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.
Cold and cloudy start to the Saturday in Newlyn...
and it's the continuing wet weather that has slowed completion of the final touches to Phase II of the market refurbishment which sees the single loading bay still devoid of cement plaster over the blockwork which was finished weeks ago...
heading down the harbour, the netter Charisma heads...
to a berth at the fish market to land her catch of MSC Certified hake...
there are fair-weather sailors and the more hardy type...
Charisma set to land...
as another heavy shower passes by...
Newlyn patina...
the last of Stevenson's fleet tied up against the quay...
à la contré jour, continues to provide artists with suitable opportunities to capture the port in a variety of lighting conditions...
A major step forward in UK fisheries management. How good is it to see fishermen rightly being given the opportunity to provide fishing data in order to determine stock levels using robust methods capable of being used by the scientific community?
‘A welcome opportunity’
Stock assessments can be embroiled in mistrust and uncertainty. Fishermen often question scientific surveys and sampling schemes, and scientists can doubt the reliability of catch data. Fisheries Innovation Scotland (FIS) asked the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association (SPFA) and the University of Aberdeen to look at opportunities to improve both trust and data quality on either side. The project, which included the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF), Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA) and Marine Scotland Science, resulted in a feasibility study into a scientific self-sampling programme for the pelagic sector. Experience shows that successful self-sampling schemes rely on effective feedback to fishermen, particularly in relation to what their data shows and how it is being used. This feedback helps to improve confidence in science and management and reinforces effective collaboration between industry, science and management on achieving sustainable and profitable fisheries. The pelagic industry lends itself to a self-sampling programme because pelagic fishermen want to engage with science and have a direct stake in the information they generate. They are also early adopters of new innovations and indeed they already record substantial quantities of data that describe where and when they fished, what they caught, and in some cases, environmental and biological information. They are willing, and have the capability and capacity, to do more. This new FIS report identifies opportunities for the Scottish pelagic industry to collect and contribute relevant data to support the assessment of stocks and management of fisheries. It describes the requirements of a scientific self-sampling programme and what such a programme might look like. It also discusses how self-sampling schemes might help to address information needs in less data rich situations, such as those in demersal and Nephrops fisheries. The report author, Dr Steven Mackinson, Chief Scientific Officer at the SFPA, said “Working with FIS on this project allowed us to identify the essential building blocks of a successful self-sampling scheme. “The SFPA, the NAFC Marine Centre and Marine Scotland have already used this information to design a pilot study to collect samples of fish length and weight during the fishing seasons for mackerel, herring and blue whiting. Analysis from this pilot will be used to finalise the design of a self-sampling programme to be implemented across the Scottish pelagic fleet.” Click here to read the report.
It's 6am in Newlyn, a new moon joined by Venus and Jupiter all pierce an otherwise inky-black sky over the harbour...
feeling the heat inside the fish market buyers huddle round a full market of beam and netted fish...
like these hake...
from the Govenek of Ladram...
and a few hundred kilos of cuttles...
and ray from the beam trawler Billy Rowney...
that also landed red mullet and weaver fish...
and turbot...
the Twilight III picked up a good shot of megrims for her time at sea...
while the Trevessa IV picked away a trip of monk tails...
and an unusually good haul of winter John Dory, a fish normally associated with clear blue summer skies...
was also enjoyed by the Twilight III...
while mackerel landings were restricted to a single box owing to the weather...
although South West beam trawlers provide most of the turbot consumed in restaurants around the UK...
the bulk of their catches comes from hauls of...
megrim...
and Dover sole...
along with fish like haddock which are something of an unavoidable by catch...
with the market now seeing the results of the Landing Obligation that kicked in on January the 1st - these tubs of perfectly good fish are not being auctioned fr human consumption but will to to landfill or another designated destination...
the final stage of the market refurbishment by Project Link...
is now complete internally with additional handwash basins...
with their knee-operated hot and cold water taps...
the netters came up with the odd plus-four...
and, a la Peterhead market head-on monk......
an brace of black bream...
and very unusually for a netter, a solitary conger eel caught by the Ajax...
the beaver-like tail of the ling...
and the rich golden hues of the freshest tub gurnard...
go to make up the whitefish part of the Ajax's trip...
looking through the only market door...
Colin can't help but put in a few dance steps on the market floor...
there's new boxes now arrived for the green team...
while the stacks of harbour boxes have been invaded by a handful of private interlopers...
outside dawn breaks over the harbour...
and St Michael's Mount...
with the promise of blues skies and no rain this will leave young Ben free to work on another replacement fender.
Revised rules relating to fishing for sea bass apply from midnight 31 January 2019.
Fishing nets Following the publication of the 2019 Total Allowable Catch Regulation in the official journal of the European Union, the revised rules relating to fishing for sea bass now apply. Commercial fishing for seabass Commercial fishing vessels are prohibited from fishing for seabass in ICES divisions 4b and 4c, and in ICES subarea 7 during 01 February to 31 March 2019. Commercial fishing from the shore, within these areas, is prohibited for the entirety of 2019. Those commercial fishing vessels with authorisation to do so from the MMO may catch and retain bass during 1 April to 31 December 2019. The MMO will be writing to all fishing vessel owners who have a current authorisation to catch and retain bass and providing further guidance on our website soon. Recreational fishing for seabass Recreational fisheries, including from shore, in ICES divisions 4b, 4c, 6a, 7a to 7k are limited to catch-and-release only during 01 February to 31 March and 1 November to 31 December 2019. From 1 April to 31 October 2019, not more than one seabass may be retained per fisherman per day. In recreational fisheries in ICES divisions 8a and 8b, a maximum of three seabass may be retained per fisherman per day. Published 31 January 2019 From: Marine Management Organisation
Four years ago Seafarers UK ran a recruitment campaign. Seafarers Awareness Week highlighted 'Opportunities to Work at Sea' - promoting education, training and recruitment services leading to employment in the maritime industry. To showcase some of the job options available, Seafarers UK produced five films which feature young people embarking on a career at sea. This compilation shows short versions of all five films, introduced by Anshie Patel from the Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology (IMarEST):
Seafarers Cruising to Success - Royal Caribbean Cadet Robert Mackin-Lang aboard Anthem of the Seas
On the High Seas - The Merchant Navy - Officer Cadet Georgia Atkins studying at Warsash Maritime Academy
A Life Without Limits - The Royal Navy - Engineering Trainees Beatrice Ramoala and Aaron Adam training onboard HMS Northumberland
Super Jobs on Superyachts - Tom Clegg, superyacht engineer and Jamie Guerreiro, superyacht trainee talk about their roles
The New World of Workboats - Jack Owen, a trainee with Holyhead Towing Company talks about the emerging role of workboats.
Today, Warsash Academy tweeted about an open day being held tomorrow.
Noticeable by its absence, the fishing industry did not get its own video despite providing 1000s of seagoing jobs.
The fishing industry is facing a crisis that will not manifest itself to day but have the greatest impact in a generation to come. Right now, as can be seen during programmes about the industry like Fish Town, increasing numbers of boats are left with no apparent alternative but to employ foreign nationals to crew their boats. Some Scottish and Irish vessels are crewed almost exclusively by Philipino and African crews which means that individual fishing business continue to function.
But what of the future in 10 or 20 years time when the current crop of skippers and others retire? Without recruiting British crews willing to gain certificates of competence like the Watchkeepers or Skippers Certificates who will be the mates, skippers, relief skippers, engineers and watchmen of the future?
This problem isn't just an issue for the fishing industry of course. Many vocations and professions that require workers to deal with harsh environments, unsociable hours, heavy practical skills and a go-get attitude that necessitate hours days or even weeks spent out of the comfort zone are proving increasingly difficult to staff. In particular, Further Education colleges have noticed that since the Millennium students demonstrate a culture of entitlement whereby the best jobs, the 'easiest' and the 'top' jobs are there for the taking simply as a result of having signed up to a particular course without having to graft and participate in all those menial and mundane tasks that every form of employment has an element.
We need Secondary & Further Education, the careers service, individual employers and employment organisations to reach directly into our schools, colleges and minds of the young supported by positive and informative TV and Web programmes. These initiatives need to truly inspirational showcasing every kind of employment and career opportunity available - not just the seemingly 'glamourous' posts. For example, seafaring is almost unique in the kinds of demands it makes on creating hugely rewarding team operations and the life-affirming job satisfaction that this brings to the workplace.
Initiatives like this series of videos below, funded for the Dorset Coastal Forum by their local FLAG are all well and good and to be commended but if the country is to address the wider problem it needs something more coordinated than just a few isolated regional videos - however appealing they may be! In the coming months (whatever Brexit brings us) Through the Gaps will be looking to canvas thoughts, ideas and views on where we go from here - or even currently prosperous ports may well be finding a viable future for fleets, family businesses and severely constrained by recruitment issues that require long-term rather than short fixes. In the meantime, enjoy these videos celebrating an inshore industry career in terms of both financial and emotional rewards. These are small stories in the grand scheme of things but highlight the diversity and richness of seafaring opportunities throughout the UK coastline.
First up is Sam Shuker, a 17 year old trainee commercial fisherman takes us out on a scallop boat from Lyme Regis and tells it like it is. He works long hours, determined to get as much experience as he can ready for the day when he is old enough to skipper a boat himself. Despite having all his fisherman tickets, Sam is also going to train to be a commercial diver, so that he can hand dive for scallops. He talks about the importance of the marine reserve for his fishery. He's seen first-hand the ups and downs his fisherman father has gone through so he knows he's chosen one of the toughest careers out there. But he loves the sense of freedom fishing brings. He says 'the opportunities I have - it's so much more than a job, it's something I live for. I am determined to fight for it and if I have to rebuild it.'
Next, the fisherman chef Ashley Stones - an inspirational story of how one commercial fisherman affected, like so many, by quotas has found a way to make it work. For several years Ashley lived the dream. He tells us 'I spent all my weekends and school holidays fishing - I absolutely loved it I couldn't get enough of it. After college I went into catering but it was the fishing I wanted to do. I decided to jack in my proper job and turn my hobby into a career." He's passionate that rod and line fishing is sustainable and describes how quotas rocked his friends and colleagues in the Weymouth bass fleet. He has managed to keep fishing, catching less fish (under quota) but using his entrepreneurial and cheffing skills to add value to the fish he catches.
Not everyone wants to fish but that shouldn't stop anyone with an interest in fishing seeking related career opportunities like Ruth Hicks. She's their fisheries observer, says 'people are surprised when she says she's been out on a fishing trawler for a week, but more and more women are coming into the job now'. They follow her working on a fisheries science partnership, with fisherman Mark Cornwell and his crew, out of West Bay, (Bridport) looking at an issue - the discard ban, which could seriously impact the livelihoods of many small fisherman - especially those in mixed fisheries like Mark. It's a fascinating story and as Liseve, Ruth's co worker says ‘there's a lot fishermen can teach us and working together we get the best blend of information and knowledge and sharing.’ In this case if, the scientific data proves what the fishermen are saying anecdotally -then there's a chance for a win all round - including the fish!
It'a not just the catching sector that appears to be suffering from changes in the markets. Tescos, the UK's largest supermarket chain announced the closure of 90 fresh produce counters which includes wet fish counters this week. However, it has to be noted that this is against a backdrop of ever-increasing competition from the likes of Lidl and Aldi. Emma McKeating, @GirlyFishMonger and posts on her blog about the wet fish trade recently posted with the headline, 'Why the fishing Industry affects us all' - it is this appreciation of the industry that can be tapped into in creating a professional outward looking industry of the future based on sound training and education at all levels driven by clear career and aspirational goals.
The maritime district of Guilvinec has 216 boats of which 58 practice fishing offshore.
In the absence of an agreement, access to British waters could be brutally prohibited in the aftermath of Brexit (from 30 March). What worry all the fishing industry? Pulse taking in the maritime district of Guilvinec. Jacques Pichon, director of the La Houle armament at Saint-Guénolé Penmarc'h. "I'm connected to Sky News (English news channel) all the time. I am debating in the British House of Commons. We are a bit of a spectator of all this. The problem is that you can not get into investment. About 50% to 60% of our fleet (ten trawlers of 23 m) fish in English waters. A share that is decreasing because of our strategic orientations. The notion of uncertainty is inherent to our activity, but the Brexit perspective added to the launch of the zero discharge at sea rule is still a lot. " Soazig Palmer-Le Gall, director of Bigouden Armament in Guilvinec and president of the producer organisation (PO). "Nobody knows how it will end. We are very dependent on British decisions. If this leads to a hard Brexit, we will have to be very responsive and find an agreement as soon as possible. Between 20 and 30% of our vessels (eleven offshore trawlers) fish in the English areas. What is worrying is the new distribution of quotas that will ensue. We are used to clubbing on the head. We are not going to stop living. The proof: a new boat will leave the yards in May. Serge Guyot, director of the Hent Ar Bugale armament at Loctudy. "We will only be partially impacted as about 20% of our vessels (six offshore) fish in English waters. Most of the time, they are in Irish areas and west of Brittany. Lack of visibility blocks investments. We are just suffering this situation. This is annoying. At our level, zero discharge regulations at sea are even more impacting. Nothing has been properly prepared on land. Everyone is trying to do the best. The year 2018 had already not been terrible with the drop in inputs and the increase in the price of diesel. Profitability is more difficult to achieve. In this context, it is complicated to put in place an innovative policy. Guy Le Moigne, vice-president of the fisheries committee of Finistère. "We are waiting. This is the great mystery. I think we are heading towards a hard Brexit, that is to say the complete closure of British waters. For some boats, this simply means the end of their activity. For others, they will have to regroup in another zone and this will cause problems of cohabitation. Many small boats think they will not be affected, but that's not true. If the deep-sea fishery is affected, the whole area will be impacted. Infrastructures, like auctions, will no longer work. Offshore fishing accounts for 80% of inputs and 80% of jobs. We must not forget it. * 140 vessels involved in Brittany, which make more than half of their turnover in British waters. Full story courtesy of Steven Lecornu writing for Le Télégramme.
