Nathan Outlaw - top fish chef in the Good Food Guide 2013

Credit where credit is due!

Having been ranked 3rd in the nation's most prestigious food book, the Good Food Guide 2013 - Nathan Outlaw, the man with his name over the the door of the world's only restaurant with 2 Michelin stars devoted solely to fish says, 'thank you' to the fishermen of Cornwall!

The Good Food Guide and its loyal readers lead the discovery of hidden foodie gems and new restaurant talent. Combining expert, anonymous inspections with thousands of pieces of reader feedback, The Good Food Guide helps you find brilliant brunches, perfect lunch spots, great-value restaurants - or something really special for that once-in-a-lifetime meal

Keeping him good company in the guide was another Cornish chef with strong fishing connections namely Paul Ainsworth at Number 6 in Padstow.

Record high mackerel estimate

The international coordinated ecosystem survey in the Norwegian Sea and adjacent areas was performed in July and August 2013 by four vessels; two from Norway, while Iceland and Faroese were participating with one each. 

The total swept area estimate of Northeast Atlantic mackerel was 8,8 million tonnes. The geographical coverage was 3,2 million square kilometers in the Nordic Seas from central part of the North Sea in the south to Bear Island in the north and from the Norwegian coast in east and to Irminger Sea in Greenland waters to the west. The 2010 year class contributed to more than 20 % in number followed by abundant 2006, 2007 and 2011-year classes around 15 % each, respectively. The 2008 year class was also well represented in the catches, contributing with 12 % of the total numbers. 

 A standardized pelagic trawl swept area method has been developed and used to estimate a swept area abundance estimate of mackerel in the Nordic Seas in recent years. The swept area estimate is one of three different abundance indices available.The scientific method of abundance on mackerel is not yet accepted and will be evaluated in ICES in February 2014. The ultimate goal is to get accepted and use this combined swept area estimate as an absolute/relative abundance index of spawning stock biomass (SSB) and possibly recruitment index, on an annual basis in the assessment of NEA mackerel after the NEA mackerel benchmark in February 2014.

Couretsy of INSTITUTE OF MARINE RESEARCH

Fish, Dementia & Alzheimer’s disease

Dementia & Alzheimer’s disease

A common disorder among the elderly, dementia can affect as many as 30% of those aged over 85 years. However, two Dutch studies, involving several thousand subjects, have reported that regular consumption of fish seems to protect against age-related brain impairment and dementia.

Across the Atlantic, a USA study found a link between low fish consumption and Alzheimer’s disease. As yet, no supplementation studies have been carried out in the elderly, but the idea that fish is helpful for maintaining brainpower throughout life is certainly gaining approval among scientists.

Scuderia refloated

Looks like the French trawler Scuderia that ran aground off the Lizard last week was re-floated at 3pm today. She is being towed round to Falmouth and Port Pendennis for a hull inspection and is expected to arrive around 6pm.

The last of the hunters

Just sent this letter (recorded delivery) to the MMO. 

Marine Management Organisation 
2nd Sept 13

Fisheries Dept

Dear Sir, 

My name is Steve Barratt and I am the skipper of the Ramsgate registered fishing boat the ‘Razorbill’. I am a very responsible fisherman that cares deeply about the environment and in particular the protection of fish stocks. 

A few examples of how I fish are as follows:

1) When fishing for cod I use a minimum mesh size of 150mm which is far bigger than the legal size required by law. 

2) When fishing for Dover sole I use a minimum mesh size of 115mm which again is way above the legal limit.

3) When fishing for lobster I use a minimum measurement of 90mm and the legal size limit to land them is only 87mm. 

I strongly object to being treated like a criminal by one of your fisheries officers a Mr Mark Thane who naturally assumes that all fishermen break the law. He has been seen on several occasions hiding behind net bins waiting to pounce on honest hard working fishermen and then proceed to make their life a misery. Such are is actions I can only assume he was probably a fisherman (and not a very good one) in the past and is living with a huge chip on his shoulder. Last week I tied up on the slipway at Ramsgate to unload my catch, and low and behold the fisheries officer in question sneaked out from behind the net bins as if he was playing a game of hide and seek. Surely he must be intelligent enough to realize that every fisherman in Ramsgate knows when he is about as we all phone each other and pass on the warning! 

My catch was inspected and all of my lobsters were way above the minimum size. Unable to find a problem here he decided to ‘sieze’ a few lobster claws and tails that were being taken home for personal consumption and advise me that I had broken the law. Due to the fact that it was obvious that the tails in question were from lobsters probably double the size limit I photographed them with a tape measure next to them before he took them. 

The reason I had the claws and tails was because the lobsters had got crushed in my net hauler, and were unsellable and would not have survived had I put them back. I did not even know that it was illegal to land them and have been unable to find anything in any of your rules and regulations that states it is. If the ruling is correct, I assume it is to stop people tailing undersize lobsters and there was no chance whatsoever that these lobsters were anywhere near the minimum size never mind under. 

I would appreciate it if you could clarify the situation for me so that I can avoid this unnecessary waste of time in future. 

If it is illegal to land these odd few tails, could I have stuck them back to the bodies with gaffa tape or would your fisheries officer have argued that the wrong body was stuck to the wrong tail. 

Could you also confirm (if it is illegal) that the ruling applies to lobsters caught outside the 12 mile limit, because these particular ones were. 

Could you also advise me if there is any way I can put a claim in for the £50 worth of lobster that was seized. 

It is very unfortunate that the MMO employs people with this attitude, somebody with a good understanding of the industry and some commonsense would be better for both yourselves and fishermen in general. We are not criminals, the majority of us are hard working honest fishermen and deserve to be treated accordingly. 

 Yours faithfully

Monday's magnifique market - a witches convention!

Looks like another cracking day in the offing...

which should keep Tom happy...

possibly the biggest single landing of witches in the history of Newlyn, maybe even the UK! - maybe someone from DEFRA ot the MMO will find out??...

plenty of top quality monk on the market this morning

and a good run of big pollack from the net boats working the wrecks...

Imogen II,  first of the inshore trawlers to head for the ice works

there's a few hours of work on a trawl for the crew of the Crystal Sea II...

under the watchful gaze of skipper Davis Stevens

down at the business or money end of the trawl, the cod-end...

the classic ketch, Irene, back in port after a weekend cruising with happy passengers.

French fishing vessel Scuderia runs aground off the Lizard.

The AIS track shows the boat fishing south of the Lizard then steaming for Roscoff and then heading back to sea and the course that took on to the rocks.

The trawler Scuderia ran aground at Lankidden Cove, between Cadgwith and Coverack, on the eastern side of the Lizard Peninsula, on Wednesday evening. It emerged that one of the fuel tanks on the Scuderia had been damaged when it ran onto rocks at around 11pm on Wednesday. The following morning, council staff put up signs warning people to stay out of the cove and a boom was placed around the trawler to contain the leak as much as possible. 

The boat has remained firmly stuck and all attempts to re-float the vessel have so far failed. It is believed another attempt will be made on Monday. 

Thanks to: http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Wooden-plug-used-stop-leak-French-fishing-boat/story-19735079-detail/story.html#ixzz2dh9FjL24