Welcome to Through the Gaps, the UK fishing industry's most comprehensive information and image resource. Newlyn is England's largest fish market and where over 50 species are regularly landed from handline, trawl, net, ring net and pot vessels including #MSC Certified #Hake, #Cornish Sardine, handlined bass, pollack and mackerel. Art work, graphics and digital fishing industry images available from stock or on commission.
the yacht Shaker Too puts ashore so that an injured crewmen with a suspected broken wrist can get treatment...
a washdown for the @Penleelifeboat relief lifeboat Osier 17-34 after her first shout...
still up on the slip with more work to do, the Twlight III...
little 'n large...
fuel time for young Mr Nudd and the Intuition...
in full flow, the Coombe river...
wends its way past the Newlyn Filmhouse, the first time there has been a cinema in Newlyn since the Gaiety cinema closed at the end of the 1960s, the independent cinema is housed in a converted fish processing building...
in a street which still boasts the like of shellfish merchants Harvey & Sons...
and W James...
making her way into Newlyn...
the Padstow registered crabber Galcadora...
Robbie, skipper of the Algrie studies his starboard side gear which he is rebuilding...
which when completed will look something like the work of art that George Stephens maintains on the James RH PZ78....
nothing like having 7 tons of steel hanging over your head while you work.
Good to see a main news channel pick up on the EU referendum story with regard to the fishing industry - correspondent Martin Geissler puts the idea out there that the case for Brexit is not quite as simple as many would love to believe.
Analysis from ITV News correspondent Martin Geissler:
I've been coming to this corner of Scotland for more than 20 years, speaking to trawlermen and hearing their concerns.
They are passionate people, many are from families who have fished these They have a long list of gripes, all directed at the EU, an institution that's strangling them, or so they claim.
Many see June's referendum as a huge opportunity. A chance to "give Britain back control of its own waters".
But the reality of a Brexit wouldn't be as straightforward as they might like to believe.
They would still face fishing quotas, which would be negotiated by the same politicians they've long accused of letting them down. They'd still have to trade with our European neighbours - a massive market for our fishing industry.
And they'd almost certainly still have to share waters with boats from other countries, who'd have the right to fish there too.
There are few guarantees in any of this, and the vote comes just as the industry is enjoying increasing profits.
After long, lean years, the tide finally seems to be turning for a once embattled industry, making this decision, perhaps, harder than it might have been before.
Evidence of just how much fish there are swimming in the Western Approaches, after one day at sea the netter Ajax, one of twelve MSC Certified Cornish hake boats returns to Newlyn with 300 boxes of hake on board having shot two-thirds of her complement of nets...
all set to land...
for the big Belgian beam trawler, Francine it is time to overhaul her huge trawls...
this was the afterdeck three crew members were dramatically airlifted from the Francine the other day after they were overcome with fumes when their coffee machine caught fire, seems Belgian coffee is as strong as their beer...
the guys on the deck are happy in their work...
with plenty still to do before they can set sail again.
Plymouth-based beam trawler, Admiral Gordon is owned by Interfish, white fish processors and merchants from Plymouth. For many years the Gordon was skippered by the popular Newlyn fisherman, Archie Donaldson before his untimely death in 2012. In 2008 the boat, skippered by Archie, undertook a series of Seafish gear trials under the auspices of Gus Caslake investigating the potential use of outrigger trawls(a style of fishing popular in Australia) fishing for flats, langoustine and cuttlefish.
A similar trial was carried out by the Brixham beam trawler, Linquenda back in 1983 fishing with two IC Prawn trawls on the Smalls SW of Milford.
The full story of the Admiral Gordon trials can be read here
The Admiral Gordon is one of three identical boats, the other boats in the Interfish fleet are the Admiral Grenville and the Admiral Blake.
Admiral Gordon was once described as the 'Last of Nelson's captains' and thought to be the principal model for the heroic character of CS Forester's Horatio Hornblower. In 18811 he lost a leg after a cannonball shattered a knee in the Battle of Lissa and spent the rest of his life with a wooden leg.
Interestingly, the prefix admiral is a misnomer for Blake who was actually ranked as a 'General at Sea' - himself being credited with being the founding father of the British Navy and the first to introduce rules of engagement of the kind used by Nelson to defeat the French and Spanish on many occasions.
Unlike Blake, who was first and foremost a soldier, Admiral Grenville had Navy blood coursing through his veins, his father being the unlucky Robert Grenville, captain of the Mary Rose at the time of her sinking. Grenville was keen to pursue fame and fortune and with an air British superiority and the kind of thinking that would eventually lead to the creation of the British Empire he submitted this patent in 1574:
"Supplication for a new navigation, permission to seek rich and unknown lands, to discover and annex all or any lands, islands, and countries beyond the Equinoxial, or where the Pole Antarctic hath any elevation above the horizon, such lands not being already possessed by any other Christian Prince. The planting of people and habitations in strange and unknown lands. Need not offend foreign powers or provoke war, provided no attempts were made to take from other civilised nations anything they already possess. Such expeditions should be composed of voluntary adventurers; but under patronage and benediction of the Crown; the leaders having authority from the Queen to require that obedience, quiet, unity, and order be maintained. Gilbert an m'self having pointed out to her Majesty that such undertakings would provide work and livelihood for many of her subjects; and also bring honour and strength to Your Majesty with immortal fame, … besides great enrichment of Your Highness and your country, with increase and maintenance of the Navy."
Grenville was one of many Devon and Cornish sailors who plundered the high seas with their privateers (Killigrew House near Truro was one such estate built on the rewards of 'legitimate' piracy) but would go down in history as the captain of the Revenge who singlehandedly and suicidally took on 53 Spanish ships off Flores in the Azores. The battle saw him decimate the Spanish fleet in a battle over three days that cost him his life through injury - ironically, most of the fleet including the Revenge were lost in a huge storm a few days later. Tennyson's poem, 'The Revenge: A Battle of the Fleet' tells the story in graphic detail.
Closer to home, the inshore boat, Lady Hamilton boasts a connection with Britain's greatest naval commander - a story for another day.
"The changes we are looking to make will make the course even more relevant to the needs of the industry." Seafish is urging fishermen's associations, vessel owners, skippers and fishermen to share their views on proposed changes to its Sea Fishing Apprenticeship programme as part of a wider drive to boost recruitment and raise standards across the fishing industry. The Apprenticeship, which has been in existence since the mid-1990s, teaches new entrants the key knowledge and skills required for working as a deckhand on a commercial fishing vessel, before giving them the opportunity to hone their skills at sea and demonstrate their competence. The year-long programme currently focuses on six key elements: assembling, operating and maintaining fishing gear; receiving, handling, and stowing the catch; operation and maintenance of the deck and specialist machinery; assisting with steering, lookout and navigation; mooring and anchoring; and cooking for the crew. Seafish's fishermen's training team has already identified a number of additional topics that might usefully be added to the programme following consultation with a small working group of industry representatives. These include: responsible fishing; fisheries science and management; environmental awareness; business skills; seafood market and supply chain. These additional elements will undoubtedly add value to the current course's programme, but Seafish is eager to receive suggestions of any additional topics that should be included. Kevin Franklin, Fishermen's Training Manager at Seafish, said: "Commercial fishing is a challenging job. For anyone considering a career in the fishing industry the Sea Fishing Apprenticeship programme provides the best possible introduction. To ensure the Apprenticeship is fit for purpose, we need skippers to tell us what skills, knowledge and behaviours they require from competent deckhands. The changes we are looking to make will make the course even more relevant to the needs of the industry." He added: "We have already spent a lot of time planning the structure of the new programme and we are looking for any suggestions or feedback during this crucial development stage. I would welcome comments on the current units and whether they encompass the role of a deckhand. I would also like feedback on the additional suggested elements and whether there is anything further that should be included. We will also be seeking to work with a range of training providers to ensure they understand the programme requirements and are ready to deliver the training elements to enable apprentices to meet the standard." The opportunity for making these changes has arisen following the need to meet new Government requirements for Apprenticeships. The agreed framework of the revised course will be finalised at the end of March. To provide feedback to Seafish, email training@seafish.co.uk with your thoughts and comments.
