnt about sustainable fishing in Cornish Waters from the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation. 

This event celebrated collaboration between industry networking organisation The Chefs’ Forum and the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation with a common purpose to teach chefs and hospitality students about where the fish they use in their everyday profession comes from and factors facilitating its availability. 

Andy Wheeler, spokesperson for the CFPO stated: “It was great to be able to host The Chefs’ Forum here at the fish market, the market was transformed into a kitchen for the day and the students worked with their lecturers to brilliantly showcase Newlyn market fish in producing some excellent canapés. He continued “Inviting the chefs and students onto the boats was a great way to encourage them to cook with less mainstream species such as megrim sole and let them know about the abundant quantity of hake being caught off the Cornish coast. Using species that are in plentiful supply really helps our fishermen.” 

Stephane Delourme then judged two heats of a fish filleting competition; students then professional chefs. VRQ Level 2 student Fraser Hill won the student element which secured him a ‘money can’t buy experience’ of a day shadowing Stephane in his kitchen. This will contribute towards making him ‘industry-ready’ on leaving College in line with College learning objectives communicated to culinary guests at the event. Anton Buttery of Langman’s Restaurant, Callington won the professional heat with a score of a perfect ten for his filleting expertise. Anton’s prize was a box of goodies from Chefs’ 

Forum sponsors Total Produce, Forest Produce and Cornish Sea Salt. It is this vital support that makes Chefs’ Forum events possible as they are free to attend for students and chefs. The day was rounded off with a fabulous boat trip out to sea for chefs to try their hand at mackerel fishing. The chefs and students had a great day and relished the chance to catch up with friends old and new whilst learning about the provenance of Cornish fish.

Slipper Skippers! - Mystery cartels who control price of British-caught fish.

Here's an article published February 14th in the Times by David Sanderson. The story of how quotas, which were once allocated to individual fishermen are now traded on a global market worth millions - but very often no longer owned by individual fishermen is another story of intervention gone wrong - perhaps there was never a better example of the law of unintended consequences! 


Read on........

The Government allocates quotas, but loses track of them as they are sold to 'barons' interested only in profit!

The price of fish is being inflated by private organisations that have been given free access to quotas worth billions of pounds and are on the brink of securing permanent control of Britain's fishing rights. 

The Government has admitted that Britain's 23 privately run Fish Producer Organisations (FPOs), to whom it hands 94 per cent of the country's annual quota, manipulate the market to boost their profits. Fish prices increased by 11.4 per cent in the year to June 2011, twice the increase in meat prices, according to the Office for National Statistics. But despite concerns that the opaque yet highly lucrative market is now being controlled by "quota barons", including investment funds, the Government has resisted calls to publish a register of ownership. It concedes that it does not know who owns and profits from Britain's quota allocation because of "invisible" transfers within FPOs: many members lease out their allowance at huge profit. The Government also admits that the quota rights — originally attached to vessels fishing in British waters in the late 20th century — may end up permanently in the hands of the FPOs, who it says now have a "legitimate expectation" of ownership. 

Critics have described it as a "privatisation of the seas" without any benefit to the Exchequer.In 2010 the value of the 606,000 tonnes of fish landed by British vessels was £719 million; the leasing of a one-tonne quota of cod can fetch up to £2,500. Anne McIntosh, the Conservative MP who is chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, said it was astonishing that the Government did not know who owned the quotas it handed out. She called for the Government to publish a register, adding that it was not in the country's interests for fishing rights to be owned by non-fishermen. 

Peter Aldous, the MP for Waveney, which includes the fishing port of Lowestoft, described it as a scandal. He said that reform of the system would be difficult because of the "powerful vested interests that will resist change". 

The current system of quota allocation has also resulted in fishermen with boats of less than 10m (33ft) being denied access to the seas. They comprise 85 per cent of the UK fleet yet receive only 4 per cent of the annual quota as they are usually excluded from FPOs. If the owners of smaller boats want a share of the quota, they usually have to rent it from FPOs, but many said they could not afford the price demanded. Even if they could, FPOs are not offering shares to them. The small boat owners claim that the system forces them to discard tonnes of fish. 

Jerry Percy, the chairman of the New Under Ten Fishermen's Association, said that the Government had allowed the "family silver" to be taken away from working fishermen. "Nobody except the Producer Organisations know what's going on," he said. "It could be hedge funds, big international companies or even football clubs that are holding the quota and making money." Thomas Appleby, a law lecturer at the University of the West of England who has been trying to discover who owns Britain's quota, said a small group of wealthy people were renting out "public property" for profit. He said the Marine Management Organisation, the quango administering fishing, rejected his latest request for information but said that although the Government did "retain ownership of fish quotas ... the industry has an established legitimate expectation for access". "They now view it as theirs," Mr Appleby said. "But the Exchequer is losing out because usually when you privatise assets the public is compensated." He added: "Because we have FPOs trading among themselves and forming cartels, there's an element that they are controlling geographic areas. 

There could be abuse of a dominant position, which would be bad news for the consumer." Richard Benyon, the Environment Minister, acknowledged to the select committee that FPOs would restrict supply of quota to the under-10m sector.In a statement his department said that it would keep quota back for commercial reasons, including "to increase the prices obtained by their members for the quota they do land". Jim Portus, chairman of the UK Association of Fish Producer Organisations, defended the system. He said the organisations were not "secret", adding that the FPOs had been pushing Defra to publish a register. He said that any flaws in the system were because of "ministerial inefficiency". 

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it was "seeking a publicly available register of quota allocations". 'Slipper skippers' reel in the net profits.

The Marine Management Organisation, a government quango, administers the scheme but admits that many transactions within and between the fish producer organisations are invisible to it. This has led to speculation that investment companies and even football clubs now own FQAs, which they lease out for profit. Currently, some 96 per cent of the British allowable catch goes to the 23 FPOs. (One of these is the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation who manage the quotas for the majority of Newlyn and other Cornish vessels)

The remainder is distributed by the Marine Management Organisation, for free, to the small-ship fleet. In 2010, Britain had 6,477 registered fishing vessels — a reduction of 16 per cent from 2001. More than 5,000 of these were in the under-10m fleet. In the same year these vessels landed 606,000 tonnes of sea fish (including shellfish, which are not subject to quotas), valued at £719 million. The price of leasing fixed quota allocations varies depending on the fish stock, the time of year and the section of British coastal waters it has been allocated to.

In response, French fishing consultant Yan Giron gives his view from across the Channel - he is keen to point out that he is making an observation on the findings as they are of real relevance to the place the French operators find themselves - that is from the artisan fishermen's perspective

I am not involved in day-to-day UK fish system, but here are some views given from the other side of the Channel (how we see the FQA system and its consequences) After having read again this hot issue, hot for Britain and hot for whole EU because FQAs are ITQs of TFCs, and that is what EC want for everybody: - truly, the role of FQA in discarding is real for me and minimized in public debate regarding this issue. I am glad to see that written in fair words. And this makes us read differently Commission wish to implement both an overall ITQs system AND an overall discard ban. Otherwise, they cannot promote ITQs in multi-specific fisheries.

I wrote a tribune in Le Marin, our professional newspaper month ago. - Problem of FQA is not new, and ITQs too. I think there is a huge gap between neo-liberal economy principles and reality. ITQs promoter think that they let rule the fishing activity through the market forces. But, it means they have to follow economical rules, and one major is fair competition and no underneath constraints. BUT, they are in fact 2 markets working with close links and under constraints: the quota market and the landed fish market. And underneath constraints are strong: constraints to fish, access to fisheries, KW and GTU management, even composition of catches in mixed fisheries and implementation or not of a ban on discards.

Last point is huge too : you can’t catch your most valuable fish if you don’t have also low valuable fish quota. And you may pay the highest prices for these low value fish quota, especially if you absolutely need them to catch the good price fish, and if they are scarce. - Impact of speculation is thus huge. They wrote : price of cod quota :up to £/kg 2.5. It is a quota given to a species, not to the size of fish. Prices of landed cod range between £/kg2 to 4, depending on size of fish. Now consider all the value taken from your catches, I have dock rumours which said fish quota leasing accounts now around 50% of the fish value or catching expenses…. And you have to take out fuel expenses, etc.

Without a ban discard, you have no choice: you have to high grade / discard. With a ban discard, and with no improve of selectivity, you are economically dead. 

(He goes on to raise some further questions following the logical conclusion of the current line of thinking)

Is this what Europe want ?Artificially increase the catching expenditures ? without an economical return for the fishing boats ? How do you want to self finance modernisation and day-to-day profitability? Windsail your fishing boat (he's having a go Yan! ed) and recruit low cost manpower ? We may find cheap Libyan and Egyptian manpower. I have nothing against foreign crew, but we also have employment to safeguard.

Under 10s clarification from a CFPO member.

The following was received from David Stevens regarding NUTFA's comments on quota management. Always keen to promote understanding between the various shore side groups that represent many (but by no means all) fishermen up and down the country.

"Hi Larry, would just like to point out that the local Cornish PO has over 100 under 10m members, and their views are well represented by the PO. 

One of the issue raised yesterday to the minister was for the local under 10 vessels to have their quota managed by the CFPO if they wished, rather than being managed by the MMO, as this would enable them to take their share of the quota as and when it suited them.It is wrong of NUTFA to say that, the under 10 have no quota, within English administered waters they have access to nearly 20% of the whitefish TAC for England.If you compare the monthly bulletins they have from the MMO for the under 10 sector, to those of us in the over 10 sector there is very little between the amounts available in both sectors. 

The greatest problem we have is that by the government creating a two tier system you have one sector which has gone through a huge consolidation process, as opposed to the under 10's who have seen an increase in effort over the last 10-15 years creating over capacity. Government is struggling to know what to do with the situation they have created, the under 10's are struggling to come to terms with working in a managed sector in the last 3 years, and this is has not been helped by the misguided policies of NUTFA.

What is needed is for the industry to come together as one, as it should always have been and sort the problems out in a sensible way. By allowing the CFPO to trial management for the under 10s in Cornwall and work together for the good of all of the industry is to me a sensible approach and one NUTFA should listen to.We have also put to NUTFA that the CFPO would be happy to help them set up a PO in the southeast, to help manage their healthy quota amounts in that area and it would also give them a strong voice in the industry."

D Stevens skipper Crystal Sea II 

CFPO news - NFFO elects new chairman Paul Trebilcock.

Cornwall Fish Producers Organisation stalwart, Paul Trebilcock.

NFFO Elects New Chairman

The NFFO has elected Paul Trebilcock, Chief Executive of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation as its new Chairman. Paul will take over the Chair next summer and in the meantime will hold the position of NFFO Chairman-Elect.

“Paul is the well-known and highly active Chief Executive of the Cornish PO and although he is probably the youngest Chairman that we have had, he comes with a wealth of experience”, said current Chairman Arnold Locker.

“We try to ensure that if we have a North Sea President, we have an Area VII Chairman and this appointment continues that useful balance”.

“Paul will be taking over at a truly critical time for our industry, with CFP reform, marine conservation zones and other vital decisions taken on his watch”.

Last week the NFFO met with the MMO for the first time to discuss a wide range of operational policing and monitoring issues.

Wide Range of Issues addressed at meeting with MMO

THE National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO)  and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) met recently at the MMO’s headquarters in Newcastle.

The NFFO said that a wide range of issues were covered including

• The design application and enforcement of management measures within marine conservation zones and special areas of conservation
• Electronic logbooks, including the development and availability of an integrated VMS/e-logbook system
• The performance of the English EFF programme
• Progress in implementing the new EU Control Regulation, including the weighing of catch provisions, 10% margin of tolerance, engine power measurement and the marking of pots
•  The application of Fisheries Administrative penalties
• New MMO arrangements to ensure that all infringements are dealt with in a timely and consistent way
•  Delivery and practicality issues associated with the Defra consultation on the future of under-10m quota management
• The MMO’s compliance and enforcement strategy
• Voluntary net tagging that could potentially reduce the impact of boardings at sea
• The impact of boardings on fishing operations

The NFFO said: “The NFFO and the MMO are agreed that there is a continued need  for pragmatic and proportionate enforcement that, so far as possible, separates minor infringements from determined and recurrent rule-breaking. Fisheries Administrative Penalties have helped to streamline the process and a new system of monthly reviews of all fisheries offences is being implemented to bring consistency and to ensure that prosecutions if they are to happen are brought forward in a timely fashion.

“The NFFO gave examples of boardings at sea which could have  been handled with greater regard  for fishing operations and the MMO welcomed this feedback. . It was agreed to reinstate liaison days with the Royal Navy’s Fisheries Protection Squadron, with port visits by fisheries protection vessels in the Irish Sea, Shoreham and Hartlepool.  The potential for repeated prosecutions for infringement of the 10% margin of tolerance –particularly for small quantities - was raised and the need for a reasonable, pragmatic and risk based approach was underlined by the Federation.

“It was agreed to discuss further the details of a voluntary net tagging scheme which potentially could reduce the time and anxiety of net measurements at sea.

“The navigational chaos that could result from implementation of the new Control Regulation requirements on flags, radar reflectors and lights on dhans marking pots was emphasised. The huge cost and navigational consequences of vessels confronting a ‘city of light’ and a ‘snowstorm of radar signals’ underlined the need for a practical solution.

“The Federation said that this  was a constructive meeting which aimed to make the best out of a management system that is over-complex, in places fundamentally irrational, and certainly far removed from the practicalities of fishing; but is the law - until that law can be changed. The MMO has faced a difficult baptism of fire but the meeting showed that there is at least a strong will to temper the rough edges of the CFP without abandoning the core purpose of enforcing fisheries regulations.

The Federation will be meeting the MMO to continue this dialogue at regular intervals.”

CFPO - EARLY OPPORTUNITY FOR DAMANAKI AND THE EU COMMISSION TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR COMMITMENT TO REDUCING DISCARDS.

 

For the last few years fishermen around Cornwall have been seeing a significant
increase in cod on the ground and in their catches but until now this has not been
reflected in the annual quotas set by Europe.

The Cornish Fish Producers Organisation (CFPO) has been working to resolve
this issue and following a series of trans-national meetings with French and
Irish fishermen’s organisations and the recent publication of this years scientific
advice from ICES (the independent international scientific body that advises
the EU Commission on fish stocks and quota levels) the CFPO is hopeful of an
increase this years Cod quota in the South West.

Scientists failed to pick-up the strong recruitment of fish coming into the fishery
in last year’s assessment but have now recognised the strength of this stock.
Furthermore they have said that with out immediate action discards will increase.

Paul Trebilcock Chief Executive of the CFPO said:

“The recent publication of ICES advice revising estimates of cod in the Celtic Sea
has highlighted a major anomaly for management in 2011 which requires urgent
attention. We and others around Europe feel that the EU Commission and the
Council of Ministers need to address this issue as a matter of extreme urgency.

The ICES advice published in June 2011 is explicit:

“Because of the large 2009 year class is now entering the fishery, which was
not anticipated in last years advice or TAC, there will be a large inconsistency
between the TAC set for 2011 (4023 t) and the predicted landings for that year,
assuming the current fishing mortality (10 500 t). Therefore, in the absence of
any effort limitation and/or TAC revision, high discarding will occur.”

In terms of the immediate action required the scientific advice is clear; if there
is not an in-year increase in the TAC there will be a significant, increase in
unnecessary and widespread discarding.

The scientific evidence fully supports industry perceptions that the fishing fleets
of all Member States involved in fisheries that operate in VIIe-k have observed
high levels of cod in their catches during 2009, 2010 and the early part of 2011.
This steady improvement in the stock has been observed since 2006 following
the implementation of the industry led annual Trevose Closure since 2004.

Given that Commissioner Damanaki has made much of her desire to reduce
discards in European fisheries, this represents an opportunity to demonstrate
her commitment by taking immediate and urgent action to amend the 2011 TAC based on the latest ICES advice.

It is essential that the Commission and Council of Ministers show the resolve
to deal with the in-year adjustment required in the exceptional circumstances
which the recent ICES advice gives rise to. This would secure the confidence
of the fishing sector that sacrifices made can actually produce positive benefits
in economic, discard-reduction and overall conservation terms which must be
objectives shared by all.”

This issue is now being pursed through the North Western Waters Regional
Advisory Council and it is hoped an in-year increase in the cod quota can be
secured as soon as possible.

For more information contact the CFPO office in Newlyn.

Seafood Cornwall Training, the CFPO and Falfish, offer FREE practical sea safety training for young people during the summer holidays.

Two Newlyn boys learn the craft and fish for harbour prawns from their punt.

Seafood Cornwall Training in association with the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation (CFPO) and local fish processor Falfish, is offering FREE practical sea safety training for young people during the school summer holidays. 


Two dates will be offered: The 2nd and 3rd of August at Carn Brea Leisure Centre. The safety days are aimed at young people who spend time on small inshore fishing vessels and will introduce key elements of Safety Awareness; Fire Training and Prevention; First Aid; and Sea Survival. Currently, young people cannot gain the mandatory training certificates, including Sea Survival, Fire Prevention, First Aid and Health and Safety, until their 16th birthday, but many youngsters may be out on the water without any safety training or knowledge of how to act in an emergency situation.  


Sarah Crosbie, Manager of Seafood Cornwall Training, explained, “The course aims to equip candidates with some essential basic sea safety skills; we welcome enquiries from those already connected to the industry as well as from young people who are considering a future at sea.” Mike Collier MBE, who is well known and respected throughout the Cornish Fish Industry and who will be delivering the Safety Awareness part of the course added, “This is a great opportunity for some of the kids already helping their dads or granddads in the fishing industry to be safer and become more aware of some of the dangers of being at sea. I am looking forward to making it into a fun day for all.” 


Paul Trebilcock, Chief Executive of the CFPO explained, “The CFPO is very supportive of this initiative by Seafood Cornwall Training Ltd. We need young and enthusiastic individuals to join the industry. It is important that we encourage a culture of safety amongst fishermen from an early age, as well at motivating them to learn about the many and varied topics related to working at sea. Hopefully this experience will instil in them, an enthusiasm that they will carry with them in their future careers.” 


To find out more and book onto the course contact Sarah or Emma at Seafood Cornwall Training on 01736 364324 or visit www.seafoodcornwalltraining.co.uk


Seafood Cornwall Training Ltd.
50 The Strand
Newlyn
Cornwall
TR18 5HW


Tel: 01736 364324
Fax: 01736 366692
Visit: http://www.seafoodcornwalltraining.co.uk