Sandy's on her way!

What the US gets today we get in a few day's time! Hurricane Sandy looks set to cause chaos and possible severe damage to the east coast of the US in the New York area if she goes ashore as predicted.

Hurricane Sandy image courtesy of NASA.

Potentially the biggest storm for over 20 years will eventually travers the Atlantic as all hurricanes do and hit the west coast of the UK - normally having lost the bulk of its destructive power.

Google have extended its mapping technology to include this crisis map in an attempt to keep the US informed at all levels.

How does Sandy measure up in the statistics league? The Guardian rates her features against the norms.

Get your ideas to the FLAG in Newlyn - Flying the FLAG for Cornwall & Isles of Scilly

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG)
 

Flying the FLAG for Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Over £1.13 million of European Fisheries Fund (EFF) money has been secured to support the sustainable development of fishing communities in Cornwall & Isles of Scilly. The funding has been made available from the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) and DEFRA through the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), and is managed locally by Cornwall Development Company (CDC). It will be used by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) to maximise available private investment to build a sustainable future for local fisheries communities. The FLAG area extends along the entire Cornish and Isles of Scilly coast, plus approximately 1 mile inland. The fund will be available for projects to bid into for investment up to a maximum of 100% of total project costs, depending on the project activity and proposed outcomes. The decision making board will comprise of representation from the local community including fishing, private, public and voluntary sector organisations. The FLAG would like to hear from projects that will contribute to one or more of the following key themes: Developing sustainable supply chains and market development Providing infrastructure and communal facilities for fishing communities and cooperatives Capacity building, cooperative development and networking Training, retention and recruitment including diversification Coastal communities, tourism and economic development Advocacy and engagement for fishermen Regional sustainable management engagement Projects will have an on-the-ground support mechanism available to them from Cornwall Rural Community Council to aid development and help through the application process. The FLAG recognises that whilst the industry landed over £27m worth of catch last year, the changes it continues to face mean these communities, their residents and workers need a boost to support their well-being. Suzanne Bond, Chief Executive of Cornwall Development Company, says “This fund recognises the importance of fisheries communities in Cornwall & Isles of Scilly. Driving forward the local economy is at the heart of CDC’s mission and the FLAG offers the means to invest in sustainable development at the community level.” Alison Thompson, Director for the Marine Management Organisation said “I’m pleased that, through this scheme the MMO is providing support to local fishing communities, such as in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, to develop and implement their own sustainable solutions to the challenges they face. “The FLAG involves a wide range of representatives and we believe their combined knowledge, experience and ideas could make a real difference to the future of the local fisheries sector. This is reflected in the significant amount of funding awarded to them.” Paul Trebilcock, Chief Executive, Cornish Fish Producers Organisation said “The involvement of the Cornish & Scillies fishing community in shaping the FLAG means that the benefits of the fund will have a real impact locally, regardless of the size of the project”. Peter Jefferson Chief Executive of Cornwall Rural Community Council commented “This funding is a real opportunity for Cornish coastal communities to develop projects that will enable them to become vibrant, sustainable and inclusive, which is our aim as a charity”. How to apply for funding: This is the FLAG Delivery Plan for this year. It sets out how the FLAG plans to deliver the Strategy and shows where and how the investment is intended to be used. A good tip for potential projects is to check how what you are intending to do, fits with the Delivery Plan. It is also a good idea to discuss this with the Animateur as they will be able to help you identify what areas of the delivery plan your project targets. Please read the FLAG Guidance Notes below. There is a three stage application process. The Project Idea Form enables the Animateur to provide feedback; the Expression of Interest will provide the Board with an outline of your project. If that is approved, you will be invited to make a full project application, which will contain evidence of need or demand, risk assessment, cash flow forecasts etc. The FLAG board meets once every 2 months to consider projects so you should consider your project's timescales in line with this. The FLAG cannot pay for any work or defrayed money that has occurred before approval has been given.

Busy markets with top quality fish in Newlyn and Penzance Farmer's Market.

Friday's market had more than its fair share of top quality inshore fish to tempt the buyers this morning, like these red mullet...

irresistible bass...

with just enough...

to go round...

the big Padstow netter, Charisma had a solid trip with plenty of white fish like these pollack...

stretched the length of the western end of the market...

and including plenty of those ultra scarce cod...

the relief boat for the Penlee boat, Ivan Ellen which is due for a bottom job on the slip...

it's Friday so it must be Penzance Farmer's market...

someone, somewhere has cold hands this morning.

January to September figures just released for French fishing ports

Trawl fish on the market at Loctudy, Brittany.

There's a chance to compare the price of fish across almost a full year from all the major French fishing ports as France AgriMer release their latest round of data sets. See their web site for a full set of downloadable documents here:

UCC Scientists involved in Major Discovery in the Atlantic

Irish research has led to the discovery of a volcanic landscape along the Mid- Atlantic Ridge, a vast underwater mountain range that extends almost the entire length of the ocean. 

The discovery team has named it Moytirra, after the great battle between the Fir Bolg and the Tuatha Dé Danann in Irish mythology. According to the channel, some of the study sites were so deep that the ROV — limited by its 3,000m tether to the ship — could investigate only chimney tops and cliff sides. "We really were pushing the machines we had to the edge," said marine biologist Patrick Collins of NUI Galway. "And that’s a credit to the ROV pilots — they pulled it off." 

The programme will be broadcast this Sunday at 6pm on the National Geographic channel on Sky (channel 526) and also UPC (channel 215).

Ajax bound away!

After a major gearbox failure at the start of the last trip, the Newlyn netter Ajax is finally given the thumbs up form the engineers at Penwith Marine Services evidenced by the AIS image which shows the boat thankfully steaming away from Newlyn on route to the fishing grounds west of the Scillies.

Defra data

The most recent set of landing figures provided by the MMO have a whole 1 tonne of hake landed in Brixham from February to August this year. Which seems strange as the Newlyn netter Ajax alone has been landing regular quantities in excess of 1 tonne for much of the year? 

A simple explanation will hopefully be forthcoming - it could be that because the fish is landed in Newlyn and shipped by road to Brixham that for the purposes of the MMO the fish remains in Newlyn? Seems likely!