Thursday 11 December 2014
Crab potters could use discards, says study from Seafish.
This report from Seafish could have positive outcomes for the fishing fleet in Newlyn where the local crab fleet - with the ports biggest investment in new builds entirely devoted to crabbing - needing tons of bait every day the boats are at sea.
Seafish says:
"Unwanted catches which can no longer be discarded due to the upcoming landings obligation could potentially meet the demand for pot bait, according to a study published by Seafish.
Following analysis of current discards from the English fleet and the pot bait needs of those targeting crab and lobster, researchers carried out commercial sea trials to test the effectiveness of a range of discard species as bait. The study concluded that virtually all species currently discarded by English fishing vessels could be used as effective pot bait for crabbers. However, this was not the case for lobster catches where the sea trials showed a negative impact on the catch rate compared to traditional bait. This is largely because lobsters prefer salted or oiler baits.
The cost and availability of bait is currently seen as a significant issue by the shellfish sector, with the cost of bait accounting for up to 10-11% of the gross turnover. The success of this new source of bait will therefore largely depend on its price.
The report also suggests that facilities to freeze and store bait may be necessary to ensure a constant supply to the market. Fishermen will be able to obtain funding to help with this from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.
Michaela Archer, Head of Information, at Seafish said: "The bait market could potentially absorb the majority of unwanted catches brought ashore under a landing obligation but the degree to which they will replace existing baits is uncertain and will largely depend on price and whether they benefit those catching shellfish."
The study was jointly commissioned and funded by Seafish and Defra and carried out by the NFFO, as part of Defra's initiative to find a use for discarded fish.
Thinking safety as the storms blow through the ports today.
SOUTH West fishermen will now be safer at sea thanks to a device designed in Weymouth.
In the wake of the Purbeck Isle tragedy, where three lives were lost when a local fishing vessel went out to sea but never returned, Weymouth fisherman Hugh Cox said he felt compelled to try and do something to help.
He designed System JFR – System Jack, Farley, Robert – named in tribute to the three men who lost their lives in May 2012.
It comprises a pouch for a personal locator beacon and a lanyard which attaches to a lifejacket or waterproofs and is designed to be used if anyone goes over the side of a boat.
South West Handline Fishermen’s Association (SWHFA), based in Newlyn, Cornwall, put in an order for 28 of the devices for their members with help from grants from the European Fisheries Fund and the Marine Management Organisation.
Mr Cox said he thought it was ‘absolutely brilliant’ that another fishing community in the South West would be using the devices.
He added that he felt proud when he saw the fishermen in the harbour wearing System JFR.
He said: “Walking down the harbour you see people going to sea with it strapped to their chest and I think ‘good’.
“If something happened they stand a better chance.”
He added: “I feel very proud when I see people wearing it.”
Fifty fishermen in Weymouth and 28 from the South West Handliners will be using it.
Secretary of the SWHFA, David Muirhead, said they were delighted to have been able to get funding for System JFR, personal locator beacons and life-jackets for their members.
He said: “It’s the ultimate in personal safety.“ If anyone wearing the device went overboard, their lifejackets would inflate, and by pressing the emergency button would instantly inform the coastguard of their location.
For more information call Mr Cox on 07770 587450.
Funding for the PFDs was provided from the European Fisheries Fund by the Marine Management Organisation, with match funding provided by Seafish and the maritime charity Seafarers UK.
The RNLI said that they are available to all existing commercial fishermen. To sign up for one, fishermen should contact the RNLI.
They will need to fill out an application, bringing with them photo ID and vessel details. Visit RNLI.org/seasafety.
Wednesday 10 December 2014
A Winter warmer weather blast
A sure sign the weather is at the extreme end of the Beaufort Scale - the world's biggest pelagic trawlers are all tied up against the quays in Killybegs...
and a quick look at the data from the weather buoys tells you all you need to know - 50 feet high waves and climbing off the west of Ireland and
topping out 52 feet at Rockall...
and to put that in perspective that is pretty much the top of this building at its highest point...
Not much fishing today - though there are still a few boats at sea, some looking to land for tomorrow's market
Things were a tad blurry first thing this morning...
but it appears that the Wayfinder is about to be cut up today after being moved up ahead to dry out on the hard...
three beam trawlers landed part trips today...
with some big plaice form the Billy...
and Dovers...
small fish, big mouth on the whiting...
these mackerel go head-to-tail...
plenty of cuttles to make up the beamer trips...
Edwin doesn't look too sure which auction to bid on - one day when the auction is computerised things will be easier for the buyers...
it's back-breaking work...
on the market so sharing the load is a good idea...
name this tasty little chap, there's an equine connection...
blown in from the sea...
most of the boats are tied up...
for weather over the next few days...
so its a case of getting plugged in to the new electrics down the quay...
and enjoy a few Christmas lights on show...
sister ships together, a few words of advice no doubt from the old hand Asthore to her new partner Mayflower...
with most of the fleet in Newlyn...
the port is lit up like a small town in the early hours.
Nathan Outlaw is to open a new restaurant in Port Isaac.
Nathan Outlaw has bought The Edge, at the top of the village, with sea views across the bay.
The restaurant is a favourite with actor Martin Clunes, star of television's Doc Martin.
Now Mr Outlaw's two-Michelin-starred restaurant at the St Enodoc Hotel, Rock, is moving to the new premises.
Outlaw's at the St Enodoc Hotel will remain open, with head chef Tom Brown and restaurant manager Daniel Southern and their team continuing to serve a seasonal menu under Nathan's direction.
Mr Outlaw said, "We've had a fantastic five-season run at St Enodoc Hotel and I'm sure Outlaw's will continue to flourish in Rock but for our two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Nathan Outlaw it felt right to look for larger premises to grow the business. The Edge building became available at just the right time so we snapped it up. It's the perfect place. "Also Port Isaac, with its rich fishing heritage, is the ideal location for us to open a restaurant specialising in fish and seafood. Our guests will be able to see the fishermen working and then come and dine on their catch. "I hope too that the local community will view our new restaurant as an asset to the village and support us as they have Outlaw's Fish Kitchen."
Following refurbishment over the winter, the new Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in Port Isaac will open in the early spring.
Read more: full story from the @cornishguardian on Twitter
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| If you can't make it to the restaurant you could always get a copy of Nathan's eponymous fish cook book and dazzle your family and friends at home! |
Mr Outlaw said, "We've had a fantastic five-season run at St Enodoc Hotel and I'm sure Outlaw's will continue to flourish in Rock but for our two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Nathan Outlaw it felt right to look for larger premises to grow the business. The Edge building became available at just the right time so we snapped it up. It's the perfect place. "Also Port Isaac, with its rich fishing heritage, is the ideal location for us to open a restaurant specialising in fish and seafood. Our guests will be able to see the fishermen working and then come and dine on their catch. "I hope too that the local community will view our new restaurant as an asset to the village and support us as they have Outlaw's Fish Kitchen."
Following refurbishment over the winter, the new Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in Port Isaac will open in the early spring.
Read more: full story from the @cornishguardian on Twitter
52 foot waves off the Hebrides! #weatherbomb #ukstorm
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| 15.9 metres or 52 feet - the current average wave height being recorded by one of the new Cefas wave buoys off the Outer Hebrides |
The Defra strategic wave monitoring network for England and Wales provides a single source of real-time wave data from a network of wave buoys located in areas at risk from flooding.
Defra has policy responsibility for this topic and the WaveNet programme is managed by a steering group. WaveNet data is used by flood managers, local authorities, consultants and other stakeholders to assess flood and coastal erosion risk, and to improve the management of floods.
The wave data is used to validate the Met Office wave model, which is run four times daily. In addition, on a longer timescale, the data can be used to help design improved flood defence schemes and to provide evidence for climate change studies.
Only a few weeks ago Alan Addison shot this video out at the Rock aboard the Venture
Latest News from VesselTracker AIS is that according to their satellite data there are no fishing vessels at Rockall - not even a Spaniard!
Fish stocks generally improving in North East Atlantic - Seafish analysis of ICES 2014 advice
Some Christmas cheer from ICES courtesy of Seafish!
A presentation to industry representatives at a recent meeting of the Common Language Group meeting showed that the 2014 advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) on North East Atlantic (NEA) stocks is cause for optimism.
Taken as a whole there is a generally improving situation in the ICES assessed areas. Fishing mortality levels have come down strongly, there are an increasing number of stocks now exploited at or below maximum sustainable yield (MSY), and spawning stock biomass is generally increasing. There are 27 stocks in the North East Atlantic and surrounding waters which are now managed at MSY, compared with just five in 2009, and over the same period the number of stocks with MSY assessments has increased from 35 to 46. It is estimated that 55 per cent of stocks in the NEA and surrounding waters are now within safe biological limits, up from 31 per cent in 2009.
To help understand this advice Seafish has carried out a top-line analysis of the new advice issued in the autumn on Barents Sea capelin, blue whiting, Celtic Sea Nephrops, monkfish, NEA mackerel, Norwegian spring spawning herring, Norway pout, red gurnard and red mullet. This also includes the updated advice for North Sea Dover sole, haddock, plaice and whiting. This has been added to the stock analysis already completed in June and in total covers 117 stocks.
ICES publishes new scientific advice on stock status in June and October each year. This advice is crucial in determining the Total Allowable Catches (TACs) shortly to be agreed by the European Union, and also forms the basis for fish lists and scoring systems, and ultimately in recommendations on which fish to eat or avoid meaning it can have particular relevance for consumers. There are two summaries, one covering the maincommercial species and one specifically covering pelagic species. These are regularly used by the entire fishing supply chain in the UK as well as environmental groups and Government departments with vested interests in securing long-term sustainable solutions to fishing
Both analysis summaries are available to view on the website here:
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