Three boats and an auction in red

First light and the sun bathes Mount's Bay in an orange glow...

on Thursday's market there were fish from three inshore trawlers like the Harvest Reaper...

and one of the beam trawl fleet, the Filadelfia...

still proving elusive, these stripey mackerel are fetching premium prices for those lucky enough to catch a few...

there's one or two Dory moving in on the grounds...

along with these cracking red mullet...

and that still fashionable ugly sister of the bottom feeders, the tub gurnard...

all requiring the attention of the Otolith king...

like the thin red line of days gone by...

Ryan gets a chance to practise more of his daring dance floor moves atop the shelterdeck of the Gary M before they pull aboard a few tiers of hake gear with the turbot gear fishing away quietly over the next few days...

as Spike Milligan would have it, like policeman, beam trawls are numbered in case they get lost...

some cracking looking Gael Force pots represent fresh investment in the crabbing world...

it seems Charlie is still hell-bent on winning a place on Britain's Got Talent with his version of the Indian Rope Trick...

off in search of breakfast...

useful for a run ashore...

while Tom still keeping an eye on things along the seafront.

Forced to fish out at Rockall - while closer to home there's not a UK fishing boat in sight!

AIS from VesselTracker

This screen grab shows an entirely foreign fleet of big fishing boats working the same ground around 100 miles north west of the Orkneys. The boats are Russian, Icelandic and Norwegian - targeting blue whiting for the Asian market?

At the same time some of our boats are making the long steam out to fish at Rockall so that they can avoid catching cod and try to catch haddock, monk and squid.

Update courtesy of Channel 4 - Fishermen in court over battle for fairer quotas

Britain's big fishing bosses go to the high court to challenge an attempt by the government to take away some of their fishing quota and re-allocate it to smaller boats.

Hats off to Channel 4 news! - yet again provides excellent coverage of a complicated story in an valiant attempt to make clear the issues at stake. 

The government's effort is seen by small fishermen and campaigners as an important step towards making fishing more sustainable and economically rewarding for coastal communities. "In terms of numbers of vessels, 76 per cent of the British fishing fleet have just 4 per cent of the quota," said Hastings-based fisherman Paul Joy. He represents one of thousands of "under-10" fishermen who have registered fishing vessels smaller than 10 metres. 

 These smaller fishermen have long argued the national fishing quota allocated by the European Commission has been unfairly distributed among fewer, larger vessels, fishing mainly offshore. The majority of UK quota is currently held by a number of "producer organisations" representing groups of large vessels distributed around the British coast. 

 Last year the government proposed taking hundreds of tonnes of unused quota for fish such as cod, whiting, plaice and sole and hand it to "under-10" fishermen. Making 'better use' of quotas "I want to ensure that fishing quota is allocated effectively across all sectors of the industry, which is why I proposed reallocating consistently unused quota to those that could make better use of it," said Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon. 

 Campaigners argue that redistributing quota to smaller fishermen will help reinvigorate coastal communities as well as ensure fishermen are more mindful of threatened fish stocks that the quota system is designed to protect. They argue that fishing quota is a public good that producer organisations don't have ownership of. "It's a fight for the very soul of our seas," said Greenpeace fisheries campaigner Ariana Densham. "Industry heavyweights are effectively asking the court to rubber-stamp the largest privatisation by stealth of a public good in centuries." 

 Campaigners also say that reform of the quota system is needed to prevent what they see as the dubious practice of quota trading or use of quota as financial collateral. 'Always shared' quotas For their part, producer organisations argue they have always shared quota among smaller fishermen. 

They also argue Defra has used quota allocation in the past to force them to downsize their industry and has recognised the quota as a business asset. "This action is about the decision of Defra Minister Richard Benyon to step outside the UK fish quota distribution methodology that has been established, used and understood by the industry since 1999," said James Portus, Chairman of the UK Association of Fish Producer Organisations. 

The high court case will last three days, and the final judgement may be reserved for some weeks.

New Digital arts cinema to be housed in old fish store!

PLEASE JOIN 

NEWLYN

FILMHOUSE 

AT AN OPEN DAY IN

ST PETERS HALL

THE COOMBE NEWLYN

ON THURSDAY MAY 9TH

12 TO 2.30 PM

PLANS AND VISUALS OF

OUR IDEAS FOR 

THE OLD TURNERS BUILDING

WILL BE ON SHOW AND 

DELICIOUS FOOD FROM

CORNISH FUSION FISH

PLUS SCREENINGS OF

BAFTA SHORTS 2013

AND TRAILER OF

SUMMER IN FEBRUARY

ENQUIRIES/RSVP  suzie@sinctill.com

NEWLYN could have its own art house cinema as part of ambitious plans to convert a disused fish warehouse. Suzie Sinclair and Alistair Till hope to bring the silver screen back to the fishing town and are set to outline plans for the high-spec digital cinema at an open day next week before submitting formal plans to Cornwall Council. ​ 

Turner's old fishing warehouse - proposed site for the cinema The art house theatre would make full use of the currently unused Turner's fishing warehouse, and would feature two screens, a bar, café and an entrance hall, while retaining the outside appearance of the traditional building. 

The owners explained they are "passionate about film" and, if granted the opportunity to go ahead with the venture, hope to bring people to Newlyn, inspire others to appreciate cinema and create "10 to 15" jobs in the area – giving the local economy a much-needed boost. Free Set of BMX Bars With Every Frame & Fork Order! Dead Sailor BMX View details Print voucher "The cinema industry is growing," said Miss Sinclair. "It's the cheapest night out – it would provide jobs and would be a great thing to do all year round." 

Miss Sinclair and her partner have been searching for the right location for six years after moving to Cornwall from London in 2007, and now have bold plans for the would-be Newlyn Filmhouse. "We aim to turn a night at the cinema into a cutting-edge event and we're keen to make sure the venue has plenty of community input and supports local arts," she explained. "Newlyn is an ideal place for a new cinema, adding to the many attractions such as the Art Gallery and the annual Fish Festival – next year we hope to mount a programme that will complement this wonderful event. "We want to continue to liaise with and support local cultural events as much as we can," she added. 

The couple plan to submit a formal application following Thursday's meeting, and have expressed a desire to have the Newlyn Filmhouse finished as early as next year in readiness for the summer season. 

They are set to host the consultation to invite members of the community to discuss the proposition and express any views they may have. It will be held at St Peter's Church Hall, The Coombe, Newlyn, between 2pm and 5pm, acting as an open forum and chance to see artist impressions of both the interior and exterior before Cornwall Council makes its decision. Architect Stefanie Fischer, who spends much of the year in Penzance, of Burrell Foley Fischer Architects, has been brought in to design the refurbishments, also allowing an insight into what the cinema would look like with mock-up images. 

Lying opposite The Meadery restaurant, which was home to the old Gaiety cinema in past times. Editor's note: That cinema was once nearly burnt to the ground after a number of youngsters left candles burning in jars in the roof space when they were spooked!

It is not just Miss Sinclair and Mr Till who feel the introduction of a picture house to Newlyn would be a positive move forward. Henry Garfit, founder and director of the Newlyn School of Art, said of the project: "To have a striking venue like this that operates all year round both as a wonderful cultural resource for the community of west Penwith. "It will bring in visitors to the area and creating new jobs is fantastic." 

Read more: http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/New-Independent-Cinema-Planned-Unused-Newlyn/story-18858095-detail/story.html#ixzz2S3hQK2mO 

Follow us: @thisiscornwall on Twitter | thisiscornwall on Facebook

Championing small-scale fishermen in court battle for fairer quotas

Small-scale fishermen outside the Royal Courts of Justice

Imagine if someone claimed ownership of a percentage of the sparrows in the sky or a share of the deer in our forests? Would this seem absurd to you? I agree.

Unbelievably, this is now set to be the heart of an unprecedented court battle – except that it’s over who ultimately controls the UK’s fishing quota, and therefore who 'owns' the fish in our seas.

The case is a judicial review, and it has been brought by the UK Association of Fish Producer Organisations (UKAPFO) against the government. They represent the heavyweights of the fishing industry, a club of about 15 fish producer organisations who currently control much of the right to fish in the UK.

They want the court to overturn a government decision to give a small amount of unused fishing quota to small boat fishermen, on the basis that it has become UKAFPO’s private property.

But wait, the right to fish is a public good, I hear you cry. It’s held by the government in trust for everybody, which means no-one can 'own' it.

And you're so right. Which is why we're in an unusual alliance with others - namely New Under Ten Fishermen’s Association (Nutfa) and the government itself - who agree.

Not only that, but the outcome of this landmark case could have huge consequences for the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen using vessels under 10m, many of whom fish in a low-impact way.

Despite making up 77% of the fleet, these small scale fishermen currently have access to just 4% of the UKs fishing quota. Many face the prospect of going bust, and the government’s decision to redistribute a bit of fishing quota to their sector would throw them a lifeline.

But the fishing heavyweights are committed to stop the government doing this. They want to split the industry. After hoarding almost the entire wealth of the UK fishing quota, they are now doing everything they can to stop the leftover scraps going to the small boats that desperately need them.

More than this though, they are arguing the principle that fishing quota has essentially been privatised (largely into their hands). With estimates that the value of such a resource might now be worth billions of pounds, the court has an epic case to hear. It may yet come to pass that ‘our seas are for sale’.

Worryingly, this will also ultimately determine how the UK government can manage our fisheries, and whether it can reward low-impact over destructive fishing. Ultimately, if the government loses the power to reallocate quota, then the EU’s new and much applauded proposals to help low-impact fishermen in the reformed Common Fisheries Policy won’t be worth the paper they’re written on.

The outcome of this case will have historic consequences. If the fishing giants get their own way, we might witness the privatisation by stealth of one of the UK’s greatest public goods - the right to fish in our seas - sanctioned by a court ruling.

This would sweep away a thousand years of fishing history in some places, to be replaced by fishing fleets frequently dominated by big vessels with no connection to the local area and often providing no benefit to the local or UK economy.

Or sense might prevail and fish will remain in public hands.

We will be there every step of the way to help ensure history remembers this case as a victory for the public interest. Greedy companies must not be privileged above small scale and sustainable fishermen, or allowed to manipulate the quota system. Low-impact fishermen, the lifeblood of their local communities, deserve a fair catch.

Story courtesy of Greenpeace UK


Here is a typical story from an Under 10 boat who has to buy quota in order to fish!

"This is what we are up against being an under 10 in the SE.

Skate quota for the month of May is 400kg whole fish (about a half days fishing!) 

Skate leasing is virtually impossible and I have been quoted £450 a ton if I can find it.

That equates to about £3.30 a stone for gutted whole fish with prices fetching between £6 and £10 a stone at best (£1/Kg - £1.55/Kg)

By the time expenses are taken out it is not viable to target these fish which are clearly in abundance

Something has got to change before more boats go to the wall"

More on the story from the BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22363873 

Haddock and squid here we come - Rockall bound!

This shows the AIS track for the Reliance II (skipper John Clarke) – at the moment she is just rounding the top of Scotland after going through the Pentland Firth – they have 322 n miles still to do to get to Rockall – it will take nearly 2 days in total – they are going there to catch haddock, monk and hopefully squid – these guys are having to do this so they don’t have to catch cod for which they have run out of or are trying to conserve quota!! – but they keep catching cod because it is all over the North Sea!

This year, the EU tac (total allowable catch) of cod in the North Sea is 21,974 ton. 

In 2002 it was 48,600!! 

Comment from one skipper: "I'm not saying the cod quota should back up at 2002 levels but with the amount cod we seeing on the grounds it should certainly be higher than it is at present"!!

UNDER THE RADAR - THE NEED FOR A GLOBAL RECORD OF FISHING VESSELS AND UNIQUE VESSEL IDENTIFIERS

UNDER THE RADAR - THE NEED FOR A GLOBAL RECORD OF FISHING VESSELS AND UNIQUE VESSEL IDENTIFIERS from Environmental Justice Foundation on Vimeo.

UNDER THE RADAR includes video evidence EJF has documented of vessels operating illegally and using multiple identities and changing their flags, names and radio call-signs to avoid detection and sanctions.

Through our work towards the eradication of IUU fishing in West Africa, EJF has gathered evidence that reveals a compelling need for an international database of industrial fishing vessels, which contains their UVI and information on their ownership, flag, history, characteristics and fishing authorisations. This would enable the global fishing fleet to be monitored and regulated more effectively.

A Global Record, underpinned by an International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number as a unique vessel identifier (UVI), is a practical, feasible and cost-effective step to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing by driving transparency and traceability throughout the seafood supply chain.

EJF is calling on the EU to demonstrate strong political leadership to support the establishment of a Global Record of fishing vessels, as part of its wider strategy to combat IUU fishing around the world.