Share system for UK nations

All four nations within the UK will be given greater power to manage their own fishing quotas following an agreement that has just been reached, Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon announced today. 


 Under the agreement, the UK, Scottish and Welsh Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive will each be allocated shares, agreed annually, of UK fish quotas for distribution to their fleets. These will be based on the number of boats in each area and the quota they already receive. 


 However, there will be no permanent split of UK quota; fishing vessels will be free to move their operations to other parts of the UK. The new arrangements will replace the present system where the UK Government allocates quota directly to fishermen and to fish producer organisations that manage quotas. This will allow each country to adapt quota allocations to best suit fleets in different parts of the UK. 


Arrangements for the licensing and administration of fishing vessels will also be clearer as a result of the agreement, and arrangements for the management of the UK’s fishing effort (“days at sea”) under the EU’s Cod Recovery Plan will be formalised. Richard Benyon, UK Fisheries Minister, said: “By giving each nation greater control of quotas we will all be able to be more flexible on how quota is allocated to individual boats. 


This will enable the UK to move quota around to where it is needed and as a result we hope to see a reduction in discards. “This agreement will also make it easier to manage fisheries across the UK and is a significant step forward for the fishing industry. “I have consistently argued for the greater decentralisation of powers and I will continue to press the case for this during our negotiations with the EU on CFP reform.” 


 Richard Lochhead, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, said: “I welcome this agreement. It is a good step forward that allows administrations to advance the interests of their fleets and communities. “Scotland’s diverse fleet catches over two thirds of the UK’s quotas and makes a crucial contribution to the Scottish economy and the success of our coastal communities. “The flexibility that this agreement offers will provide new opportunities to better support our vital fishing communities, developing solutions through co-management with our fishing industry. The Scottish Government also reiterates our commitment to meeting our international obligations.” 


 Alun Davies, Welsh Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and European Programmes, said: “I am pleased that we have now reached an agreement on the UK Fisheries Concordat that will enable Wales to meet its policy priorities to fully manage its fishing fleet and fishing opportunities. “There is still work to be undertaken following agreement of the Concordat, before we can implement these changes, and we will be working with the Devolved Administrations over the coming months to make this happen.” 


 Michelle O’Neill, Northern Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, said: “I am pleased that the four Fisheries Administrations have come to an agreement on the future management of quota and licensing which can accommodate the individual needs and policy priorities that each have for the development of their fishing fleets. “There is still work to be done and I welcome the commitment to strengthen the economic link license condition and the setting up of a Register of FQA holdings which I hope will make quota trading between fisheries organisations more transparent and efficient.”

The details of the concordat are available on our website:  www.defra.gov.uk/publications/2012/05/18/pb13771-fish-concordat/

For more information on the management of fisheries go to:www.defra.gov.uk/environment/marine/manage/

Spiders from MandRs!

It's that time of the year when the spider crabs get down to some serious assignation manouvres - which means they are caught in increasing numbers. This cracking looking crab collection are just about to be packed by MandR Crab and given a ride all the way to Chelsea SW1 (no doubt still in party mode) for tomorrow morning's slab.

Working together works!

“In an age when fisheries around the world are collapsing, fisheries experts have struggled to find the magic balance between livelihoods and conservation,” said Dr. Tim McClanahan, a co-author on the study and head of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s coral reef research and conservation program. “What we’ve found is that effective solutions require both top-down and bottom-up approaches with a foundation of community-based management.”

See the full story here 

Three different fishing boats

Three boats, three different methods of fishing, three fishing grounds.


The Louisa N is a beam trawler and has been working about 50 miles north of Newlyn at the southern end of the Celtic Deep. Fishing in that area, no doubt the boys will have been enjoying sandwiches filled with freshly boiled langoustine tails and mayonnaise.


The Silver Dawn is the port's biggest and newest steel gill netter, skipper Hosking has been working his nets north west of the Scillies for hake and other white fish like pollock, cod and ling.


From the regular pattern on the AIS the 'strings' of pots can be seen worked by the crabber Pen Glas working much closer to the shore, also north of the Scillies.

Cultural Olympiad - The Boat Project

Just some of the 12000 wood donations received from the public.

Outside the hull

The Boat Project is a living archive of people's stories and lives, a 30ft vessel made from donated wooden items. From February to July 2011 the public donated their wood to the project but not just any old wood. Pencil or piano – exotic as Zebrawood or as familiar as pine every piece had a story behind it. Donations arrived in their thousands, from the highly personal to pieces of national importance. All of these donations have been used to build a state-of-the-art seafaring yacht.

The boat, named Collective Spirit is currently on a round of publicity visits to ports and harbours around the South East, including a trip inland to Milton Keynes in July. The Boat Project is one of 12 creative concepts taking place throughout the UK as part of the Cultural Olympiad to celebrate London and 2012.

A timely reminder - safety at sea - MOB gear

With incidents involving the loss of life from three separate incidents involving fishing vessels this RNLI gives a timely reminder how best use can be made of the latest affordable, compact communications safety technology at sea.

Salt! at 2am.

With the little hand on the clock now two hours astern of midnight.......

there's a glow over the harbour and another emanating from outside Newlyn gallery as it hosts this year's Museum's at Night event, Salt!.........

 although there is much to see inside the gallery, like Katja Davar's "The stage, the plot" inspired by the tidal observatory at the end of the South pier in Newlyn........

 it's outside where there's salt being produced.........

 in a series of biscuit ware troughs - the same process is used the world over, a series of containers are heated (sometimes naturally) - as water evaporates off, brine from the first is added to the second container, which in turn is added to the third..........

 after six hours........

 and around 40 Kg of the finest Scottish peat.........

 the third trough is half full of almost solid salt ready to adorn any fish dish.........

 more peat and heat speeds the process.......... 

 with the occasional top up of water and stirring of brine.......there's a strong local connection with evidence of salt making over on the Lizard at St Keverne - the recently created Cornish Sea Salt Company follows in this tradition not many miles away in Porthkerris.........

the current gallery exhibition is open till the 16th of june.