Two maps thast make HFW's statement in programme one of the HF series that less than 1% of the seas around the UK are protected!
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Monday 18 March 2013
Seas and fishermen, new zone management
Dear Hugh, Explain the shaded areas on the map? Are these MPA's? or oil and gas infrastructures, can't be fishing boats, hardly any left.
Two maps thast make HFW's statement in programme one of the HF series that less than 1% of the seas around the UK are protected!
View Larger Map
Two maps thast make HFW's statement in programme one of the HF series that less than 1% of the seas around the UK are protected!
View Larger Map
GANNETS DIVING AT LAPWING PD972 NET
One of the greates spectacles to be seen at sea - gannets doing wjhat they do best - diving for their suppers! Courtesy of the Lapwing PD972.
Read the book Jonathon Livingstone Seagull for another view of the gannets world.
Where is meaningful and united action?
Where is meaningful and united action?
John Cox Scottish Seafood Association
David Linkie
John Cox, Chief Executive of the Scottish Seafood Association, told Fishing News on Peterhead market, “The weak levels of demand for whitefish and low market prices currently being experienced will only be addressed by cohesive strategies developed through the full involvement of all key players.
“Everyone in catching/processing chain needs each other, time to unite, not criticise. In this time of crisis those people who are trying to deliver meaningful actions are being criticised as a distraction.
“Following their recent restructuring, the time is right for Seafish to adapt a more proactive role in terms of promoting Scottish caught whitefish, as well as all other types of seafood.
“Even though ever increasing quantities of whitefish are present in the waters around Scotland, including cod, our industry is currently under threat from a number of different directions, including poorly informed but still adverse publicity, the economic recession and cheaper imports.
“Although none of these factors materialised overnight, the industry has not been anywhere near positive enough in the last 18 months to offset their potential impact, which in going unimposed for too long, is now being felt in full.
“Rather than always being left to react to challenging situations as they develop, it is vitally important that Seafish and other external bodies take a much more proactive stance. Scottish fishermen in recent years have led from the front in terms of developing new gear and embracing various pioneering spatial measures, including RTCs. Similarly processors have worked hard to expand sales opportunities, at a time when their efforts were continually threatened by ever worsening financial and trading difficulties.
“Our Association members are in need of urgent help to cope with a flood of more fish onto the markets, but as ever, we are left in the position of having to play catch-up from a standing start, rather than having the strategies already in place, which would perhaps have prevented the current situation from reaching the level of crisis it has.
“One of several myths in the industry at present concerns the view that banning imports and imposing sanctions will solve current problems which is a substantial over-simplification of the present situation. That most shellfish, together with higher value species like monkfish and langoustine are all exported, demonstrates the all too prevalent shoot from the hip and reactionary approach that has contributed to many of the challenges our industry faces today.
“The Scottish Seafood Association believes waiting for all those involved in supporting the food industry nationally and internationally to come out of their bunkers is a day too long. Some organisations were tasked to produce action plans last year and nothing has transpired. A ‘Catching for the Market’ report costing thousands to produce has not seen the light of day for two years.
“Over the next few weeks we, along with individual fishermen, who are working with the association where there is common ground, will be meeting with key catering companies. we will be able to present all the facts and provide evidence that there would be benefits for all in getting more local caught seafood on dishes for their customers to counter the don’t eat fish campaigners. However effective such initiatives are a more strategic approach from within the industry and others involved would give the potential for greater impact. As an example Aberdeenshire Council is working very closely with processors and by joining up where all other resources are a lot more could be achieved in a short time.
“In addition to whitefish prices, it is imperative that thinking is focused now on the impact that the move towards eliminating discards will inevitably have on the processing sector. Here again, meaningful dialogue with processors is essential, as they need time to implement the restructuring needed, which cannot be achieved overnight.
“At a time when the public have never been more acutely aware of what they are eating, stating the provenance of seafood is a must. Rather than selling fish & chips, suppers should be labelled as Scottish haddock, cod etc. - display information that could then be monitored by Trading Standards officers to prevent mis-labelling.”
Friday 15 March 2013
Cornish Crunchers - First blood to Jack Nowell for England!
Jack Nowell scores the first try for England vs Wales tonight!
and for the second game running, another Newlyn boy, forward Luke Cowan-Dickie was awarded Man of the Match!
Dreckly Fish Canadian style!
Follow Pasco Seafood Enterprises' 'Island Sunrise' for a firsthand look at how BC Pacific Halibut are caught -- including how to trace the catch from sea to shore to store.
Hear from fish experts all along the halibut journey -- from sustainability advocates at Ecotrust Canada's Thisfish and the Vancouver Aquarium's Ocean Wise program to our own Thrifty Foods team in store.
Dreckly Fish to your door!
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| Francis Harris with the Guiding Light |
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| St Ives' man Andrew Stephens with Benediction |
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| Kevin Penney with the good ship Bess |
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| and last, but not least, Paul and Tony Jane aboard the Northern Star. |
What do these four Newlyn fishing boats have in common?
Nothing!
Other than the desire of their skippers to get the best possible return for their catches.
Starting with that thought over two years ago, the germs of an idea were sown in the mind of fisherman Kevin Penney, owner of the punt Bess. Subject to the vagaries of the wind, tide, weather and no amount of other variables, the lot of the inshore fisherman - as Monty Halls found out - is not an easy one!
With the aim of finding an outlet for the very best quality fish landed in the port, Kevin was determined to find some way of putting buyers directly in touch with his boat and avail themselves of what he caught that day within hours of it being landed. Two years down the road, after the realisation that social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have now become ubiquitous tools not just the preserve of self-obsessed teenagers or university students determined to track down the latest good party, that idea is now up and running in the guise of Dreckly Fish!
"At present, the service works like this, in Kevin's words. At first light, out fishing, back in (with fish hopefully), let people know you are going to hold an auction (done on the way back in), a quick photo or two of the catch, post photos up (Ah the iPhone5, my precious!) start auction at 11 to finish at 12 (hopefully sell catch) box up, stick a label on it and call up the courier company (who is used by every fishmonger in Newlyn), job done!"
"Our main focus is on shellfish from the months of April through to the end of September where we concentrate our efforts on catching Lobster, Brown Crab and Spider Crab.
In Cornwall we have a self imposed scheme of only landing shellfish with a higher minimum landing size than in any other part of the country. This is to protect the breading stock and ensure a healthy future for the fishery. Being part of the Responsible Fishing Scheme all our lobsters will now be tagged when landed!
Our main method of catching our target fish is by handline, which is a common practice all around the South West coast of the UK. Again this form of fishing has very little to no environmental impact on the fishery, with virtually no by-catch and under sized fish being returned back to the sea alive. All fish caught are placed, straight away, into insulated boxes with ice maintaining its freshness and quality."
Undoubtedly, local fish merchants will be keeping a weather eye on these pioneers of the free market economy - if only to see the public's response.
To join the online auction, anyone intending to buy Drecly Fish should first visit the web site and read up on the scheme and how it works.
It is straightforward enough. Potential bidders register their interest via a simple online form and follow the Dreckly Auction's public Twitter account @drecklyfish.
Fish is picked up and delivered straight to the customers door via a local courier company.
HUGH FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL'S FISH FIGHT COULD COST 1,000S OF UK JOBS
CELEBRITY chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s campaign to save fish stocks could put tens of thousands of British workers out of a job.
The Old Etonian wants a network of 127 Marine Protection Areas (MPAs) set up in UK waters where fishing would be banned to protect dolphins, seahorses and other rare species.
Stars including Miranda Hart, 40, Stephen Fry, 55, Coldplay and Ricky Gervais, 51, have signed up to be “Fish Fighters” as part of Hugh’s campaign.
But Government scientists have so far only given the go-ahead for 31 conservation zones to be enforced around the coast.
Seafood industry bosses fear if Hugh gets his way not only would many of those working at sea lose their livelihoods but thousands more in fish processing factories across the UK would also end up on the dole.
More than 10,000 people are directly employed in the fish trade in Grimsby alone and the processing industry employs huge numbers of workers in ports all over the UK.
Multi-millionaire Hugh, 48, has already been slammed by a scientist who said his Channel 4 TV show Hugh’s Fish Fight was “poorly researched and misleading”.
Zoologist and penguin expert Dr Ruth Brown agreed to be interviewed by Hugh for his show but said she was “ashamed” of the “misleading” evidence in the programme.
In an open letter to the chef posted on Facebook she said: “You and your production company repeatedly ignored the research and opinions of scientists.”
She claims the programme wrongly suggested she is paid by the fishing industry and screened “glaring inaccuracies”.
Paul Williams, the boss of Seafish, the organisation that represents the seafood industry, said: “The inconvenient truth to campaigns such as Fish Fight is that fishermen’s knowledge has shown how the boundaries of a number of proposed MPAs and the location of features within them are wrong.
“When livelihoods and communities are at risk of damage we must only deal in fact. It is vital discussions around such complex issues continue to be held by people who have the knowledge to make considered, informed decisions.”
He said experts at the Government’s Scientific Advisory Panel have so far refused to ban fishing in the 127 areas Hugh wants because there is not enough evidence it would help preserve fish stocks.
In Devon, fishermen say Hugh should stick to his kitchen and leave their industry alone.
“Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall would no doubt have an opinion if we told him how to cook his fish,” said Barry Young, a fish auctioneer in Brixham, Devon.
“He should leave the fishing industry to fishermen and concentrate on his cooking.”
But Hugh insists his programme was “meticulously researched” and was fair and accurate.
Story courtesy of the Daily Star:
The Old Etonian wants a network of 127 Marine Protection Areas (MPAs) set up in UK waters where fishing would be banned to protect dolphins, seahorses and other rare species.
Stars including Miranda Hart, 40, Stephen Fry, 55, Coldplay and Ricky Gervais, 51, have signed up to be “Fish Fighters” as part of Hugh’s campaign.
But Government scientists have so far only given the go-ahead for 31 conservation zones to be enforced around the coast.
Seafood industry bosses fear if Hugh gets his way not only would many of those working at sea lose their livelihoods but thousands more in fish processing factories across the UK would also end up on the dole.
More than 10,000 people are directly employed in the fish trade in Grimsby alone and the processing industry employs huge numbers of workers in ports all over the UK.
Multi-millionaire Hugh, 48, has already been slammed by a scientist who said his Channel 4 TV show Hugh’s Fish Fight was “poorly researched and misleading”.
Zoologist and penguin expert Dr Ruth Brown agreed to be interviewed by Hugh for his show but said she was “ashamed” of the “misleading” evidence in the programme.
In an open letter to the chef posted on Facebook she said: “You and your production company repeatedly ignored the research and opinions of scientists.”
She claims the programme wrongly suggested she is paid by the fishing industry and screened “glaring inaccuracies”.
Paul Williams, the boss of Seafish, the organisation that represents the seafood industry, said: “The inconvenient truth to campaigns such as Fish Fight is that fishermen’s knowledge has shown how the boundaries of a number of proposed MPAs and the location of features within them are wrong.
“When livelihoods and communities are at risk of damage we must only deal in fact. It is vital discussions around such complex issues continue to be held by people who have the knowledge to make considered, informed decisions.”
He said experts at the Government’s Scientific Advisory Panel have so far refused to ban fishing in the 127 areas Hugh wants because there is not enough evidence it would help preserve fish stocks.
In Devon, fishermen say Hugh should stick to his kitchen and leave their industry alone.
“Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall would no doubt have an opinion if we told him how to cook his fish,” said Barry Young, a fish auctioneer in Brixham, Devon.
“He should leave the fishing industry to fishermen and concentrate on his cooking.”
But Hugh insists his programme was “meticulously researched” and was fair and accurate.
Story courtesy of the Daily Star:
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