Fine #FishyFriday in Newlyn.

The lights are on but no one is in - try the door later at Newlyn Gallery...

Tom, still keeping an eye on the harbour...

and the market with just the one beam trawl trip to finish off a better week of weather...

there are some fishlike this turbot, with distinctly alien features...

while scallops look as good as they taste...

just the one netter, plenty of hake from the Ocean Pride...

along with some cracking tub gurnard...

with a limited by-catch available, sightings of pollack are likely diminish as the end of each month approaches...

while lemons seem to be high up on the landings list this week...

name this alien-like fish...

these mackerel can't get to your plate fast enough...

just the one big bluefin landed overnight...

a shot of grey mullet topped off the inshore line landings...

while the sardine boat Pelagic Marksman put ashore enough fish to keep local restaurants happy...

un-seasonal spider claws...

as daylight approaches it can be seen that most of the netting fleet are tied up over the big spring tide.

 

Western English Channel data is now easier than ever to access

We are happy to share the news that the Western Channel Observatory has made accessing its century worth of physical, chemical and biological data from the Western English Channel even easier. 

The Western Channel Observatory (WCO) comprises a series of sampling sites within 40km of Plymouth (UK), which have been sampled by the Plymouth Institutes on a regular basis since 1903.

Find out more about the Western Channel Observation >>

This longevity of recording and the high frequency of observations provide a unique combination of data. Temperature data were first collected in 1903 and the reference station L4 has been sampled on a weekly basis since 1988, where nearly 400 planktonic taxa have been counted.

While the component datasets have been archived, the team have worked tirelessly to provide the first summary database bringing together a wide suite of the observations into one place for easier access by a wider range of users, such as for use within educational resources for undergraduates.



To improve overall utility, the various component datasets were brought together into a single format with the core datasets summarised as monthly averages and for broad functional groups. This level of detail (coarser than some of the measurements, which can be weekly and for individual species), was chosen as a first step to provide a summary database that combines many diverse data sources.

The newly published, open access data description paper can be accessed via the Earth System Science Data journal websites >>

Specialists who wish to access the underlying high-resolution observations, data for individual species, the most recent data available or require other data sets not summarised are directed to the Western Channel Observatory data catalogue. This catalogue provides sampling details, DOI’s of the most recent 140 versions and points of contact for specific data sets.

 

Related information

Western Channel Observatory dataset

Full paper: The Western Channel Observatory: a century of physical, chemical and biological data compiled from pelagic and benthic habitats in the western English Channel

Western Channel Observatory website

Western Channel Observatory overview article

Crystal clear and cloudless cool blue sky greeted the harbour this fine first Monday morning market in Newlyn for 2024...

pretty much stacked end-to-end with fish...

inlcuding good trips of hake from the Silver Dawn...

Stelissa...

and Ocean Pride...

along with plenty of dogs and smoothounds...

inshore boats spiced up the variety of fish with spider crab...

mackerel...

and bass...

while the three big netters came back with plenty of good haddock...

and these superb whiting...

inshore trawlers like the Guardian found good signs of ray...

but just a handful of that summer favourite, John Dory...

there's still no let up in landings of these tasty beasts either...

or line caught squid...

and inshore red mullet...

red tub gurnards were there to be had by the netters and a small by-catch of pollack...

judging by the ink-black market floor there must have been plenty of cuttlefish put ashore by the beam trawler, Cornishman

was it really that cold?..

promising signs for the cuttlefish season later in the year, crab pots laden with plenty of eggs!

 

What you can and can't catch - Licence variations in 2024.

Fishing licence variation issued: 

Monday 01 January 2024

First #FishyFriday for 2024

A handful of intrepid inshore boats landed mainly mackerel...

and bass...

and a few boxes of these, known locally as 'pissers' - but what is their correct name?..

a quiet end to the first week which hopefully...

will now herald in some...

finer weather, given that run of gales that have passed through in the last few months.

 

UK TACs 2024

 

Written Record of fisheries consultations between the United Kingdom and the European Union for 2024

 

From January 1, a number of stocks will become bycatch only, having previously been targetable. Any landings of these stocks in December can continue to be sold as normal in January and will count against the December catch limits.

 

 January 2024 Catch Limit Review Details From January 1, a number of stocks will become bycatch only, having previously been targetable. Any landings of these stocks in December can continue to be sold as normal in January and will count against the December catch limits. It is your responsibility to check the catch limits as they can be changed at any time. If you have any queries, please contact the Fisheries Management Team.