Great British shellfish discussion on Farming Today.

Last year, the UK shellfish sector was worth £400,000,000. 

In the current Brexit world we live in, BBC Radio 4 Farming Today's Anna Hill talks to David Jarrad from the Shellfish Association of Great Britain and Dr Callum Roberts about Great British shellfish.

Cefas Fisheries Science Programme update for 2019.

Cefas sampling Dover sole otoliths on Newlyn fish market.

Fisheries Science Partnership (FSP)

We want to involve more fishermen in commissioning science projects that will benefit the industry through improved fisheries data or stock assessments and through innovative ideas on gear technology.

To achieve these objectives, the programme will:

• deliver demonstration projects that support implementation of Common Fisheries Policy reform, particularly on the landing obligation
• provide information from commercial fishing catches on key stocks to supplement data sources traditionally used in ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Seas) assessments
• investigate concerns raised by fishermen on scientific assessments or on fish stocks not currently assessed
• investigate innovative scientific methods and/or more selective/environmentally friendly fishing methods
• support the work of Regional Advisory Councils, e.g. Northwestern Waters Regional Advice Council.

The programme will mainly support projects in UK waters, focusing predominantly on the English fisheries and involve fishing vessels able to take part in the projects.

Seeking project ideas for 2019 to 2020

We are inviting FSP project proposals for the next financial year, 2019 to 2020. Project ideas should be practical, able to deliver a real solution, come from fishermen and meet at least one of the FSP objectives above.

The FSP panel will be particularly interested to see proposals that will help the implementation of Common Fisheries Policy reform, especially innovative approaches to the phased introduction of the demersal landing obligation. Examples include, but are not restricted to:

• mixed-fishery and regional approaches
• selectivity improvements (including new gear)
• discard-survivability studies
• spatial adaptations
• emerging issues in support of the Advisory Councils (ACs).

Project ideas need to be practical, able to deliver a real solution and be completed during 2019 to 2020. Turning a proposal idea into a scientifically deliverable project is not always easy, so proposers may wish to contact our FSP Contracts Office who can refer applicants to a Cefas scientist for advice related to a particular idea.

The Fisheries Science Partnership Project Idea Form 19-20 (MS Word Document, 66.5KB) is available to help proposers construct a suitable project by prompting the essential required details.

Please note: Submission of a project is not a guarantee that the idea will be funded. Further, all project ideas deemed suitable are then commissioned through a competitive process.

Ideas for proposals for projects must be submitted to the FSP Contracts Office by Friday 1st February 2019.

Once a project idea form is received at Cefas, a check will be done to see if all the details have been provided (locality, time of work, vessel size and type, gear etc.) after which the proposer may be contacted for further details. Those project ideas which are confirmed as suitable will then be subject to a competitive tender process with the projects Invitation to Tender being published on this website. Invitation to Tender documents will be available for downloading from this website along with copies of draft contract and terms and conditions, they can also be obtained from the address below.

Please note that there are strict deadlines for tender submissions.

Contact details

FSP Contract Office Cefas Pakefield Road Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 0HT UK Tel: +44 (0)1502 527798 Email: michael.fox@cefas.co.uk, fsp@cefas.co.uk

Newlyn's first #FishyFriday market in December.

Fresh as they come Dover soles still covered in slime - a sign of the very freshest fish...

a handful of huge plaice from the same boat...

along with Dovers from the Filadelfia...

and a handful of big squid...

handy haddock from the Amanda...

big beamer brill...

and a collection of bass, a weaver...

while a few dozen sand soles from the Sapphire III...

as well as a nice touch of bass...

and big turbot...

yes, that is what they call smoothounds down here...

end-to-end with fish from boats across the fleet...

including line caught herring...

mackerel...

by the boxful...

buyers tallies at the ready...

and a wave from young Edwin...

these look stunning too...

as the buyers rush to bid...

book in hand...

whether it's net caught hake...

or beautiful bass...

spurdogs, green-eyed monsters of the deep...

a good shot of cod for this time of year from the netter Stelissa...

three of the Rowse cabbing fleet between trips...

with another one on the way.

Live Fisheies Bill committee meeting - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Wednesday 5 December 2018 Meeting started at 9.33am, ended 11.17am

Yesterday @CommonsEFRA had two public evidence sessions for our short inquiry scrutinising the Fisheries Bill

The first meeting started at 9.33am, ended 11.17am.

Members present: 

Neil Parish (Chair); Alan Brown; John Grogan; Dr Caroline Johnson; Mrs Sheryll Murray; David Simpson; Angela Smith.

Witnesses:

Dr Carl M. O'Brien CBE CStat CSci FLS, Defra Chief Fisheries Science Adviser & UK Delegate to ICES, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
Dr Craig McAngus, Lecturer in Politics, School of Media, Culture and Society, University of the West of Scotland
Councillor John Lamb, Chair, Kent and Essex Inshore Fishery Conservation Authority

The second meeting started at 2.51pm, ended 5.09pm


Make a note in your diary for the next meetings:

12 December 2018 9:30 am
Oral Evidence Session Scrutiny of the Fisheries Bill
Witnesses
Chris Williams, Senior Programme Manager, New Economics Foundation
Dr Thomas Appleby, representative, Blue Marine Foundation
Martin Salter, Head of Campaigns, The Angling Trust
Helen McLachlan, representative, Greener UK
Dr Abigail McQuatters-Gollop, Lecturer in Marine Conservation, University of Plymouth

Location: Room 8, Palace of Westminster

12 December 2018 2:45 pm
Oral Evidence Session
Scrutiny of the Fisheries Bill

Witnesses:

George Eustice MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Anne Freeman, Deputy Director for Domestic Fisheries and Reform, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Location: Room 5, Palace of Westminster
Witnesses:

George Eustice MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Anne Freeman, Deputy Director for Domestic Fisheries and Reform, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Location: Room 5, Palace of Westminster

Watch live! - MSC Landing Obligation seminar.

Watch the seminar

We are hosting a seminar on the obligation legislation in Brussels on 6 December from 10:00 CET. We will be showing the seminar live here.

The new EU landing obligation comes in to effect in 2019. The MSC is working with stakeholders to understand and prepare for this new EU law.


What is the EU landing obligation?
The EU landing obligation requires all EU catches of regulated commercial species on-board to be landed and counted against quota. These are species under TAC (Total Allowance Catch, and so called quotas) or, in the Mediterranean, species which have a MLS (minimum landing size, such as mackerel which is regulated by quotas; and gilthead sea bream regulated by size).

This new obligation comes in to effect in a phased approach during 2019.

Preparing for the EU landing obligation
MSC certified fisheries must comply with all relevant laws as a key condition of certification to the MSC Fisheries Standard. Therefore, the MSC is working with stakeholders to understand and prepare for this new EU law and ensure MSC certified fisheries can continue to be certified and maintain supplies of sustainable seafood.

Fishing - the UK as an "independent coastal state".

Through the Gaps posted a brief overview of where the UK stands with regard to Michael Gove, the PM and others' emotive phrases, "take back control" and "sovereign waters" - a kind of Brexit-speak. (Brexit-speak derives from 'newspeak' first coined by George Orwell in his dystopian novel, 1984) 

In this more detailed and factual post, Richard Barnes, Professor of Law at Hull University with a special interest in International Law and the sea gives his take on the nitty-gritty of the legalese involved. 

It is often said Brexit allows the UK to be an independent coastal State. This is not a term of art, so what does it mean? History and international law show this to be more than mere independence. Independence is always conditioned by international law. 

Some thoughts on this. The UK is an independent State. The UK enjoys those rights and duties attributed to it as such by international law. These ebb and flow according to the tide of international law. This includes maritime rights and duties.

Quick history: The UK only established an 12nm exclusive fishing zone (EFZ) in 1964 under the Fishery Limits Act, following the London Convention '64. Beyond was high seas, subject to freedom to fish. This suited UK fishing interests. The UK generally objected to wider EFZs.

The extension of exclusive fishing under international law occurred around the same time the UK sought membership of the EC.

See http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP96-6/RP96-6.pdf 

During the 1970s, international law evolved to allow a 200nm EFZ or EEZ. The UK began to go with the flow: Exclusive fishing around UK was extended to 200nm in 1977, following the adoption of the Fishery Limits Act 1976. But, this extension was prompted by The Hague Resolution 1976, whereby all EC Member States agreed to extend Atlantic/North Sea EFZs to 200nm.

Thus UK's extended exclusive fishing limits were closely tied to wider developments in international and European law and policy. Presently, the right to claim an EEZ vests in States. as per #UNCLOS The UK, not the EU, enjoys this right. Yet, whilst the UK remains in the EU, it has through international agreement (EU treaties) authorised the EU to exercise exclusive competence over fisheries. Presently, the right to claim an EEZ vests in States. as per #UNCLOS The UK, not the EU, enjoys this right. Yet, whilst the UK remains in the EU, it has through international agreement (EU treaties) authorised the EU to exercise exclusive competence over fisheries.

As an EU Member State, the UK retains some ability to shape fisheries policy. through the CFP. This has been part of cooperative process. This has been influenced by political considerations. Not always successfully. Yet these political considerations remain.

Once the UK leaves the EU, and any transitional arrangement ends, then exclusive rights to regulate fisheries returns to the UK. Yet, this is subject to limits required by international law. What are these limits? Most obviously these include the Withdrawal Agreement and UNCLOS.

Under UNCLOS, rights and duties in EEZ are part of a careful balance. The rights include managing all fishing activities in the EEZ. The duties include conservation and cooperating with other States when the circumstances require this. This means interdependence.

To the extent fisheries are wholly and naturally exclusive to the EEZ, then management can sometimes be done unilaterally. However, even here a number of situations will require cooperation as appropriate with neighbouring or regional States: eg UNCLOS Article 62:

It is also appropriate when stocks are transboundary, when there is interdependence of shared stocks located in different States waters, and when there are international minimum standards. Independence and  interdependence.

This may entail agreeing common standards between States to ensure proper conservation of stocks. Indeed most experts agree failure to do so will be detrimental to fish stocks. Independence and interdependence

Nothing in UNCLOS requires / prohibits foreign fleets access to fisheries. It is a mainly a political decision. Here a wider range of factors come into play. These include payments, deals related to market access, and other quid pro quo.. Again, independence and interdependence

Brexit means the location of authority to manage fisheries in UK waters will rest with the UK. However, the exercise of this authority still entails cooperation. History shows that cooperation is rarely isolated from other political concerns.

In short, being an independent coastal State does mean independence, but it also means interdependence.

Watch live today - Fishermen and conservation groups share views on EU’s ban on fish discards

Click on the play button to activate the video and adjust the volume level.

The EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee continues their inquiry into the implementation and enforcement of the EU landing obligation.

• Parliament TV: Implementation and enforcement of the EU landing obligation
• Inquiry: Implementation and enforcement of the EU landing obligation
• EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee

Witnesses on Wednesday 5 December 

Committee Room 2, Palace of Westminster

At 10.15am

• Jim Pettipher, CEO, Coastal Producer Organisation
• Jeremy Percy, Director, New Under Ten Fishermens Association (NUTFA)
• Graeme Searle, Fisherman
• Graham Doswell, Fisherman

At 11.15am

• Helen McLachlan, Fisheries Programme Manager, WWF-UK
• Samuel Stone, Head of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Marine Conservation Society

Background

The EU landing obligation has applied to some specific fish stocks since 2015, but from January 2019 it will apply to virtually all fish. It means fishermen will have to land all the fish they catch, rather that discarding fish they don't want back into the sea. Fishermen are concerned about the impact this will have on their livelihoods, but conservation groups say it is key to protecting the marine environment. Questions have also been raised about the Government's ability to enforce compliance with the landing obligation, given that it will require significant levels of at-sea monitoring. 

Likely areas of questioning

• How significant a change is the landing obligation, and why is it important?
• What has been the impact of the landing obligation to date, and what is the likely impact when it comes fully into force in January?
• What are the challenges posed by the landing obligation, and how might they be overcome?
• Is the UK ready to fully implement the landing obligation in January?