After first-footing comes first fishing - the first fish market of the year in Newlyn

With six of the ports biggest boast away to sea for all of three days a piece...

 the market floor was cleared well before 7am...

catch date 02/01/2014 for the Sappphire II...

a few of the boats sported lights this year...

including the Govenek of Ladram...

meanwhile, after yet another gale of wind has pummeled the prom the council sends in the cleaners.

HAPPY NEWLYN YEAR!

Through the Gaps wishes all its readers a Happy New Year - especially all those fishermen and their families without whom we would not be able to #eatmorefish !

Penlee Lifeboat and the Lizard get their first shout for 2014 for a missing New Year reveller

Both Penlee...

and the Lizard lifeboats were called out within hours of the clock heralding midnight signalling the start of a New Year!  Five-thirty on New Year's Day morning is no time to be woken - never mind if you are crew on a lifeboat and the weather is yet another sou westerly gale screaming across the bay.

Sadly, as of midday on New Year's day the 26 year old man who went 'paddling' in the early hours of the morning from Loe Bar has not been found.

Two serious incidents led Devon and Cornwall police to issue the following message to the public:

Joint message from Devon and Cornwall Police and HM Coastguard

Devon and Cornwall Police together with Her Majesty’s Coastguard are appealing to local residents and visitors to the Devon and Cornwall region not to enter the sea during the bad weather. This follows two very serious incidents over the past two days involving people who have entered the sea in rough conditions.

A police spokesperson said: “There are people who enjoy swimming in all weathers as well as those who may underestimate the danger a rough sea can pose. During the current bad weather, we would like to appeal to people not to put themselves, and emergency personnel who might have to turn out to rescue them, in unnecessary danger.”

HM Coastguard advises that those who enjoy walking on beaches and rocky areas stay away from the surf line during this period of extreme weather and ensure that children and pets do likewise. Large waves can easily take people by surprise and the force of the waves is significant. Dogs should be kept on leads if walking along cliff tops.

In an emergency at the coast, do not put yourself in danger by entering the water or climbing cliffs but call 999 and request the Coastguard.

Last fish dish of 2013

Slice the gravlax as thin as possible...

time to check out the dill and mustard sauce...

and to knock up a few blinis - roll on the New Year Party for 2014!

#Discards debate - Is this #conservation ? - will it be any better with the new #CFP discards ban on quota species?

Not too long after this video was made skipper John Turtle came out of fishing for good - "throwing it (the fish) back is so demoralising" "given the chance I'd get out of it tomorrow" "there's no enjoyment in it anymore, I love the boat, I love the job.........It's a............" "I want a sustainable future, I want the youngsters to have a future"

Diary extract from Phil Lockley who made this short documentary:

This short video was made to highlight what Jon Turtle and others were going through with the quota cuts and to film them dumping boxed and gutted cod after a day when the Ben Loyal had (by accident with hake nets) hit a big cluster of cod. They phoned the MMO telling them about it and asking to land it for charity. It was all above board, but the MMO in London (not Newlyn, they were sympathetic) said 'no' and forced the skipper and his crew to dump 1.5 tons about one mile from the Gaps. This powerful short film documents the feelings of fishermen at the time, many of whom (as now in some cases) feel broken by a totally immoral and crude system of fish stock management - in the interview with the skipper at the end you can see the emotion in his eyes.  Filmed by Jed Trewin and Phil Lockley. The new discards ban is but a small step in reversing the ludicrous legislation that is the CFP based on quotas based on poor at best or flawed science at worst.

It was a shocking example of the truth that stems from the EU's inability to understand anything that is not land based, orderly and predictable. The EU is not just acid to the hearts of UK fishermen, but to those from all the EU States (nine in total) that I met at a Brussels' congress. I cannot see how the EU will ever stop discards while it has quota management in mixed fisheries.

In 24 hours of being on Youtube, over 1800 have watched it - and - the likes/dislikes score is 3/2, showing how not everyone is anti EU - but - what's the betting none of the 'dislikes' is anything to do with the UK fishing industry?

Here's a great quote from a fisherman on the matter of the EU's inability to deal with how to conserve fish with quotas which inevitably leads to dumping:

"People like the bosses at the MMO and MPs, they are so far away from reality that they are, understandably, at the best confused and at the worst just bored with fishing."

January the 1st - not looking good - #poorforecast

The first day of the new year will see most fishing boats in the Western Approaches running for shelter or putting their noses into the weather and dodging all day!

More going Through the Gaps?

Seems rugby know where it's going!