Any sign of sardines?

Testing time for the Xmas lights...

 as the Golden Harvest...

leaves the quay for a night hunting sardines, though apart from a couple of nights ago, finding the fish in Mounts Bay is proving something of a challenge with some of the boats looking elsewhere.

UK Sea Fisheries Statistics Update

 

The Marine Management Organisation has voluntarily suspended the accredited official statistics status of the Sea Fisheries Statistics.

Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has asked the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) to suspend the accredited official statistics status of the Sea Fisheries Statistics, including both the annual and associated monthly publications.

The temporary action, which has been approved, follows MMO’s investigation into the fisheries landing data it manages for England and reports on behalf of the UK Fisheries Authorities as part of the UK Sea Fisheries Statistics after discrepancies were discovered in the dataset earlier this year.

MMO’s Chief Statistician Rebekah Paul explained: “The Code of Practice for Official Statistics sets out the standards to which Official Statistics should be produced and published. It is focussed around three pillars of trustworthiness, value and quality, and covers all aspects of statistical production, including data collection, processing, and dissemination.

“Our investigation into discrepancies with the fisheries landing data earlier this year provided an opportunity to review our statistical production process from end-to-end, and further areas of improvement were identified.

“These areas of improvement are not necessarily to do with the quality of data published within these releases, but in relation to the presentation and documentation that accompanies these statistical series. We have therefore asked the OSR to suspend the accredited status while we develop and roll out an official statistics development programme with the aim of re-accrediting the UK Sea Fisheries Statistics as soon as we’re able.”

MMO is committed to the continuous improvement of our statistical products and hold ourselves to the highest standards. We will continue making the Sea Fisheries Statistics data available, with additional guidance for users about how to make best use of these data – the 2023 annual UK Sea Fisheries Statistics will be published on 5 December, though this will not include the results of the Fisherman’s Survey. These statistics remain the best available data and are still considered a reliable measure of industry activity at an overall (UK) level.

MMO has also identified areas for future development and improvement of all aspects of these statistics and will implement these revisions in the coming months under its Official Statistics Development programme. We will continue to offer full transparency and will clearly communicate any changes to customers and stakeholders ahead of implementation where possible.
You can find more details concerning this suspension in the statistical notice published on Gov.uk. You can also find a copy of the correspondence with the Office for Statistics Regulation here.

First Monday morning market of December!

Heading to the boat as light breaks the sky...

the Harriet Eve is safely moored up on the hard for some attention below the waterline...

Monday's market is loaded with quality fish like these red mullet...

and for the first time in a couple of weeks good shots of sardines from the Bay where fish have been very scarce...

just the two netters to land hake this morning, the Ocean Pride...

and the Ygraine...

the one beam trawler to land, the Billy Rowney put ashore the usual mix including these big monk tails...

and a box of bass...

along with squid...

and Dovers...

these were some nice haddock too...

as alongside the market the Nicola of Ladram landed crab and lobster...

and a handful of John Dory...

this tide spurdogs have been the bane of the netting fleet, one of the boats took three days to go through their fleet of nest dealing with huge numbers of big dogs...

a good sized bluefin...

good signs of mackerel from some areas...

and the odd conger or two...

not seen on the market for some time, pilchards...

dawn breaks over the harbour and it is good to see the lifeboat where she belongs...

loading time for the crab boat.

 

Dairy date: NEWLYN HARBOUR LIGHTS FRIDAY 6 DECEMBER 2024 from 6:00pm

The tree is in place so it's all set for the...

This year's tree very kindly donated by Waterdance Fishing.

💥💥💥 GRAND SWITCH-ON 💥💥💥 

NEWLYN HARBOUR LIGHTS FRIDAY 6 DECEMBER 2024 from 6:00pm

Totally encouraging Young Fishermen's Network podcast - from the Fish!

Upstairs, courtesy of the Fishermen's Arms in Newlyn, the stage was set for the Miracle Theatre team along with with the Young Fishermen's network crew...

to co-host another superb event making best use of technology in bringing together young fishermen - Ross Davidson from Lossiemouth, Erin MacKenzie from Mallaig at the other end of the country in Scotland together with half a dozen fishers from Cornwall including 15 year old Antony Newcombe from Cawsand, Will Jaycock from Looe, Jack West from Mevagissey, Matilda Philiips, daughter of the legendary Danny Phillips from Cadgwith, Johnny Pascoe from Mullion, Jack Kelly-Granger from west Cornwall, and Tom Lambourn from Newlyn - what really comes across is the passion shown for the fishing way of life, with all its uncertainties and problems - life is to be lived - there was real insight about where and how the industry needs to look for the next generation of fishers - and, if anyone can sell the idea of a life at sea catching fish, these guys can! - great work YFN...  

right on cue, thanks to Emma from Miracle Theatre the podcast went live at 7:30pm.

You can listen to the full podcast here.

 

Listen to all the YFT's work on their podcast page here.

Find out more from the Young Fishermen's Network here.

Fridays Westminster Hall fishing industry debate.

This summary compiles the key points made by each speaker in the Westminster Hall debate. The session addressed various challenges faced by the fishing industry, including Brexit’s impact, labor shortages, quota management, renewable energy conflicts, and the need for sustainability and mental health support. Generated by AI.

The full text from Hansard can be read here.

Clive Efford (Chair):

• Chaired the session, emphasised procedural expectations for attendance and participation.

Mr. Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD):

• Highlighted risks and sacrifices made by fishers.
• Focused on UK-EU-Norway negotiations, Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), access to fishing grounds, and labor shortages.
• Criticised the annual negotiations model, advocating for multi-annual agreements.
• Addressed inadequacies in fisheries science funding and data deficiencies.
• Critiqued the post-Brexit TCA, emphasising quotas favouring the EU.
• Discussed the "spatial squeeze" from offshore wind projects.
• Urged reforms in visa policy to address labor shortages and more pragmatic language requirements.

Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP):

• Applauded Carmichael’s work and stressed labor shortages.
• Suggested minor tweaks to Home Office policy could benefit fishing communities.

Andrew George (St Ives) (LD):

• Supported multi-annual quotas and ICES science for stable management policies.
• Criticised unfulfilled promises to fishermen during Brexit.
• Highlighted offshore wind challenges and the need for collaboration.
• Discussed the impact of quota cuts on local fishermen.

Wendy Chamberlain (North East Fife) (LD):

• Emphasised promoting fishing as a career, citing local efforts like the Scottish Fisheries Museum.

Seamus Logan (Aberdeenshire North and Moray East) (SNP):

• Called for a ministerial visit to discuss visa challenges and labor shortages.

Melanie Onn (Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes) (Lab):

• Expressed concerns over reducing English language standards for visas.
• Mentioned ecological benefits of offshore wind farms like increased crab populations.

Anna Gelderd (South East Cornwall) (Lab):

• Highlighted the importance of small-scale fishing in Cornwall’s heritage.
• Praised organizations supporting fishers and advocated for sustainable practices.
• Urged collaboration to ensure a just and sustainable future for the fishing industry.

Harriet Cross (Gordon and Buchan) (Con):

• Emphasised Scotland’s fishing industry’s critical role for food security.
• Raised concerns over spatial squeeze from renewable energy projects.
• Urged review of TCA to prioritize UK fishers.

Lorraine Beavers (Blackpool North and Fleetwood) (Lab):

• Discussed the decline of Fleetwood’s fishing industry and the need for proper negotiations to reverse economic decline.

Jayne Kirkham (Truro and Falmouth) (Lab/Co-op):

• Highlighted Cornwall’s dependence on fishing for jobs and culture.
• Criticised Brexit’s impact on fishing, especially shellfish exports.
• Advocated for a balanced approach to renewable energy and fishing.

John Cooper (Dumfries and Galloway) (Con):

• Defended fishermen as custodians of the sea and criticised Scottish Government policies.
• Discussed Brexit opportunities for the fishing industry.
• Warned about spatial challenges from offshore wind and marine protected areas.
• Emphasised the importance of TCA renegotiations.

Seamus Logan:

• Suggested the need for TCA negotiator visits to Scotland for industry input.

Melanie Onn:

• Emphasised the importance of involving the fishing industry early in renewable energy consultations.

Andrew George:

• Countered suggestions of industry resistance to conservation, citing self-proposed conservation efforts.

Torcuil Crichton (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (Lab):

• Praised fishermen's resilience, reflecting on past tragedies.
• Discussed Western Isles fishing, labor shortages, and quota management.
• Advocated for community quota systems and relaxation of restrictions on certain fisheries.

Caroline Voaden (South Devon) (LD):

• Emphasised fishing’s cultural and economic importance.
• Criticised the Brexit deal’s impact on fishers, advocating for transparent, science-based negotiations.
• Proposed streamlined processes, infrastructure investment, and visa reforms.
• Advocated for balanced marine spatial planning and environmental sustainability.

Dr. Neil Hudson (Dr Neil Hudson (Epping Forest) (Con)):

• Emphasised fishing’s importance to coastal communities and celebrated increased UK quotas post-Brexit.
• Criticised potential EU negotiation tactics.
• Advocated for stricter bycatch regulations and marine mammal protections.
• Focused on mental health issues in the fishing community.

Daniel Zeichner (he Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs (Daniel Zeichner)):

• Acknowledged the challenges facing the fishing industry.
• Emphasised the government’s commitment to sustainability and economic viability.
• Stressed the need for collaborative policymaking and stakeholder involvement.
• Addressed concerns raised by Hudson, including safety, bycatch, and mental health.
• Reaffirmed opposition to whaling and commitment to marine ecosystem protection.

Fishing Debate in Parliament - read the full transcript.

The editor of BC Radio 4's  Business Programme told Through the Gaps many years ago that sge found the fishing industry to be the most complicated and least understood of all the sectors in the British economy that she covered. This extract from the fishing debate in the House yesterday is a perfect illustration of the such complexity in the industry:

Barry Gardiner (Brent West) (Lab)

I want to clarify something in relation to pollack. My understanding is that the scientific advice given out in June was that the total allowable catch should be set at zero, but it was not set at zero. The quota was set at 925 tonnes; even now, the stocks are much lower this year because the decision was not in line with the scientific assessment.

Andrew George (St Ives, Cornwall)

I will come to that in a second. The nature of what happens off the Cornish coast, and certainly in the south-west and other areas, is that pollack is caught in a multispecies environment. It is impossible not to catch pollack even when targeting other species—the hon. Member helps me to make the point—so my constituent went and targeted hake. The first thing to bear in mind is this. While he was targeting pollack, he was between 8 and 20 miles off the coast. To target hake, he had to go 40 miles or beyond, and that placed his small boat in significantly greater danger. In other words, it put him at greater risk to pursue an alternative fishery. That is point No. 1 to bear in mind.

The second point is that there is a pollack by-catch if someone is targeting hake. During one month—March of last year—my constituent caught more than 100 kg of by-caught pollack, which he was entitled to land in the market. Indeed, he was required to land it in the market; he could not throw it overboard. He was obliged to land this fish, as a result of which his licence was frozen by the Marine Management Organisation. Following some dispute, he was fined £1,000, and he then had to move out of that fishery. Of course, he was not targeting pollack at the time; he was trying to avoid it as best he could. The MMO did not offer him any kind of solution to the problem that he found himself with.

As a result of all that, my constituent has come out of that fishery and has since been targeting crawfish, of which the industry itself had undertaken voluntary measures to increase the minimum size and to help to recover the stock. Indeed, the minimum size proposed by the industry and implemented in Cornwall has since been picked up, adopted, in national legislation. The crawfish season is now over, so we now have a fisherman who has tied his boat up and is no longer able to fish.

The point is that I hope that the Minister, when looking at this issue, bears in mind that when we propose regulation affecting the industry, that is in effect a two-dimensional policy affecting three-dimensional reality. That is the problem. I hope that the Minister will reflect on the lessons learned just from that little anecdote when considering how policy is implemented, and on the unintended detrimental consequence. The measure does not actually help even the species that it is supposed to protect.

I hope that we are not coming back here in 10 years’ time, gnashing our teeth about the same issues and continuing this annual bunfight in which we do not even know what the quotas will be in just a few weeks’ time; I hope we have multi-annual quotas. One of the best ways of helping the industry is to provide it with all the capacity to manage itself better and for us politicians to try to stand back and keep out of it.

The transcript from the Fisheries Debate in Hansard is available here - use key words to find a subject you want to know more about that saves reading the whole document use CRL+F.