Romantic touch

AIS trawl track left by beam trawler.

Ever the romantic, skipper Michael Nowell aboard the Louisa N was, like many fishermen the world over, at sea over Valentine's Day has sent this message home - in the shape of their dog it seems!

Trawl tracks on the seabed.

Image courtesy of Koen aboard the Cefas Endeavour.

Both blogs aboard the Cefas Endeavour are continuing to give an insight into the work of the research teams, especially the use of multi beam sonar. The image above is taken from a grey-scale rendering of the seabed showing clearly the tracks from a trawler working in the same area as the survey vessel.


This post immediately attracted a comment: This image actually goes to show just how little of the seabed is touched by the trawlers. We simply do not have enough trawlers left in the EU fleet to cause the widespread impacts alleged by eNGOs!


It would be useful to have an indication of scale on the image - given the stability of the track scribed on the sea bed these tracks are those of a beam trawler - nicknamed a chain-harrow gang by some - but then why does a farmer use a chain harrow over his fields?


From the web site Master Farm Services:

Reasons for harrowing? Several reasons for harrowing are listed below: 

- Pasture renovation; breaking up & levelling heavy soil. 

- Root aeration; for better water infiltration & growth. 

- Works in fertiliser to both spread & maximise effectiveness. 

- Surface levelling in equestrian centres, race tracks & running tracks. 

- Stimulates growth by aerating & loosening thatch.

Not often we turn to our land-based welly-booteed cousins for help! 

Friday finds a fishy market full of fish!

A more esoteric shop window on Penzance seafront.........

booted and suited on the market........

where white meets black.......

or just plain black........

it's that time of year when the roes begin to appear in big white fish like cod and pollock.......

just a smattering of mackerel up for auction this morning........

and a handful of extra large (for Newlyn) cod.......

alien-like apparition in the harbour, another job for the boys........

she's looking good, a new punt waiting to hit the water.......

fish move fast when there's lots of it.........

the trail -blazers leave their mark thanks to the ink from the cuttles.......

best time of year for those fat looking lemon soles from the Imogen II and the Harvest Reaper............

the permanently fixed no parking cones that appeared a few weeks ago are certainly proving effective - so is the knock-on effect on local traders who want to know where people who normally stop for just a few minutes to shop can park without having to pay in the car park or risk being clamped - in the name of community spirit?

Apprenticeships in fish and shellfish proficiency skills in Cornwall

Duchy College has announced today that it, with support from Seafood Cornwall Training and the Sea Fish Industry Authority, will deliver apprenticeships in fish and shellfish proficiency skills in Cornwall and Devon. 


The fish and shellfish apprenticeship programme is aimed at processing and retail businesses in the region and will provide opportunities for the smallest fishmonger to the largest processor in the region. Support is even available for national supermarket chains that trade in the region. Chris Shepherd of Duchy College said "As part of the Cornwall College Group, Duchy has access to substantial funding support for apprenticeships throughout the region and we consider ourselves experts in the delivery of a range of apprenticeship frameworks. However, we're not experts in fish and shellfish which is why we intend to collaborate with Seafood Cornwall Training. The apprenticeship framework was only launched this year and we are one of the first regions in the UK to offer the framework region-wide in this way." Sarah Crosbie of Seafood Cornwall Training is confident that the new collaboration will provide a valuable additional service to the seafood industry in the South West. "We already have some employers who have expressed an interest in this new apprentice framework and we would like to hear from more employers looking to train and develop new and existing staff." The fish and shellfish apprenticeship is suitable for operatives and team leaders in the onshore sectors of the seafood industry. 


Higher level qualifications and training programmes are also available from Duchy College. This new initiative will be launched on Wednesday 14th March 2012 with a workshop and open day at Duchy College in Stoke Climsland for employers and prospective apprentices alike.

See those sea treats at sea!

One of the great delights of working aboard a boat for a living is that you get to see, for free, the full range of   incredible sights and sounds - top of everyone's favourite sight to experience is being surrounded by hundreds of dolphins. When there were a small fleet of Newlyn boats working the Celtic Deeps for langoustine in the early 1980s there were a number of days when around 1,000 dolphins were seen. They swam past heading north east on one day, and headed back on a recprocal course the next - jumping out of the watere and swimming on their tails seemingly purely for the fun of it!

This week the crew and scientists aboard the Cefas Endeavour have been treated to a similar show - and this time they have caught the dolphins on video - great shot taken over the bow guys - keep up the good work on the blogs Cefas and JNCC!

Window of opportunity - new web cam for Newlyn Harbour!

Click to view web cam page.

Newlyn Fishermen's Mission has installed a web cam with a stunning view over the harbour. Situated inside the landmark clock tower atop the Mission's roof, the web cam looks out in a southerly direction towards the harbour entrance. Vessels can be seen entering and leaving the port during daylight hours. The view also provides a good indication of the current weather to be enjoyed in Mount's Bay.


The Mission building at Newlyn is currently fighting for its very survival - it, along with the other Mission Centres, is due to close in the future. However, the building was donated to the RNMDSF by the Bolitho family - as indicated in this extract from a recent story in the local newspaper Western Morning News and as a result is is hoped that this may help preserve its existence.

"Miss Nora was already deeply involved in the work of the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, which was established at Newlyn in the very early 1900s. She would read newspapers and novels to the fishermen and paid for improvements to its premises, Stanley House. By 1910 it was agreed that the building was too small, so Miss Nora offered to provide more than £4,000 for a new building as a gift "to the men of the fishing community". 

It is ironic that when the doors of the Ship Institute – so labelled because of the proud golden galleon above the high clock – were opened on September 30, 1911, women were not allowed in. Doubtless Miss Nora was excluded from this prohibition. At this time, and during the 19th century, the Bolitho family had a deep interest in the industry through ownership of fishing boats and seines, as well as through banking, mining and farming. Indeed, the family was to the forefront in financing of the building of the north and south piers."

Mission skipper, Keith Dixon welcomes ideas and suggestions to further involve the Mission in its service to the fishing communities in Cornwall.

Cornish Sardines go to Marrs!

From MarrFish this morning: 

Thanks to our South West fish experts! for the wonderfull sardines you sent this morning... Awesome Jules! What boat??
— Andrew Jackson (@Marrfish) February 15, 2012