#FishyFriday is here after two days of rain!

Steaming quietly through the mist and rain, Sid on the @karenofladram heads in through the gaps of Newlyn...

just a little too late to join the names on the landings board...

fish slipping out of the side door...

from a busy market floor...

with mink form young Mr Corin on the Sapphire II...

a handful of John Dory from the Twilight III...

and at least four different...

kinds of ray...

from the Cornishman...

these are just some of the red mullet that will be served up later at tonight's, Five at Senara charity meal at Penwith College - there are still a handful of tickets left to enjoy a five course meal that would be the equivalent of dining out on a fish starter from chef @GuyOwenfrom the Idle Rocks in St Mawes followed by a fish starter from Porthleven chef @JudeKereama at Kota  before enjoying a classic Lobster Thermidor from Rick Steins head Padstow chef @Stephane Delourme followed by a lamb & cockle roast from @cheftombrown at Nathan Outlaw's Capital in London followed by a stunning Coffe and Chocolate Opera dessert from Stein's Seafood Restaurant, Stuart Pate - just one of those dishes would be the equivalent coast of the entire meal! - for a last minute chance phone 01736 335114 or email in your booking! - a meal to savour and remember!..and a big thanks to FalFish and the Real Cornish Crab Company for supplying the finest local fish for the night!

they might be sustainable but Newlyn is best known for it's huge diversity of fish...

like these plate-sized brill...

Big Don put away a solid little trip for a handful of days at sea, that little ship fishes so well for him and his crew!..

two+two makes a...

in the spotlight...

rubbish summer weather finds the harbour filling up with boats...

as heavy skies close down the light in the bay...

looks like the fish market refurbishment can't come a moment too soon...

when it is finished the whole of the inside of the market will be chilled like this...

good to see some of the fleet together...

they might not be pretty but these big scallopers catch plenty of shells...

as Lionel, complete with high-viz jacket sees another visitor to a suitable berth.

National survey to give a voice to fishing communities

Over the summer maritime charities Seafarers UK and Cornwall Rural Community Charity (CRCC) are working together to carry out a UK-wide project to survey fishermen, their families and fishing communities. The survey aims to understand community and individual needs and challenges better, and to identify examples of projects or activities that are working to tackle these.

UK fishing communities have been in a process of gradual decline and increasing social isolation over the last 40 years, with many suffering profound deprivation. Although there are extensive published papers on many aspects of the industry, there is little by way of a detailed understanding of the welfare need on the ground and the contemporary challenges facing fishing communities across the UK.

This collaborative project will undertake face-to-face interviews with a wide range of people to identify what clear themes and issues need support and resourcing. CRCC will be visiting ports around the UK over the coming months and is keen to identify projects or groups that they should be meeting with. Those interested in having their views captured via a personal interview – or who would like to complete a survey – should email the project team at fishing@cornwallrcc.org.uk or phone 01872 243559.

Individuals, local projects or local community representatives can also find more information on where and when the survey project team will be visiting, by searching for @FishermensVoice on Twitter or Fishermen’s Voice on Facebook. The first two locations that the project team are due to visit are Swansea on 26 June and Milford Haven on 27 June.

Peter Jefferson, CEO of CRCC, said: ‘This community based, interactive project aims to listen to fishing communities around the UK so as to gain a deeper understanding of their needs, helping to develop well grounded project ideas that will then address those needs.’

Barry Bryant, Director General of Seafarers UK, said: ‘Seafarers UK is seeking to understand better the needs of fishing communities. We instigated and funded this innovative work as part of our increasingly proactive grant making. We are very confident that we have chosen the right partner organisation to carry out this work.’

CRCC has worked extensively with fishing communities in Cornwall and currently delivers the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Fisheries Local Action Group. In addition CRCC has significant experience of delivering community led projects across the UK and at EU level.

Mid-week market full of the finest fish.

Side-by-side, two of the biggest fish processing companies in Cornwall have their transport at the ready for this morning's landings...

which were from a mix of beam and inshore trawlers...

 'The Boys are Back in Town' - just a few days after harbourmaster Rob Parson announces vital upgrading funding for the fish market to the tune of £1.3 million it looks like a visit from Newlyn's chief rival for the position of biggest grossing port in the England from the management team of Brixham Fish Market...

headed up by by market boss, Barry Young...

small conger, often referred to as 'a box of snakes'...

to which fish does this tail belong?...

cracking specimen tub gurnard...

inshore lemons hard to beat for quality of flavour...

the eye of the line caught pollack...

more common in the summer as the boats shift grounds, sand soles...

brill'iant fish...

more of a tea plate rather than dinner plate turbot...

smoko and just checking up on those early purchases...

surprised this didn't end up in the 'homers' bag!..

not many John Dorys but a good run of lemons for young Mr Nowell on the Imogen III...

a tale of two reds...

looks like Nigel managed to sneak a JD ashore form under Roger's  nose...

beam trawl = Dover sole...

a bevvy of lifeboats this morning...

with the big tide almost done there are still netters like the Ygraine...

and the inseperables holed up in port...

it won't be too long before the latest addition to the Cornish sardine fleet, Pelagic Marksman is filling a FalFish lorry every night with the finest sardines in the UK...

I can just see @Bazilyo in a tux, white shirt and Martini in hand...

a slightly more ingenious beach stone statue...

local swans hunt for weed.

Fisherman airlifted to hospital after boat explodes under his feet.

Sennen lifeboat tows in the GRP fastworker, Hope SS65...

to a berth in Newlyn after she suffered an explosion...

which blew out all the wheelhouse windows...

most of the deck starboard side...

and most of the deck of the 6m GRP hulled vessel...

causing the skipper, who is understood not to be seriously injured, to be airlifted to Treliske Hospital.

MSC Certified Cornish hake graces top tables in the Capital!

If you are lucky enough to be visiting the big smoke and fancy a lunchtime break then you could do no better than head on down to Outlaw's at The Capital and enjoy some of the finest fish to be found swimming around our shores.  In particular, there is some proper Cornsih hake of the MSC Certified variety - only 15 boats in the whole of the UK are licensed to catch and land such fish - and more often than not it's fish from the netter, Ajax that graces the Capital's tables!  

Paul Trebilcock (L) with Ajax skipper Alan the hake man Dwan aboard the Ajax after being awarded the prestigious MSC status.

At one time 90% of Newlyn fish including hake went across the channel to France and Spain but increasingly these days more and more hake caught in UK waters is being consumed in the UK thanks to MSC Certification - keep your eyes on the bigger supermarket wet fish counters like Waitrose, Morrsion's and Sainsburys for the MSC label on their hake.  All of Nathan's cook books cite Cornish fish like hake on their recipes!

We say #eatmoreCornishfish!