Putting Fishing on the Food Agenda

Local fish on the plate

Blue Foods: Seafood as a Solution

This event is the first in a three-part series examining seafood as a solution to the economic, environmental and societal challenges posed by food production. 

Reflecting on the UK Government Food Strategy and its core objective “To deliver a sustainable, nature positive, affordable food system” this initial event will discuss how fisheries and seafood can contribute to a ‘food-revolution’. We will explore fisheries through a food-production lens to facilitate policy engagement.

AS ML5 DEADLINE LOOMS: “WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING”

It was promised in parliament on 13 July this year. After several postponements, Mark Harper, secretary of state for transport, finally met with Mike Cohen, the chief executive of the NFFO, on 25 October. The much-anticipated meeting was touted by the minister’s office as evidence that he was ‘listening’ to the many concerned politicians and industry representatives who were raising, in particular, the fast-approaching deadline for the ML5 medical certificate, but also the many Notices of Prosecution over the use of PFDs, the Under-15m Safety Code and other issues.

However, several weeks after the meeting, which in theory heralded a new approach and relationship, the following is the entire public statement about the meeting and the issues discussed that Fishing News has been able to obtain from the Department for Transport: “A Department for Transport spokesperson said: ‘The secretary of state recently had a productive meeting with the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, during which he reiterated the government’s commitment to continue engagement on key issues like the health of people in the fishing industry.’

“Background: there is not a one-off review; MCA is keeping all matters relating to medical certification under continuous review, and will keep ministers and key stakeholders informed where potential issues are identified.”

That is it. In full. There is no actual comment from the minister himself, despite this being requested by FN, nor any detailed response from the MCA itself, in spite of the fact that the then maritime minister, Baroness Vere, was also present, along with a large group of officials.

Mike Cohen told Fishing News: “If this sort of thing did not happen with such depressing regularity, I would say that it is unbelievable that there are still problems with medical certification in the inshore fleet.

“It should be obvious to any intelligent observer that stress and anxiety caused by the rules have already caused far more harm to the health and wellbeing of fishers than they were ever likely to prevent. Not only that, but there are clear and obvious solutions available, some of them written into the regulations themselves. But here we are. Still.

“The government has said that few people have been refused a medical certificate. Hundreds have failed their initial assessment, however, and have been subjected to an opaque appeals process that has often resulted in them being presented with unworkable restrictions.

“The government has said that fitness certificates are necessary because fishermen who get ill at sea will put at risk the lives of others who go to rescue them. No one has produced any evidence to show that this actually happens, however.

“Moreover, the hundreds of thousands of people who go to sea on private boats every year don’t need medical certificates. Surely, of the point is to prevent the lifeboats from having to rescue sick mariners, the same rules should apply to everyone. Perhaps the government leaves yacht owners alone because they are all in peak physical fitness and never get ill.

“When I met with secretary of state for transport Mark Harper on 25 October, I made him aware of all the problems that medical certification is causing. He did not agree with every concern that the fishing industry has expressed but, crucially, he acknowledged that the regulations were having unintended consequences. “He agreed to re-examine their operation and the most problematic aspects of the medical standards. This was a very positive step – but a month on we have heard nothing more, and the time is now very late.

“Earlier this month, my colleague Charles Blyth called for a pause in the implementation of the regulations, while their problems are resolved. The MCA’s response has again been silence.

“Sometimes, when you say nothing, you send a very clear message. I don’t think I like the message the MCA is sending to fishermen here.

“Awareness and agreement are worthless without action. The growing burden of regulations on the small businesses in our inshore fishing fleet and the impact of that constant pressure on the lives of the people who work in it are inexcusable. Those in power cannot claim to be ignorant of the consequences of their decisions. They must act now to undo at least some of the harm they have caused.

“Lord Davies is now the minister responsible for maritime issues at the Department for Transport. His relationship with the fishing industry is a clean slate. If he opens it by pausing the implementation of these misguided regulations, reviewing their operation, and listening to fishermen, he will get off to a very good start indeed.”

Full story courtesy Fishing News.

Monday morning's market end-to-end with fish!

With a sky like that, you just know the odd shower will catch people out today..

youcan barely see the auction floor this morning with big trips of hake from the netters...

like the Ocean Pride...

Ajax...

Ygraine...

Stelissa...

and Britannia V...

along with plenty of pollack...

and haddock...

the odd bonito...

while the beam trawlers put ashore their usual mic of fish including these red mullet...

turbot...

and brill

this big conger is full of roe - known locally as chittlings....

there's still a few John Dory to be had if you know where to go...

no sign of the sun just yet...

at this time of year, the bulk of any beam trawl trip usually consists of three species of fish, plaice

Dover sole...

and monk...

inshore boats target the likes of grey mullet...

bass...

jigged squid...

and the odd herring...

while the lcal crabbers are still seeing the odd mediterranean octopus in the ir pots...

with some settled weather over the weekend the bluefun tuna boats were out in force, three good sized fish were landed...

and carefully checked over by the MMO...

and just for the record, the first Blue fin tunas landed to Newlyn were from Elle V SS697 on September 23rd, the second was landed on the 27th caught by my Milky and Reg fishing from a catamaran  - their fish (above) weighed in at 238kg (525lbs) and was 101 inches long!..

the very best of inshore fish just shine, like these bass...

and red mullet...

there was hardly room to move in Zone 3 of the market...

with some 7st boxes tightly packed with fish...

and plenty of dogs, the bane of netters' lives...

looks like these guys will be washing boxes from dawn to dusk...

they come from all over...

after several centuries on the seabed, this old anchor now reveals its method of construction...

St Georges up on the slip...

the safe working area indicated for the cane.

 

Spring tide, low water.

Low water on a big spring tide...

is not without its surprises for some...

meanwhile, the Ygraine is one of the last of the netters to land for the tide...

about to join the rest of the fleet now safely tucked up in port for a few days...

yet another souvenir anchor from days of yore trawled up from the deeps.

Northern Shelf Cod assessment success - is it a step back for balanced fisheries management?

 

The new Northern Shelf Cod assessment may be a step forward for multi-stock assessment, but it's a step back for balanced fisheries management, argues Dale Rodmell, CEO of Eastern England FPO.

With the much anticipated Northern cod advice now out showing increasing biomass on the northern fishing grounds including West of Scotland and a recovery trajectory in the southern North Sea, it should be a time for jubilation. Regrettably, with an overall implied 17% reduction in TAC it is anything but.

Despite an improvement in the evidence base that underpins a move this year to a multi-stock assessment model with three sub-stocks, a novel decision-making process applied by ICES has paradoxically led to a ratcheting up of precautionary procedure that has resulted in the cut. This would see the fishery considerably constrained on the main northern grounds, well below the MSY estimates for the individual sub stocks, in order to supposedly protect the southern sub-stock, the weakest of the three, not a prime consideration in previous assessments that assumed a single North Sea stock.

The decision appears to rest on a lack of knowledge on the degree to which the sub-stocks mix, meaning that the main fishery on the northern grounds may theoretically exploit a component of the southern stock should it migrate onto the grounds. But this is theoretical and does not consider to what extent it may or may not be a factor, nor the degree to which it may knock the southern sub-stock off its current recovery trajectory. Not accounting for it in previous assessments, and a resulting increasing of biomass is evidence in itself that it probably won’t. Instead, the advice, if adopted, will most likely translate to increases in unaccounted mortality and wasted yield from the cod stock.

It comes at a time when in the North Sea we are witnessing strong increases in biomass across the whitefish stocks more broadly; haddock and whiting especially, but also saithe. The evidence and views from industry also indicate a growing ling stock despite another seemingly perverse cut in the ICES advice of 12%. If, despite growing biomass, cod becomes the limiting stock because of a disproportionately precautionary TAC constraint, under a system of discard management with full control it can only translate to wasted yield from the other stocks, as well as cod.

This points to what is perhaps an even more significant problem than the headline TAC advice this year – the longer term implications of repeating such decision-making processes or applying it to other stocks based on multi-stock assessment methods that are surely to be more widely used in the future. In a single stock advisory process that rigidly and single mindedly champions single stock MSY and precaution over all other considerations, and especially discards, it threatens to deepen dysfunction in a management system that is also aimed at minimising discards.

The current Defra consultation on discard reform and REM makes no reference to TAC setting processes in shedding light on a new direction for discard policy. Unless policy makers and scientists are going to take discards seriously and embed their consideration in TAC setting decision-making, by properly recognising and evaluating the conflicting management trade-offs, we are heading closer and closer to a system of chaos.

SW MMO newsletter plus updates.

 MMO updates from their newsletter:

Just a quick reminder from the MMO regarding the engagement sessions for the Cefas led North Sea and Channel Sprat FMP, including one in Ivybridge. Cefas have asked for people to email in to confirm their attendance but have also confirmed that people are welcome to just drop in to the session too. 

And a reminder that Anna will be at the Hayle office with members of the MMO Grants Team to assist with i-VMS grants applications and guidance on Monday 27th November 10:00 – 15:00 & Tuesday 28th November 09:00 – 11:00.

 

The final FishyFriday but one for November in Newlyn.

Not a bad start to the day as the Britannia V is all set to land the last hake trip of the tide to the market...

which saw bass landed from boats fishing with a range f gear...

some cracking beam trawl turbot...

and plenty of big white fish from a couple of netters...

like these superb pollack from the Celtic Dawn, their golden scales shining under the market lights...

a good run of gurnard from the beam trawler St Georges...

a single bonito tuna from the Silver Dawn...

and a good end f season Dory collection from the Chaulde Henry...

monk tails don't come much fresher than these...

more shiny hake from the netter, Silver Dawn...

the spots are a giveaway on these beauties...

monk tails galore form the big beam trawler...

no doubt these fabulous reds will be London bound later today...

packed in ice and ready to go...

three line caught bluefin tuna...

averaging over 100kg...

were landed yesterday...

treat yourself to a little Friday morning maths exercise, by reversing the formulae you can get an approximate length for each of the fish...

much smaller cousin of bluefin, the mighty mackerel...

and more bass...

almost as cold inside as out...

there are no guarantees with fishing, Tom brings back the Charlotte Clare with empty tanks...

after setting sail at 4am this morning.