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.