According to the SFF - Marine Conservation Society get it Wrong on North Sea Haddock

Today, the Scottish Fishermen's Federation published a response to the news that the MSC had downgraded the eatability rating from green to amber.


"The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has once again proven that it is more about headline grabbing than telling the truth. It continues to try and justify its existence by laying politics with the fishing Industry, this latest attack on North Sea Haddock and the Scottish fleet is another fine example of grasping for media space on the back of a false judgement.

North Sea haddock remains sustainable and well managed with extraction rates this year set at the most sustainable levels. The stock is certified as sustainable under the gold standard of MSC. Since 2007 the spawning stock biomass (SSB) has been above the reference point for maximum sustainable yield (MSY) with fishing mortality being lower than the MSY reference point (a well-managed sustainable fishery). Indeed, only last year the advice had been for an increased catch of 30%.

During the 2016 assessment an error in the stock assessment model was discovered. In addressing this matter, fisheries scientists at the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) corrected the statistical model, reviewed the reference points for fishing mortality and reassessed the advice.

The updated assessment resulted in a reduction in the haddock catch advice by 45%. This is based on fishing for 2017 at a rate of 0.1, (ie. fishing at the sustainable rate of MSY). This will see the spawning stock, which is currently above the precautionary approach reference point, increasing to 206,000 Tonnes next year, well above the MSY reference point.

In effect, fishing activity is being managed at sustainable levels."

Then,
Hours later today (17th) the MSC responded with, "Clarification on Seafood Ratings Advice"

In response to today's media coverage of our latest ratings for seafood update, and specifically for our revised advice for haddock from North Sea and West of Scotland areas, the Marine Conservation Society would like to clarify the following points.

MCS has not called for haddock be taken off menus. MCS only actively asks this when a fishery or farming method is red rated (rated 5). The new ratings for North Sea and West of Scotland haddock are 3 and 4.

The new ratings come after the latest scientific advice from ICES which was released in November last year. This advice indicated that the levels of fishing that can be considered sustainable for this population are lower than previously thought, meaning a smaller proportion should be caught. This means that advice for catches in 2017 are 47% lower than originally advised for catches in 2016.

Latest quotas have been reduced in line with this scientific advice, and the biomass is expected to significantly increase this year.

Recruitment - the number of young fish joining the fishery - has tended to be consistently lower since 2000, and consequently scientists have under-estimated the reference points used to determine stock and exploitation status, which are considered to be more representative of the productivity of the stock.

Contrary to some suggestions, consumers should not expect to see a shortage of haddock in shops.

A new assessment will be undertaken later this year, when new ICES advice becomes available, and if the health of the fishery has improved as expected, this will be reflected in MCS ratings.

Through our Good Fish Guide, we encourage people to make informed buying decisions, and to try and choose seafood from the fisheries and farming methods that have the least impact on our seas. Read the advice we provide for haddock here.

Further reading: http://www.seafish.org/rass/index.php/profiles/haddock-in-north-sea-skagerrak-and-west-of-scotland-demersal-otter-trawl/

#FishyFriday's finest inshore fish fresh from Newlyn!

Apologies made for the appalling use of alliteration this morning (again) but, one day, I'm hoping that a certain @JayRayner1 will lured into reading the blog not just for its fishy content but also because I know he has a particular aversion to this most cliche'd literary device along with pink Himalayan or any other 'name' salt; according to Jay as far as flavouring goes, salt is salt is salt...

and so on to today's business and, as the title of the post alludes, today is the soul (sic) preserve of inshore trawl fish...

which means the buyers will be keen to get the best prices...

for shining examples of fish like these whiting from Tom McClure on the Harvest Reaper - if the name sounds familiar it is well worth noting that skipper Tom is part of an artistic dynasty in Cornwall - both his mother Daphne and sister Emma have works in tomorrow's Porthleven Baulk Art Auction...

both the ex-French stern trawlers, the Elisabeth Veronique...

and the Imogen III made landings of fish that even now are less then 24 hours old...

along with more pure examples of piscine pleasure from Plugger's Shiralee...

and plate sized plaice from Tom...

as well as boxes of blondes which seem to be particularly abundant this year for the inshore boys...

at the other end of the market the netter Karen of Ladram continued to keep the country supplied with MSC Certified hake...

as mysterious, Giacometti-like figures...

whisk the fish away...

name this fish...

the U-bend...

pollack are one of the fish caught by handline...

but this morning sees the market fridge once again...

full of line caught mackerel...

as its abundance continues to defy traditional patterns...

netters and beam trawlers between trips...

trawled up from the deep, part of an old Belgian sidewinder's trawl footrope...

is ready to set sail...

when the ends are let go...

down the end of the Mary Williams pier the sight of a mobility scooter is cause for a smile...

as it heralds the presence of a certain Steve 'Cod' Astley...

who it is great to see is now back on his (well not exactly his) feet again...

and helping get his boat out of the water for a refit...

Cod's devastating attack of septicemia not only took away his lower legs but attacked his hands too...

so it is a welcome and cheering sight to see him doing what fishermen have to do in order  to maintain their boats and business...

ably supported by Royden on the harbour crane and

Graham Inman with his St Ives registered punt, Janet-Anne...

in the wars and minus her prop and shaft, the netter Ajax...

 there appears to be something missing from the Harriet...

oh, here it is, ask the MMO for more details...

that is some serious rubbing down before painting on aluminium...

all set to for their first soaking...

bound away for another day...

the Three Jays about to take on more gear - some sure sign summer must be coming! - sorry @JayRayner1 ;-)

Porthleven's Great Baulk Art Auction - this Saturday!

Don't forget to register online for the Great Baulk Art Auction this Saturday and grab yourself an amazing piece of art and maritime history! There are over 180 works of art and craft from some amazing local and national figures - a one-off chance to own a piece of Cornish maritime history and support the Fishermen's Mission and its work at the same time - all proceeds go to the Mission their work in Cornwall.

For more information contact Julian Waring at the Fishermen's Mission who are organising the charity auction - the auction itself is being run by fine art auctioneer, David Lay.

Top quality inshore fish aplenty this morning

Boats are sold by the order in which they land...

typical of the fish landed by a beam trawler are megrim soles, by value, the highest single species landed in Newlyn annually...

and always a fish where the big buyers...

like Smart's are keen to get the best, unless Ocean Fish beat them to it...

these big ling are just the fish to make superb fish cakes...

it will soon be the scallop season again, but the beam trawlers always pick up a few over the course of a trip...

unlike bass where they just get lucky if they have any...

even though beam trawlers tow for 3-4 hours, sometimes less, the haddock on the left was caught early on in a tow while the one on the right at the end - hence the brighter appearance owing to the presence of scales which haven't been washed off by the action of all the fish congregating in the cod end...

the Milennium had a big brill...

and even a few big pollack...

while Plugger on the Shiralee landed a superb haul of flats including these Dover, lemon sole and plaice...

along with some cracking small-eyed ray...

name the fish from the Algrie...

a mix of dazzling blues and reds...

this cuckoo ray is doing its best to look like an African elephant...

if you are not sure which ray, shark or skate you are looking at then this excllent booklet produced by the Co-op will help...

this big conger had been around the wrecks and rocks for a few years...

well past the time of year when the boats would have made good landings of squid which have been in short supply this winter...

all lined up ready for the auction, a bunch of bibs...

while there may not have been many squid landed, cuttlefish, another member of the cephalapod family have been in good supply of late - ask your local fishmonger to get some so that you can try Nathan Outlaw's excellent cuttlefish salad - well worth trying if you are a fan of calamari...

net fish, what net fish? - last nights big moon was a reminder that it is big spring tides, hence the lack of net fish on the market this morning...

two local events not to be missed if you want to be involved in the future of inshore fishing...

especially this one looking at publicising changes to inshore netting rules and regulations...

in this part if the world, once the home of chart datum for the entire world, high water at this time of day means it is spring tides...

the lights are on as the latest crabber, Harriet Eve nears completion - shouldn't be too long before our local sign-writer extraordinaire, Squirrel gets to work on her letters and numbers...

at this teime of year the Belgian and Dutch beam trawl fleet make their way to 'up channel' (which, when referred to in this part of the world, means the Bristol Channel)...

low could rolls off the land into the bay...

as one of the first sail boats (a classic Colin Archer hull?) for the season lays at anchor with a mist-shrouded St Michael's Mount in the background...

another anchor form the days of sail landed by a beam trawler - free to a good home...

the Algrie, one of Stevenson's original ex-Dutch beam trawlers and founder of the beam trawl fleet in Nelwyn along with the Aatlje Adriaante and the Anneleise...

even today, sea coal from wrecks is still being trawled up - some comes from the bunkers of steam ships, other from ships carrying coal as cargo, either way it burns just as well as the day it was put aboard the boat......

new boat, new post, new gear for the Harriet Eve awaits her maiden trip...

the new hydraulic crane for the other new build in the port out is about to be fitted on the Pelagic Marksman...

traditionally, Dutch and Belgian beam trawlers suspend their cod ends and stocking high over the deck when in port...

not such good news for the netter, Ajax, looks like a new shaft is on the way...

a single gull flies over the handline fleet busy fishing for mackerel...

as the huge research vessel Tridens lays at anchor off the Low Lee buoy - she is on passage to the west coast of Ireland and Scotland to carry out a huge Blue Whiting survey from March to April.  Hopefully, the ship will post every day on progress on the ship's research blog.