Make the most of Monday morning!

Poor weather and big tides saw most of the fleet land at the end of last week...

so it was down to two of the biggest boats in the fleet to put fish on the market this morning, along with the James RH...

a big trip of megrim soles from the Cornishman...

and a good run of ray thrown in...

while the James scooped up a few bass in one haul...

along with plenty of cuttles...

netters Joy and Govenek of Ladram landed trips of monk...

ray...

steady as she goes...

turbot...

a few top drawer fish...

and hake of course...

the cuttles left their mark on the market floor...

and doorway...

name this fish...

surprise, surprise, plenty of mackerel with the handline fleet working in the lee of the wind over in St Ives Bay...

while the buyers bought what they could this morning knowing that there won't be much fish on the market for the next few days with the forecast being so poor...

big white fish aplenty...

for auctioneer, Ian with that wry smile appearing on his face at times...

outside the lengthening days mean that it is light by 7am...

heralding yet another day on the quay for Tom re-setting the trawl for the Harvest Reaper...

even the Crystal Sea took a few hours extra fooff in the poor weather...

along with the big Dutch beam trawler, Martje...

time for a fuel top-up for the beamers...

yet another netter looking to diversify, maybe...

not to be outdone, the local hand;ine fleet are out in force this morning with good mackerel marks just outside the harbour...

well in sight of the two big cargo ships at anchor still waiting for orders...

the local harbour seal is doing his own fishing just off the beach...

while onshore winds have washed up some Spanish longline gear on the beach - given that the Spanish boats use these nets well over 100 miles from the coast it is a sign of just how far flotsam and jetsam can travel in prevailing winds...

which have been well in excess of the speed limit over the weekend.

Not so excellent news about the Excellent

With her name plate barely visible forside of her wheelhouse, what was Stevenson's oldest and most historic sidewinder, Excellent presents a sorry sight as she falls into ever more disrepair against the quayside...

not so long ago she still looked presentable as she waited for a buyer...

twenty years ago she spent the last few years of her fishing career rigged for gill nets under the command of 'Mad' Joe Andrews...

a far cry from her foray into mackerel trawling back in the late 1970s when shoals of mackerel off Newlyn were so heavy that even a grossly underpowered boat like the Excellent with its ageing Kelvin engine could mid-water trawl for them...

these watercolour sketches were done to commemorate ...

her visit to the classic boat Festival in Brest in 1992... 

 under the command of the late Mervyn Mountjoy when she was immaculately painted up for the event...

here she is up on the slip in 1980 when still trawling...

Watch at 5m 12s in the Excellent is involved in cleaning up oil off Gwennap Head.

which was her main method of fishing from when she was brought to the port as the Efficient when she had been built as a drifter by Forbes in Scotland in 1931.  She spent some of WW2 running clandestine operations to Norway - something tat still needs to be researched.  Perhaps her other claim to fame was that Trevelyan Richards, cox of the ill-fated Penlee lifeboat was her skipper prior to the disaster.

Time is running out to save the boat from being broken up and yet another piece of Great Briatin's proud maritime heritage ends in the scrapyard.

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly FLAG

£800,000 European and government funding approved

The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is funding six groups to deliver community led local development in England. These Fisheries Local Action Groups, FLAGs, will use the knowledge of local stakeholders to tackle fisheries issues at a local level. The MMO, which administers the EMFF in England recently issued funds to six FLAGS to take forward their strategies and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly FLAG tells us more about their approach below:

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly FLAG welcomes the approval of its funding by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).  This will invest £800,000 in the local economy from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the MMO.

We are excited to have the opportunity to focus on locally identified priorities and build upon previous FLAG success, as we have a sound understanding of key partners and local contacts to turn thee ideas into quality projects that will make a real difference to our fishing communities.

Funding themes

Our priorities and themes have come from a widespread consultation process across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to ensure that the investment is targeted towards the needs of the industry.

The FLAG will be supported by Cornwall Development Company who will carry out the management and administration and Cornwall Rural Community Charity who will provide the animation function for the partnership; working directly with the industry.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly FLAG will have three local themes within its strategy:

1. Safe working harbours
2. Encouraging and supporting young people into marine careers
3. Innovation research and diversification

Funding priorities

Within these three themes the FLAG has 4 priorities:

1. Supporting innovation, diversification and micro business development. This will aim to build communities through encouraging collaboration between fishermen
2. Developing and supporting social, economic and environmental projects which especially benefit smaller and isolated communities where the numbers of beneficiaries is low but impact is an important consideration
3. Supporting innovation projects, by bringing forward new fish products, fish waste/bi-products and new processing methods. Such projects could be in partnerships with social enterprises, scientists and researchers
4. Developing and supporting training to mentor new entrants. Working with skipper mentors to develop training to ensure entrants are safe and skilled in the many requirements of work. This priority has been spawned from previous FLAG projects and will look to develop a much more thorough new entrant programme with mentoring

For further information contact Chris Ranford, Cornwall Rural Community Charity on 01736 364324.

A full-on #FishyFriday in Newlyn

Two beam trawler trips were somewhat dwarfed by the volume...

of net fish landed this #FishyFriday morning...

which gave cause for as wry little smile to spread across the face of head auctioneer Ian...

bass bursting with eggs, it's that time of year when these beautiful fish head for their favourite spawning ground...

about the same time as the cuttle season draws to a close...

all the netters are landing trips of good hake...

and all of them endorsed by the MSC and certified as an entirely sustainable fish stock...

sustainability does not come much higher than handline caught mackerel, so it is good to see the guys still putting good landings ashore...

storm Doris barely stayed for a day this far south and west so this morning had a Spring-like feel to it...

as box after box of top quality fish where whisked away from the market...

leaving the local gulls buzzing the harbour for any scraps...

contrasted against the fleet of modern, steel, fully shelterdecked netters, the once proud Excellent awaits her fate...

basking in the morning sun, the Cornish Ice Company...

let it be known that it has its AGM next Thursday...

Ajax, Karen, Britannia V, Joy, four of the port's finest netters, the diversity of names reflecting the diversity of their skippers...

scalloper, Le Men Du puts in an early appearance

all hands hoping the end will be in their vicinity...

there's a few hours work still to be done on this bottom trawl...

St Ives lifeboat at rest...

the wheels on the beam go round and round - fuel saving device on the Admiral Gordon's beam trawls.

The Anthology of Rural Life - Photographic Archive at Newlyn Art Gallery

The project will be open on Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th between 10am - 12am.

Open to all!

The Anthology of Rural Life is a collaborative photographic project whose intention is to produce a record of life in rural communities across Europe. So far work has been produced in Cornwall, south west Finland and the Italian Alps with new work being planned for eastern Poland in July 2017.

The project has involved working in partnership with, amongst others, the Cornish Studies Archive, Arts Council England, SARKA (the Finnish National Museum of Rural Life), Plymouth University, the Institute of Contemporary Photography, Milan and the University of Life Sciences in Warsaw.

As part of our residency with the Transitions programme we would like to invite x3 groups of individuals from the local community into the Newlyn Gallery on Tuesday 21st, Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th of February between 10am and 12 am.

Photographer Colin Robins is on hand to talk about the archive...

There will be an opportunity to view the exhibition of ARL work, to speak to the photographers, discuss the work on show and to get involved with editing a journal of the work which can be taken away and kept by the participants.

and your selected prints can be arranged and taken away in book form.

We are very aware of the history of the involvement between artists and the Newlyn community which goes back to the Newlyn School of Painting of the late nineteenth century. It seems apt and appropriate to acknowledge that history with this contemporary community project.

Deep-sea trawler skipper, Mevagissey.

Colin Robins, one of the photographers says:

"Ideally we would like to have representatives from three distinct, but related groups:

• Retired fishermen and/or wives of retired fishermen

• Those involved in the contemporary fishing industry

• Women from the local Newlyn community (perhaps wives of working fishermen)

The ARL’s involvement with the Newlyn Gallery will allow for the interaction of members of the contemporary fishing community with a project that documents rural life now. The intention will be realised through discussion about the work within the gallery and the physical engagement of working with photographs (editing, sequencing and binding) which will then be taken back into the Newlyn community.

One of the significant things for us is the history of artist's interactions with the Newlyn (fishing) community which of course goes back to the C19th & is commemorated at Penlee House in Penzance. The Newlyn Gallery was established as a showcase for 'Newlyn School' painting so seems an appropriate venue to explore this relationship today. However we're keen to kind of reverse the trajectory and have the community look at us rather than the other way around."

NFFO encourages vessel owners to make the most of EMFF

The NFFO is encouraging fishing vessel owners to make use of the EMFF funds not only to gain early minimum compliance with the upcoming codes but to improve the vessel safety beyond that which is required. Changes in the new codes where EMFF money can assist are vessels under 15m which will require an EPIRB with a built-in GPS receiver. However, if the vessel is less than 10m or operates single handed, owners can instead opt for a PLB with a GPS receiver for each crew member. An open vessel between 7m and 15m, or a decked vessel between 7m and 10m will also now be required to carry a liferaft.

Crew of the Robert Louise with EPIRB and Liferaft from previous NFFO initiative.

NFFO Safety and Training Officer Robert Greenwood, who is also the chairman of the FISG Promotion of Safety Group commented: “The biggest improvement in terms of safety isn’t necessarily going to come from the equipment but the requirement for emergency drills. If every vessel did regular emergency drills they not only would be prepared in case the worst ever happened, but they would also be raising awareness of what and how an accident could occur – hopefully this awareness will reduce the chance of an accident.”

The FISG members are all keen to ensure that for these particular items there should be a two year phase-in period to help owners reduce the cost of the equipment. The phase-in period allows EMFF money to be used to help with the cost of the items which remain non-mandatory during the phase-in period.

“This is a great example of the type of co-operation that occurs as a result of the Fishing Industry Safety Group,” Robert Greenwood said. “Although not a requirement, it is recommended that all vessels carry both a vessel mounted EPIRB and PLBs for everyone.”

“EMFF offers a great opportunity to improve safety and we will help any members with their needs, as I am sure all federations and associations will. This year we have a focus on man overboard and have worked with Fibrelight to develop an affordable man overboard ‘dummy’ which is now available from ADEC Marine where members can receive a 12.5% discount on all sales, servicing and hiring,’ he said.

“I would encourage owners wishing to submit an EMFF application to consider adding MOB prevention, mitigation and rescue into their plans.”

Cornish fishermen can contact Chris Ranford at Seafood Cornwall Training (SCT) for more information.

Tuesday's market, full of quality fish again.

Although just the two beam trawlers are indicated on the landings board...

the inshore netter, New Harmony landed a good shot of monk...

and bigger netters like the Gary M and Charisma landed bigger shots of large white fish like pollack, haddock...

and whiting...

while the beam trawlers supplied megrim, Dover and lemon soles along with monk...

at this time of year bass head inshore in numbers for their favourite spawning grounds off Plymouth, the Lizard and Land's End...

with a few black bream just tagging along...

a good run of MSC Certified hake filled the western end of the market along with other inshore fish...

outside the market, the Bonnie Grace makes ready to catch a few hours fishing close inshore ahead of the impending gloomy forecast for the rest of the week. - maybe one day someone will do some research on how significant the weather is in the business of fishing for a living