The coldest Saturday winter morning for years greets Mounts Bay.

Ashore, the rare sight of frost abounds while out to sea, another survey rig has appeared off the end of Penzance Harbour's lighthouse quay.......
under what looks like a snow-laden sky out to sea.....
the Trinity House vessel Patricia is hard at work on her deck cargo of buoys keeping the shipping lanes safe.....
the rig is set against the Anglian Princess back on station.....
popular eatery, the bay, that makes good use of the finest fresh fish from Newlyn on its menu and always has an interesting show art local art on display in the restaurant.....

at this time of year the IOS helicopter service runs flat out as a flurry of holiday makers, residents and relatives ply back and forth.

MSC - Cornish sardines are on the menu again.

MSC assessment status

The certification body, MRAG Americas Inc, has proposed two peer reviewers for the review of the Draft Cornish sardine, UK Assessment Report.

If you wish to provide feedback on the proposed peer reviewers, please contact Dr. Robert Trumble no later than the 28th December 2009.

Read all about the review in detail here.

Brussels' sprouts Christmas quota news.

The quota talks have ended in Brussels with yet more cuts - though not as severe in some areas as was feared. Predictably sole in Area VII has ufferred yet again despite the fishermen seeing more sole than ever on the grounds. pergaps CEFAS can step in here to help assess stovck levels to ensure a more equitable approach?

Brussels Fisheries talks ‘a slap on the face with a wet fish’ says Stevenson, but this time its not Elizabeth doing the talking.

The BBC gave some quota figures for caching area around the coast and also commented on one of the innovative ways in which boats miught be incentivised - install CCTV to record what comes aboard and what goes back over the rail.The regional paper Western Morning News covered the story in more detail through Kate Ironside's blog posting, "Fishermen's Friend or Big Brother"

Scads, tubs and blackjacks.

Bruce points skywards as the light lifts, there's a day's work ahead of the boys on the James RH putting the starboard gear back together starting with the chain mat seen here being raised.....
like a scene from Aliens, box washing in progress......
a good shot of wreck fish from the GaryM will help boost the Xmas coffers.....
white lightning.......
the Cornishman put ashore a few big tub gurnards.......
unusually, some line caught scad from the punt Penver......
along with a good run of the currently rather scarce winter mackerel - and they are making phenomenal money.....
Ocean Fish spent a lot of money on the bigger fish like these blackjacks today.....
a nonchalant film crew survey the auction in progress......
the Star's star.

The Rowney - on the way in - on the way out? maybe not!

Not too sure what the Billy Rowney is up to - on the way in one minute - on the way out the next? But - one to watch this - the AIS tracking has picked her up on the way out today from where it stopped tracking her yesterday - that makes it look as if she has turned about! - confirmed by checking the time/date display on the tracking arrows.

Calculating an ETA - another useful feature from the AIS page.

Once you have picked up a boat by tracking her on the AIS page you can also add your own waypoints - double click on the vessel's current position and then select 'distance to', a yellow box then gives an ETA based on the speed she is currently steaming at on her last fix - thereby providing a pretty accurate idea as to when she might be heading in through the gaps.....
.....as in the Gary M heading through the gaps.

What's in a name - everything it seems!

Want to make a difference - our humble sardine gets a mention in this article on the power wrought through having a name change.