The next Newlyn Archive Open day March 24th.

Here's whats in store for the next Newlyn Archive Open Day later this month.

The lifeboat Elizabeth and Blanche 2 returns to Newlyn Harbour after the rescue of the full crew of 13 men from the Norwegian barque, Saluto, which was blown ashore near Porthleven on December 13, 1911. This is one of many stories told at the next Newlyn Archive Open Day on Saturday 24 March 2018 at Trinity Centre Newlyn.

Alfred J Kliskey in Looking Back by a Newlyn Towner (See NA2585) wrote that it was the most severe storm he had ever witnessed. ‘It was a strong South Westerly gale and as I was going to work along the road near the lifeboat house, I heard a Mr Stevenson say that “If the lifeboat is needed today, she will not be able to go out of the harbour mouth for the sea is coming over green”, meaning that not only spray, but the sea itself was coming over the South Pier. I did not go to work that day, for soon after the rocket was heard, a signal to assemble the crew to the lifeboat house.’

Alfred’s brother William took his absent father’s place on the lifeboat and later recounted the story. He was the youngest member of a lifeboat crew up to that time. Here is his story.

‘…we got clear of the pier-head but could see nothing, the waves were so big. After a while, and when the lifeboat was on the crest of a wave, they saw the vessel out in the bay being driven broadside before the wind, with her sails in ribbons. As we approached her, the coxswain had to decide how he could take off the crew. If he went to the windward side he was afraid the lifeboat would be thrown on top of the drifting ship, so he decided to get as close as possible to the lee side. He ordered every man to take his oar to fend off from the ship’s side, but when it was tried, every oar snapped off like match sticks. So that manoeuvre failed. It was then decided to make round about trips and get as close as possible to the ship’s side. The coxswain would shout through his megaphone when he wished the ship’s crew to jump. At the first trial, some landed in the lifeboat; others fell into the water but were hauled aboard the lifeboat by ropes thrown to them. After four or five trips all the ship’s crew were taken off, and they made for home.’

The photo shows the arrival of the triumphant lifeboat at Newlyn’s North Pier where the Salvation Army Band played welcoming music and the crowds cheered.

PUT THE DATE IN YOUR DIARY: RESCUE AT SEA, SATURDAY MARCH 24, 2018, 10.00-3.00, AT TRINITY CENTRE NEWLYN.

THE POSTER IS AVAILABLE BELOW TO DOWNLOAD: 

Good Fish Guide - latest fish ratings out today

MCS has updated its online Good Fish Guide with some exciting new additions to its green rated ‘Best Choice’ list.

MSC Certified Cornish hake is recommended as an alternative to cod.

By choosing from a wider range, we’ll be putting far less stress on individual fisheries

Megrim from Rockall, Northern North Sea and West of Scotland; North Sea line and trap-caught or UK farmed turbot; line-caught pollack from the Celtic Sea; lemon sole, seine netted from the North Sea and eastern English Channel and queen scallop, traditionally caught in the Fal Estuary in Cornwall, are all now on the Good Fish Guide green-rated Best Choice List.

Getting onto that list is good news for any fishery because it identifies fish from these fisheries as the best choices a consumer or buyer can make to increase the sustainability of their purchases. 

As the UK prepares to leave the EU and fisheries talks get underway to try to secure us a bigger share of the fish post Brexit, MCS says now is the time to swap the traditional UK top five favourite fish for new choices.

“We’re suggesting that dab, hake, herring, mussels and mackerel become the new cod, haddock, salmon, prawns and tuna. By choosing from a wider range we’ll be putting far less stress on individual fisheries,” says Bernadette Clarke, MCS Good Fish Guide Programme Manager, who suggests a post-Brexit UK Top 10 which includes great tasting fish that aren’t a household name - yet.


The MCS, post Brexit, Best Choice Top 10

• Dab, seine netted in the North Sea
• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Certified hake from Cornwall
• MSC certified herring from Irish, Celtic and North Seas, SW Ireland and Eastern English Channel
• Mackerel, handlined in the southwest of England, and MINSA (Mackerel Industry Northern Sustainability Alliance) North East Atlantic MSC certified
• Megrim from the Northern North Sea and West of Scotland
• UK rope-grown mussels
• Brown crab from Devon Inshore Potting Area, Western Channel
• Queen scallops from the Fal Estuary, fished by traditional sail and oar method
• Pollack handlined from the Celtic sea
• Sole, Dover from the Western Channel

MCS says that there are some very good reasons for going local aside from complicated economics: lower food miles and carbon footprint; fresh fish can be tastier and better quality; good for the local economy; more choices; better traceability so you get what you pay for.

“We are currently exporting around 75% of fish caught and landed in the UK, but we’re the ninth largest importer of fish in the world with around 70% of the seafood value entering the UK fish supply chain coming from overseas. By choosing more sustainable sources and keeping it local it will help reduce wasting wild caught fish that are discarded dead because they have less value,” says Bernadette Clarke.

Sardines are in!

In the latest Good Fish Guide updates, MSC certified brown crab from both Shetland and Orkney, MSC certified sardine ring-netted in Cornwall and harpooned swordfish all move off the Best Choice list. Green listed non-movers this time around include Pacific halibut, mackerel and organic farmed Atlantic salmon. 

At the other end of the scale is the red rated, Fish to Avoid list. Fisheries moving onto the red list include ones for red mullet, nursehound, cuckoo, spotted and roker ray species, wild seabass from Biscay and Atlantic bigeye.  

Stunning looking undulate ray

Improving and off the red list are undulate ray from the English Channel; albacore from the Mediterranean and bigeye from western central Pacific Ocean.  Non-movers on the red list are wild seabass; skate; shark; spurdog and wild Atlantic salmon.  

“For many years MCS has been advocating consumers diversify the types of fish they eat and so relieve demand for traditional or more popular species such as cod and haddock. Although the health benefits of eating fish is well recognised and Government advice from the Food Standards Agency has been to eat at least two portions of fish a week, including a portion of oily fish, the Agency also recognises since 2010, the importance of eating a wide variety of fish and fish from sustainable sources,” said Bernadette Clarke.

Clara Govier, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery says: “It is great to see consumers using their power by making the right choices on which seafood to eat. However you access it, the Good Fish Guide gives instant advice on what to eat and how to cook it, whether you’re shopping for the family in the supermarket or looking for a place to eat out. I’m delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery are able to support this initiative.”

The MCS Good Fish Guide Fish is available here, as an app on iPhone or android, and paper credit card sized version – the Pocket Good Fish Guide.

Amanda of Ladram makes it her first #FishyFriday in Newlyn.

The shiny new fish market offices are nearing completion...

on a morning that saw the buyers busy bidding on fish...

like these Dover sole...

and plaice from the beamer Filadelfia...

and hake from the maiden voyage for the latest netter to work from the port, Amanda of Ladram...

on a blazing morning...

with a handful of conger eels

and plenty of cuttles left their mark...

as the sun began to rise...

the forklifts moved in top clear the boxes...

a sure sign spring is sprung, stacks of post wait to be put aboard and taken to sea...

and, being Cornwall of course, there are plenty of daffs about...

as the Harbour Cafe shows...

a fund day for Newlyn School fish fans...

an almost perfect reflection with no wind to ruffle the harbour waters...

the new netter, Amanda of Ladram at rest...

along with the rest of the fleet...

it wont be long before the old fish market roof garden is gone.

Surfs up in the Boneyard!

Rigged for surfing in the winter...

on a locally made Swell longboard...

I think he missed that one...

back for another attempt...

as another wave passes underneath...

Ahoy there! - looks like one of our fenders is missing!

Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning - it's the mid-week fish market in Newlyn.

Good to see the latest sardine boat, Vesta finally out of her fitting out berth and join her sister-ship, Asthore ready for action...

a trio of netters all set for the next neap tide...

on the day of the Chancellor's Spring Statement, there's more light at the end of the quay in Newlyn for many than that tunnel he talked about...

a wave from the wheelhouse of the Pelagic Marksman as she heads in...

and lands a dollop of fresh sardines at the market...

which is now beginning to look very much more in keeping with the local buildings with the addition of granite facing...

on England's top port for landings...

inside the market there are some big shots of big hake...

 from the likes of the Govenek of Ladram...

each fish has been carefully gutted between the jaw and the anal fin...

the hake, a true predator...

the crab paws are out in force...

and at this time of year mature fish are full of eggs (hard roe)...

and milts (soft roe)...

pollack are good providers of roe...

while monk also provide great liver...

back on the flats, a few lemons...

and plenty of boxes...

of brill for the Sapphire II...

 other boats, with gear on the rocky or hard  ground landed a few colourful wrasse...

and a few dozen boxes of sardines from the sardine boat, Pelagic Marksman who landed last evening...

many fish have disproportionately large mouths in relation to their overall body size...

a handful of St Ives boats were able to pick away on some good mackerel...

all of which kept a big crowed of buyers busy...

bidding on big fish like these ling...

most fish have swim bladders - it is how they adjust their bodies to cope with the difference in pressure at different depths - if they are brought to the surface quickly in nets their swim bladders cannot cope with the rapid change in pressure and cannot diffuse the air in the quickly enough back in the body - this is why most discarded fish die when they go back in the water...

both sides of the ray...

summer will bring a few more of these on the grounds...

beam trawlers, despite their power, catch very little cod which is easily able to avoid the trawl, this was the only cod caught in the Sapphire's  trip...

there were plenty of tub gurnards being bottom dwelling fish...

while these red mullet seem to have been visited by a ghostly ice apparition...

just time to grab a quick mug of tea...

the last thing many small fish see before they become a hake's latest meal...

time for more tea...

a damp day in prospect with a fresh sou'eastelry breeze on the way...

work in progress to face off the old breeze-block facing wall of the market...

more like a dull gay dawn rather than a silver one...

door adjustments for the Crystal Sea...

back in for the day, the crabber Harriet Eve.