Welcome to Through the Gaps, the UK fishing industry's most comprehensive information and image resource. Newlyn is England's largest fish market and where over 50 species are regularly landed from handline, trawl, net, ring net and pot vessels including #MSC Certified #Hake, #Cornish Sardine, handlined bass, pollack and mackerel. Art work, graphics and digital fishing industry images available from stock or on commission.
While most people were tucked up in bed in the early hours of Sunday morning the Ajax and other were steaming for Newlyn having an uncomfortable ride home to Newlyn...
all set for 11am, the War Memorial built on the old battery site - hence the name Battery Rocks...
later, the Imogen III taking ice and the Ajax all et to sail again...
replacement wheels for a beam trawl...
hard men need hard hats...
facing the stiff breeze and on the lookout for breakfast...
compared, the old and the new roof...
the Fishermen's Shack, now open for business in the Fish Festival Office...
This report provides the main results and findings of the twelfth annual underwater television survey on the ‘Smalls grounds’ ICES assessment area; Functional Unit 22. The survey was multi-disciplinary in nature collecting UWTV, CTD and other ecosystem data. A total of 40 UWTV stations were surveyed successfully (good quality video footage) carried out over an isometric grid at 4.5nmi or 8.3km intervals. The prawn (Nephrops norvegicus) are common in the Celtic Sea occurring in geographically distinct sandy/muddy areas where the sediment is suitable for them to construct their burrows (Figure 1). The Nephrops fishery in ICES sub-area 7 is extremely valuable with landings in 2016 worth around € 107 m at first sale. The Celtic Sea area (Functional Units 19-22 see Figure 1) supports a large multi-national targeted Nephrops fishery mainly using otter trawls and yielding landings in the region of ~5,000 t annually over the last decade (ICES, 2017). The 2016 reported landings from the Smalls (~3276 t) were estimated to be worth in the region of €18.2 million at first sale. The Smalls ground is particularly important to the Irish demersal fleet accounting for around 13% of the fishing effort by all demersal vessels >15m between 2006 - 2009 (Gerritsen, et al., 2012). The Irish demersal fleet now account for over 90% of the FU22 Nephrops landings (ICES, 2017). Good scientific information on stock status and exploitation rates are required to inform sustainable management of this resource. The 2017 Celtic Sea survey took place on RV Celtic Voyager between the 9th August to 17th August. The survey normally takes place in either July or August each year.
A new short video has been produced highlighting the collaborative approach between fishermen and scientists in their innovative survey to assess the status and composition of herring stocks to the West of Scotland.
The film gives an informative overview of the multi-partner survey, which is using a combination of acoustic data and catch sampling to estimate the abundance of herring and investigate whether stocks in the northern part of this fishing zone (Area VIa) are different from those further south.
Such data will then contribute to the international stock assessment process carried out by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
The international survey is led by marine scientists Dr Steven Mackinson of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association (SPFA), Martin Pastoors of the Pelagic Freezer-trawler Association (PFA) and Susan Lusseau of Marine Scotland.
Dr Mackinson says: “By adopting such a collaborative approach between scientists and fishermen, we are able to provide valuable data that can be incorporated into the scientific process for assessing herring stocks in this area.
“It is a great example of fishermen and scientists working together to ensure a sustainable future for our fisheries.”
Pelagic fleet shows that big can be beautiful
There is a school of thought among some environmentalists that when it comes to fishing, big is bad and small is good. Much more sustainable, they argue, to have small-scale artisanal fishers working our fishing grounds as opposed to large trawlers. A simplistic notion which at first glance has some appeal, but on close examination, not one that stands up to any real scrutiny. Take the Scottish mackerel and herring (pelagic) sector as an example. Although there are a number of small-boat hand liners working the fishery, the overwhelming bulk of the catch comes from a relatively small number of large and very sophisticated trawlers. Yet, our herring and mackerel fisheries are among the most sustainable around, with virtually all of them carrying the prestigious Marine Stewardship Council ecolabel for the responsible way in which they are managed. The fishery is very carefully regulated and controlled, with scientific stock assessments used for the setting of catch levels. Furthermore, these large vessels in our pelagic fleet work a clean fishery where there is virtually no by-catch of unwanted fish. The result is our mackerel and herring stocks are healthy and robust. Although the size of the Scottish pelagic fleet is comparatively small, each boat carries many more crew than smaller vessels and the industry supports a large onshore processing sector, employing over 2,000 people. Our mackerel sector alone is worth hundreds of millions of pounds to the Scottish economy each year. Mackerel and herring shoals are mostly located in deep water many miles from the coast where it would be too dangerous for small craft to venture. In the case of mackerel, much of this fishing takes place in the winter where only a large vessel could ever safely harvest the fish. But our environmentally-friendly credentials go even further when compared to other methods of protein production. A recent study by the NAFC Marine Centre in Shetland found that the carbon footprint of the Shetland mackerel trawl fishery is low compared to land based meat production, with it being 8.5 times lower than the best scoring meat and up to 47 times lower than the worst. Mackerel is, therefore, a very efficient, environmentally-friendly means of primary food production in terms of carbon emissions. Here is another thought. Around 17% of the world’s food protein consumption comes from fish, but the UN Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAO) notes that in a world where more than 800 million continue to suffer from chronic malnourishment, and where the global population is expected to grow by another 2 billion to reach 9.6 billion people by 2050, we must meet the huge challenge of feeding our planet while safeguarding its natural resources for future generations. The Scottish pelagic sector has a role in addressing this challenge and already a fair proportion of our pelagic catch is exported to markets such as West Africa. Our fisheries, if sustainably managed, can play a huge role in filling the world’s food requirements – and that means employing a mix of both big and small boats. In other words, the key to sustainable fishing lies in a balanced structure, with each segment of the fleet complementing the other, whilst at the same time never forgetting our environmental responsibilities. In Scotland, we are lucky to have such a rich and broad range of fisheries, from small creelers and hand liners to our large pelagic vessels. It is a broad mix which we should cherish – and each and every one has an important role in putting food on our plates. You can keep up to date with the Scottish Pelagic Fish Sustainability Group and its work on their website.
How do fishermen understand the ecosystem? From across the pond comes yet another endorsement of 'fishers knowledge', this time from the Maine Centre for Coastal Fisheries. None of what they say is new of course but what is new is that the desire and means to record and make available fishers' information is now increasingly being sought, encouraged and indeed needed. One thing that does stick out like a sore thumb of course is the language used by those from scientific in describing this knowledge - and that is not the day-to-day language used by fishermen of course - far from it. Even between relatively small geographical areas fishermen use very different terms and expressions to describe exactly the same fish, gear or action. In Newlyn for example a trawl or net is 'shot' meaning to put in the water - in St Ives they would use the word 'shut'.
This, of course, is precisely the reason science uses such specific terms because phrases like 'spatial adaptation' are understood by scientists the world over - the terms are universal and designed to share and spread (facilitate and disseminate) information. Importantly, scientists also need to remember that fishermen do not have knowledge of this coded language so whenever they address or make presentations directly to fishermen as the example below illustrates - they need to be mindful of using appropriate language!
This was a recent advert put out to the fishing community at large - a call for innovative ideas - but several marine students at university I asked could not explain what the term 'spatial adaptations' meant - so how was Bert the fishermen supposed to fully understand and respond to this call for his innovative ideas? How do fishermen understand the ecosystem? At Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries (MCCF), we work to connect the knowledge of fishermen with the findings of science and the world of policymakers. As part of an ongoing project exploring the knowledge held by fishermen about the marine ecosystem, we aim to understand how access rights shape fishermen’s knowledge, and thereby the kinds of information they can contribute to fisheries science and management. Fishermen are careful observers, developing detailed and fine-scale knowledge about the marine environment – not surprising given the fact that they are interacting with that environment on a regular basis. To take stock of this knowledge base, MCCF’s Research Fellow Emily Farr and Cooperative Research Scientist Josh Stoll have interviewed 17 fishermen in 12 harbors throughout Hancock and Washington counties. The interviews have focused on their fishing experience, interactions between species and their habitat, food web relationships, and environmental change. Fishermen are keen observers of ecosystem dynamics, processes, and relationships In these interviews, fishermen describe a complex and multi-scalar set of observations about ecosystem structure and change. A few examples of the dynamics, processes, and relationships described are:
Habitat: The composition of the seafloor — mud, sand, gravel, rock — is an important determinant of the spatial distribution of species in the ecosystem. Many fishermen describe how life gathers at the so-called “edges” of the seafloor, where one bottom type transitions into another. Other factors important for habitat include water depth and food availability.
Oceanographic Factors: Water temperature is commonly described as one of the most important factors in determining the abundance and spatial distribution of various species, and their patterns of behavior, including migration and reproduction.
Food Web Relationships: Fishermen frequently say if you find the feed, you find the fish. Feeding behavior is often a primary driver of species movement, whereby predators follow their prey. Predator-prey relationships also play an important role in the relative abundance of various species.
Environmental Change: Fishermen describe changing water temperatures and seasonal patterns, which often drive changes in species abundance, distribution, and behavior. Changes in fishing pressure and the nature of fishing activities also contribute to these changes in species abundance.
Fishermen’s knowledge is rich and variable
The patterns emerging from an early set of interviews provide important insights into both the richness and variability of knowledge held by commercial fishermen. First, fishermen who hold or have held licenses for multiple fisheries seem to develop a more holistic understanding of the marine environment and its dynamics. MCCF has long advocated for diversification in catch and the shoreside economy. This diversification enables fishermen to develop a keener understanding of the ecosystem through regular interactions with multiple components of that ecosystem. Second, the collective body of fishermen’s knowledge is more complex and complete than the knowledge of any single individual. Fishermen operate in different places and at varying scales, just as ecological processes occur at varying scales. A clam digger in the intertidal zone will see a finer and more sessile set of interactions than a fisherman targeting a mobile fish like tuna. This implies a requirement for collaboration and the synthesis of different perspectives — individuals in different fisheries and geographic contexts, scientists, managers, policymakers — in order to facilitate a better understanding of the complex and multi-scalar processes and interactions that make up the marine ecosystem. Maine is somewhat unique in its embrace of co-management of fisheries resources, where governance is shared between the fishing industry and state agencies. This makes the dynamics of fishermen’s knowledge particularly important, as it has significant implications for the kinds of information they are able to contribute to management. This ongoing project supports MCCF’s belief that fisheries decision-making would benefit from the experience and expertise of diversified fishermen, and many of them. Findings: Drivers of species abundance and distribution across space, as described by three fishermen who collectively have participated in lobster, groundfish, scallop, shrimp, halibut, clam, mussel, seaweed, urchin, and sea cucumber fisheries. The width of the arrow indicates the number of fishermen who described each relationship. Full story courtesy of Coastal Fisheries Org.
The Bara Breizh ("Breton Bread"), the sixteenth trawler in the history of Bigouden Company (eleven offshore trawlers in Guilvinec) was launched on Thursday 21st at Douarnenez, after a year and a half work at the Gléhen Shipyard.
This 24.90 meter steel vessel built for 3.7 million euros replaces the Bara Heiz. Powered by a Caterpillar 3512 engine of 600 kW, it takes the layout of the last new ship that entered the company , the Bara Ar Vicher, released from the same shipyard in 2012. "The two boats differ on the size of the propeller (2.4m in diameter for the new ship) and by inserting it into a nozzle so as not to modify its draft," explains Christophe Collin, Technical Manager.
The Bara Breizh also has again the ergonomics of the bridge, the integration into the keel of an Ixblue multibeam echosounder and its registration in the first category of navigation (up to 360 miles) to work without any problems with tuna in summer. It will be subject to work in berth and then sea trials before it is scheduled to be operational by mid-November. The crew will consist of seven men on the rota and five men on board. The Bara Breizh prefigures the future new ship Bigouden Armament (code name: Bara 17) whose Gléhen shipyard starts work for a launch planned in 2019.
Three years ago Magnus Johnson (Senior Lecrurere at Hull University) gave this address to the Scottish White Fish PA. In it he talks about the impact of planning for prawn fishing in Fladen. In the talk he cites the importance - and explains why - fishermen should be given the means to collect as much data as possible while they are at sea. Listen from 20:15 - what he says then is becoming ever-more important in the run up to full implementation of the LO and then Brexit!
What Magnus says about fishermen collecting data is fast becoming an imperative - with sufficient data collected demonstrating accurate and transparent historical catch data organisations cannot ignore the reality of the situation on the ground - and the closer that gets top real-time data the better. The world of evidence driven quota and stock management has been growing for years - now fishermen must take the bull by the horns and become pro-active and not reactive.
Where possible new ways of harnessing and organising the growing access to always online communication with the shore via satellite or local broadband must be developed, modified and adopted by ALL vessels not just to a few individuals left to champion the cause for the benefit of the rest.
Across the Atlantic the very same issue is the subject of this presentation on the New England GroundFish. This is the way to protect the future of fishing - especially so for inshore grounds and the lives of the vast majority of fishermen working in that sector who are most at risk from a badly negotiated replacement of the CFP.
