One to watch on the Discovery Channel
A vocation passed from father to son, the fishermen of "The Rock" have spanned generations. But disaster struck in 1992 when the cod stock collapsed and a moratorium was declared, effectively shutting the fishery down overnight. Many left the life of the sea... but not the COLD WATER COWBOYS. This original Canadian 10-part series journeys to Newfoundland to meet these men with salt water in their veins, and follows them through one intense fishing season.
Following six captains and their crews, COLD WATER COWBOYS ventures hundreds of kilometres offshore in the North Atlantic, facing swells as high as houses and icebergs the size of small cities. A time-honoured industry in the midst of an unprecedented sea of change, these captains are stubborn men who stuck to and survived this calamity by retooling and rebuilding the industry on new catches: crab, shrimp, turbot, herring, and mackerel. It's a tough job - tough on the boats, tough on gear, tough on the human body - but these bred-in-the-bone fishermen will never trade their boats for boardrooms. Hometown pride and friendly competition rule the day, but when push comes to shove, they're all part of the same fiercely-protective fishermen's fraternity.
Still, there are countless challenges. The fishing season is a race against time...and other boats. There's only so much to catch, and little time to do it. Plagued by mechanical failures or damaged gear; icebergs and hurricanes; and the uncertainty of just where exactly the catch is hiding, every day is a high-stakes game in the life of an Atlantic fisherman. But the goal is always the same: fill the hatch and make money - as much and as fast as possible.
Fans can join the COLD WATER COWBOYS community on Twitter (@ColdWaterCowboy) to chat LIVEduring each week's 10 p.m. premiere with the CWCs and production team, using the hashtag#CWCowboys; and on Facebook (Facebook.com/ColdWaterCowboys).
Wednesday 19 February 2014
French Fishing Film festival! - 25th to 30th March 2014 in Lorient, France
From 25th to 30th March 2014 , join the world's fishers for a trip into films around the world . On the menu of the sixth edition of our original festival, because only dedicated fishermen, engaged and demanding 38 films, all focused on fishermen. The Festival meets fishermen from more than 20 countries and offers 18 foreign achievements including films of high aesthetic and artistic selected and awarded in international film festivals as well as unpublished. 13 films are competing with eight feature films and 5 short films. place of meetings and discussions with directors, the fishing industry, scientists, the Festival invites you to discover new images on the world's fishers and debate on the issues of the sea and men who live.
Raymond Blanc, Food Investigator | The Curious Case of the Fish in the Canteen
Celebrity Chef and MSC investigator Raymond Blanc is asked by a student worried about overfishing if her University serves fish from sustainable sources. After taking a closer look, Raymond uncovers a clue which offers much relief to all involved!
Celebrity chef, Raymond Blanc OBE, has turned fish detective for a new series of short animations about the importance of sustainable fish and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label. The aim of these short films is to encourage all buyers and consumers to take seafood sustainability seriously.
In the series, Mr Blanc turns into a cartoon super sleuth to investigate three 'fishy' cases – The Fish in the Canteen, Seafood Sabotage and The Fish out of Water. Raymond Blanc said: “Fish sustainability has always been integral to my businesses. Each aspect of what we do is driven by ethical, environmental, seasonal and regional values, whenever possible. As a chef and a consumer I work in partnership with the fishmonger and with food producers exchanging knowledge.”
He pointed out that his restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons is still the only two Michelin starred restaurant in the UK to be MSC certified. Toby Middleton, MSC, added: “Raymond is joining an illustrious line of great detectives as he searches for the best in sustainable fish. There are already 22 MSC certified universities and nearly 4,000 schools. I’d like to see that extended to the whole country so that we can look after the future of our fish stocks while ensuring a bright future for our students.”
See more at:
Tuesday 18 February 2014
Tale of Newlyn's Rosebud at Porthcurno Telegraph Museum
A talk at Porthcurno Telegraph Museum will explore the tale of the herring drifter Rosebud that sailed to London to fight against the Newlyn slum clearances. The Rosebud set sail for The House of Commons in 1937 to petition politicians over the Newlyn slum clearance scheme.
Speaker and museum volunteer John Wallis will explain how three telegrams he discovered in a cupboard, along with a rather sorry looking stuffed cat, shed light on the events of 1937, when the plucky vessel carried the hopes and prayers of the Newlyn community to the Palace of Westminster. In the first of the museum’s Ideas Cafe talks for 2014, guests will enjoy a rich collection of photographs and a unique local collection of memorabilia, much of which has never been seen publicly.
The museum itself remains closed for development, and will reopen this summer with brand new exhibitions and visitor facilities. The Ideas Cafe talk takes place in the Clore Learning Space - the museum’s brand new learning centre - on Wednesday (February 26) at 6pm. Tickets are £3.50. Full details: www.porthcurno.org.uk
Read more:
Newlyn Harbour is now #openforbusiness as the fleet are all at sea
Tom is cast in an eerie glow as a mist rolls off the Lidden across Newlyn Green...
on the market prices are still sky-high for the handful of boxes on Tuesday's meagre market...
even a few brown crab made good money...
a tale of woe for the big beam trawler Sapphire II as her main winch has broken - this meant that skipper Mike has had to drop both huge beam trawls on the sea bed...
off the harbour before getting carefully into position and stowing the two huge derricks - with the good chance that the boat will have to go to a shipyard in Holland for repairs...
full moon over the harbour early hours...
and some keen holidaymakers make it down the quay to see what is going on...
with the first fine weather since 2013 most of the boats have made it back to sea...
except for...
the Sapphire II awaiting news on the winch...
all quiet on the lifeboats after last night's escapades.
Fishing industry welcomes aid pledge at boats get back to sea
Story courtesy of the Western Morning News.
Newlyn's busy port is empty today as fishing boats get out to sea
Harbours were empty today as the Westcountry’s storm pummelled fishing fleet finally managed to get out to sea amid Government promises of help dealing with the aftermath of the terrible weather.
After more than two months when only the biggest vessels were able to grab an “odd day out,” fishermen seized the opportunity to fill their holds and earn some money.
Meanwhile industry leaders have said they will next week meet with the Government after pledges that storm aid to small businesses will include fishermen.
Paul Trebilcock, chief executive of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation and chairman of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations (NFFO), said it had been a hard period for people in the industry.
“It has been pretty bad,” he said.
“The smaller boats have been pretty much tied up for the duration, while even the bigger boats have only been able to grab the odd day out fishing and the catch has been nothing like it should have been.
“This has gone on for about two months now and people are frustrated.
“It’s one of the most exceptional periods of weather that anyone can remember.”
Mr Trebilcock, who is based in Newlyn, said the port was virtually empty as fishermen took advantage of the good weather to replenish stocks.
He said that the NFFO was meeting with Defra officials next week to discuss the impact of the storm on fishermen who have been hit hard by the storms.
In the Cornish village of Porthleven alone, ten boats sunk under a barrage of waves, while across the region dozens have suffered uninsured damage.
In a memo sent to Mr Trebilcock, a senior Defra official said the “priority is to ensure that government aid for small businessesinclude fishermen affected by unparalleled storms in December, January and February. “An evaluation of those affected is being undertaken and sources of potential funding prepared.”
Mr Trebilcock welcomed the assurance, saying Defra was “making the right noises” to help people who have seen their livelihood snatched away by the weather.
Jim Portus, chief executive of the Devon based South West Fish Producers Organisation, said it had been a difficult time for his members. He said that ironically boats had been out for more days than last January and February, but the catch had been much smaller and profits lower. Fishermen were resilient people, he said: “Fishing is a risky activity and fishermen are generally well prepared for the economic and physical risk.”
Mr Portus also called on consumers to ensure they were supporting the region’s fishing industry by buying fresh, locally sourced fish.
St Ives MP Andrew George said he would be working hard to pressure Government ministers to give maximum aid to the hard hit fishing industry as well as to farming. He recently took Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to meet some of the fishermen who have been affected. Mr George said he had now written to Mr Clegg to ask what action had been taken to ensure fishermen who suffered losses would be helped by the Government.
Read more here:
By Lyn Barton, WMN reporter, Twitter: @BartonLyn
Newlyn's busy port is empty today as fishing boats get out to sea
Harbours were empty today as the Westcountry’s storm pummelled fishing fleet finally managed to get out to sea amid Government promises of help dealing with the aftermath of the terrible weather.
After more than two months when only the biggest vessels were able to grab an “odd day out,” fishermen seized the opportunity to fill their holds and earn some money.
Meanwhile industry leaders have said they will next week meet with the Government after pledges that storm aid to small businesses will include fishermen.
Paul Trebilcock, chief executive of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation and chairman of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations (NFFO), said it had been a hard period for people in the industry.
“It has been pretty bad,” he said.
“The smaller boats have been pretty much tied up for the duration, while even the bigger boats have only been able to grab the odd day out fishing and the catch has been nothing like it should have been.
“This has gone on for about two months now and people are frustrated.
“It’s one of the most exceptional periods of weather that anyone can remember.”
Mr Trebilcock, who is based in Newlyn, said the port was virtually empty as fishermen took advantage of the good weather to replenish stocks.
He said that the NFFO was meeting with Defra officials next week to discuss the impact of the storm on fishermen who have been hit hard by the storms.
In the Cornish village of Porthleven alone, ten boats sunk under a barrage of waves, while across the region dozens have suffered uninsured damage.
In a memo sent to Mr Trebilcock, a senior Defra official said the “priority is to ensure that government aid for small businessesinclude fishermen affected by unparalleled storms in December, January and February. “An evaluation of those affected is being undertaken and sources of potential funding prepared.”
Mr Trebilcock welcomed the assurance, saying Defra was “making the right noises” to help people who have seen their livelihood snatched away by the weather.
Jim Portus, chief executive of the Devon based South West Fish Producers Organisation, said it had been a difficult time for his members. He said that ironically boats had been out for more days than last January and February, but the catch had been much smaller and profits lower. Fishermen were resilient people, he said: “Fishing is a risky activity and fishermen are generally well prepared for the economic and physical risk.”
Mr Portus also called on consumers to ensure they were supporting the region’s fishing industry by buying fresh, locally sourced fish.
St Ives MP Andrew George said he would be working hard to pressure Government ministers to give maximum aid to the hard hit fishing industry as well as to farming. He recently took Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to meet some of the fishermen who have been affected. Mr George said he had now written to Mr Clegg to ask what action had been taken to ensure fishermen who suffered losses would be helped by the Government.
Read more here:
By Lyn Barton, WMN reporter, Twitter: @BartonLyn
Movement in Newlyn
While there is hardly a breath of wind in the harbour this morning there is still plenty of movement in the water. Ordinarily a boat lying next to the quay would be motionless with so little wind in the air - not so this morning with the effect of the huge seas that have invaded the Western Approaches in recent days still being felt as is evidenced by just how much the Sapphire II is kept straining at her mooring lines.
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