Seabass fishing - Commons Library Standard Note

From parliament resources:

The European seabass is an important commercial fish species. It is also one of the most important fish species for recreational fishermen in the UK due to its “famed fighting prowess”.

The species is thought to be particularly vulnerable to over-fishing. It is not possible to fully assess the health of the seabass population at this stage due to a lack of evidence. However, the available evidence suggests that there has been a population decline in recent years. An international scientific body (ICES) recommended that bass catches in the North East Atlantic be reduced by 20% in 2013 to protect the stock. In 2014, the same scientific advisory body recommended that a sea bass management plan was urgently needed to reduce the fish mortality, recommending that bass catches in the North Sea and English Channel be reduced by 80% in 2015.

A minimum landing size (MLS) of 36 cm was introduced in 1990 to protect the stock, along with a range of other measures. Sport fishing bodies, whose members highly value the challenge offered by larger fish, have campaigned to increase the MLS for bass. They argue that many adult female seabass do not breed until they are at least 40-45 cm, and that increasing the MLS to 45 cm will help to ensure that more females can breed before they are caught. However, such a change would have economic implications for some commercial fishermen.

In 2011, the Government launched a national survey of sea angling in England. This report assessed the number of people sea angling, catch data and the economic and social value of sea angling. This report – Sea Angling 2012 – was published on 27 November 2013. The Government also launched an assessment of seabass stocks to determine whether the MLS should be increased. The Government is yet to publish the findings of this assessment, despite calls to do so.

Negotiations on the introduction of technical measures to preserve bass fish stocks have been ongoing in the European Commission since 2012. George Eustice, Fisheries Minister, has stated that he anticipates that an agreement on a suite of EU-wide conservation measures can be reached by the end of the year.

Published by Parliament.co.uk

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.

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...

the buoy in question is highlighted in yellow....

the current computer generated animation of the surface wind speed courtesy of EarthNullSchool

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.

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!

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

52 foot waves off the Hebrides! #weatherbomb #ukstorm

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!