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.
With a full on strong gale over the weekend some merchants were left to scratch their heads in disbelief at the prices being paid on Monday morning's market...
even for fish like these mackerel caught by a few hardy line fishermen in St Ives Bay...
and especially for top quality fish like these John Dory...
monk fish tails...
or even these Dover monk fish tails...
the Twilight III as one of a handful of beam trawlers to put fish ashore...
which included some early season undulate ray...
the odd bass...
and a smattering of scallops and octopi...
three stacks of mackerel, a good day's work for one small boat...
big tub gurnards are right up there now with the quality league and much sought after by some chefs...
name that fish...
many smaller gurnards still go for crab pot bait...
thereby hangs a tail or three...
limited supplies of big white fish come from beam trawl landings...
and a handful of specimen squid to go with...
some sweet looking tails...
an inky glaze on the market floor is a tell-tale sign of heavy cuttlefish landings...
and an inky sky as a result of a weekend of heavy weather promises to break later in the day...
which will see the guys on the Sapphire II back down aboard the boat and a full day's work putting the trawl together again...
as the first of the netters...
pumps ice aboard well before first light...
as netter crews muster aboard the rest of the fleet down the quay.
The netter Harvest Reaper entering Newlyn through the gaps having fished on grounds shared with many French fishing vessels.
From an article in Le Monde: Access to fishing grounds, stock management, the consequences of Brexit on the European fishing sector, and in particular French, are worrying.
This is an essential but still little known part of the Brexit negotiations, which is due to enter into force on 30 March 2019. For the United Kingdom, which is the largest island in the European Union (EU), the question of Maritime sovereignty is unavoidable; the subject was besides a totem of the campaign of the partisans of Brexit. Five months before the deadline, London firmly affirms its desire to resume, at that date, control of its waters, the largest in the Union and among the most fish. This announced divorce worries the European fishing industry, and in particular the French sector, one of the most exposed, with that of Denmark. Certain regions - the Hauts-de-France, Brittany and Normandy - are particularly dependent on access to British waters. In total, 30% of the French fishermen's catch depends on it, a rate which rises to 50% for Brittany, the leading fishing region in France, to 75% for the Hauts-de-France, according to the National Committee for Marine Fisheries and Fisheries. marine farms (CNPMEM). What is the fishing policy in the EU? The European Union is the world's fifth largest producer of fisheries and aquaculture. It adopted a common fisheries policy (CFP) in the 1980s, like the common agricultural policy. It is one of the most integrated European policies. The CFP is based on the pooling of the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of European countries and the joint management of the fishery resource. What is an Exclusive Economic Zone? The EEZ is a maritime area over which a coastal State exercises sovereign rights in the exploration and use of resources. This space, which was defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 , extends up to 200 nautical miles (about 370 km) from the coast of the state; beyond that it is international waters. Within the EEZ, territorial waters represent an area of up to 12 nautical miles in width (approximately 22 km) where the coastal State exercises sovereignty. Equality of access. The CFP allows all European vessels access to the waters and fishing zones of the Member States, provided that they comply with the fishing quotas. Preservation of resources and sustainable management. The EU has exclusive competence in the conservation of the living resources of the sea. The CFP, revised every ten years, strives to combine the sustainable exploitation of resources, the maintenance of marine biodiversity and decent income insurance for professionals in the sector. As the Union has expanded, the CFP has undergone several reforms. The most recent took effect on 1 st January 2014 has strengthened the environmental requirements. The current policy is to set sustainable catch limits between 2015 and 2020 to maintain long-term fish stocks. These are then divided among the countries of the Union in the form of national quotas, applying a different percentage per stock and per country in order to guarantee a "relative stability" of the quantities fished, according to the number of vessels involved. They aim to perpetuate the stocks of a hundred fish species. The threats that Brexit poses to the sector, which would weaken the CFP, include restrictions on access to certain fishing grounds, a new allocation of quotas, access to the seafood market and regulations that apply to all member countries. What does the United Kingdom want and have done? With the exit of the EU, the UK will leave the CFP and regain control of its entire exclusive economic zone, the vast seabelt that surrounds the country. White Paper. In its White Paper on fishing published in early July, London plans eventually to unilaterally decide the access of its waters to European boats, highlighting "the interest of British fishermen" , who voted 92% in 2016 in Brexit in protest of the EU's fishing quotas, which are considered "obsolete" and "unfair" . London would like to renegotiate the current quotas according to the location to which the resource is attached, particularly cod and haddock. According to an EU report published in January, between 2011 and 2015, European fishermen harvested an average of 760 000 tonnes per year of fish caught in British waters, when British fishermen caught only 90 000 tonnes in the UK. the waters of other European countries. Currently, Britain exports about 75% of its catch to EU countries, 35% to 40% of which goes to France, its largest customer for € 500 million a year, with British catches being little consumed the domestic market. In its discussions with Brussels, the United Kingdom wants to separate the issue of access to its territorial waters from that of the quantities of British fish exported to the Union. In Brussels, European boats are expected to continue to be allowed free access to British waters if London wants to continue selling its products on the European market. Article reserved for our subscribers Read also "Brexit": Scottish fishermen angry at "unelected technocrats" The unilateral withdrawal of the London Convention. By unilaterally denouncing the London Convention on Fisheries on 2 July 2017, the United Kingdom sent an unequivocal signal on its willingness to regain full control of its maritime area. "With this withdrawal, the British show us that the negotiations will probably be complicated," said Alain Cadec, MEP and chairman of the fisheries committee of the European Parliament, during a round table on the subject in Lorient (Morbihan ), in November 2017. Concluded in 1964, before the United Kingdom entered the EU in 1973, the London Convention is an international agreement on fishing rights in coastal waters. It authorises catches in an "area between six miles and twelve miles [11 km and 22 km] " off the coasts of the six signatories - France, Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom, Ireland and the Netherlands - all members of the the EU. "Leaving the London Convention on Fisheries is an important moment (...). This means that for the first time in more than fifty years, we will be able to decide who can access our waters after 2020 and under what conditions ",said British Environment Minister Michael Gove, a supporter of a "green Brexit" that would respect resources. The chief negotiator of the European Union on Brexit, Michel Barnier, had immediately put into perspective and judged that the British decision would have no impact, saying that the convention had become de facto obsolete with the CFP. However, some European fisheries law experts believe that once the EU exit, and hence the CFP, has been negotiated, the London Convention on Fisheries would have resumed service. Leaving this agreement, British fishermen themselves lose the right to work near the coasts of five other signatory countries.
A sector mobilized Member States wish to defend their historic rights. A few months after the vote on the Brexit in June 2016, the European Fisheries Alliance (EUFA, European Fisheries Alliance) was launched in March 2017 in Brussels. It includes Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden, the nine most affected Member States, which derive one-third of their catches from within the EEZ surrounding the British Isles. Chaired by the Dutchman Gerard van Balsfoort and representing 18,000 fishermen - 3,500 boats - and 21 billion euros in turnover, the EUFA calls for fishing to be a priority in the Brexit negotiations. It wants to continue joint management of shared stocks after Brexit, modeled on the current common fisheries policy. Full story courtesy of Anne Guillard writing for Le Monde.
Well past the appointed time the cloud lifted enough eventually to reveal a not-so-super not so blood-red moon over the harbour...
inside the market there were big landings of hake from the Amanda of Ladram and the Karen of Ladram...
name the fish to which this tail belongs...
and this fish...
a very sullen cod...
some ray have vicious tails with which they can defend themselves...
while conger eels are just slippery fells and even harder to pin down...
specimen example of a rub gurnard...
Ian the auctioneer in full flow selling hake...
brill fillets were a very popular dish on British Airways trans-Atlantic fights back in the day...
Gary from Cefas finishing up his morning's fish data collection...
plenty of ray wings with the Imogen III...
the John Dory is one of several fish that carry a thumb mark, but which fish is this...
the middle fridge is now being used to hold landings of line caught mackerel which can be heavy at times...
like this 107 kilos from the punt, Sea Maiden...
looks like John Boy had a good day in St Ives Bay aboard the Nik-Nak...
red mullet are popular with the best restaurants as they look so good on the plate...
mackerel move fast at sea and on the market...
lights like this would make you rush for the almanac if you saw this sort of combination at sea...
with so much fish on the market the beam trawlers filled...
the middle auction hall...
even a boat as powerful as the inshore trawler Imogen III only ever catches a handful of hake within sight of the land as they prefer marauding in deeper waters......
young Mr Cripps keeping an eye on proceedings...
away in Penzance, the Scillonian III is preparing to exit dry dock.
Here are the Conclusions and Recommendations for the Fisheries Bill 2019. Tiz a pity that the cover is adorned by a non-UK fishing vessel - they only had to ask! But the greatest shame is that in the report there is no mention of education & training at a time when there is a dire shortage of UK crews and suitably qualified individuals capable of filling posts as engineers, mates or skippers - wherein lies the future for UK fishing if they are not forthcoming?
Eleventh Report of Session 2017–19 Report, together with formal minutes relating to the report.
Introduction
1.The Government should as a matter of course enable House of Commons’ Committees to conduct pre-legislative scrutiny on bills of this importance. (Paragraph 4) Fisheries policy in the UK 2.In considering the Fisheries Bill, Parliament is presented with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to evaluate and address the concerns raised about the Common Fisheries Policy. (Paragraph 18) Governance 3.The process of developing and reviewing the Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS) and the Secretary of State’s Fisheries Statement (SSFS) is an opportunity to provide clear direction and effective coordination for the UK’s fisheries policy as an independent coastal state. However, it is essential that the JFS and SSFS are subject to a shortened review period and independent expert assessment to help facilitate more rigorous scrutiny. (Paragraph 31) 4.The Government should amend the Bill so that the Joint Fisheries Statements (for the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations) and the Secretary of State’s Fisheries Statement will: (a) be subject to an interim review every three years and full review every six years; and (b) comprise an expert and independent published assessment that can be subject to public and parliamentary scrutiny. (Paragraph 32) 5.The Fisheries Bill is an opportunity to ensure the UK fisheries administrations can operate a dynamic fisheries management system, which can rapidly respond to changing circumstances. However, it is important that the use of delegated powers by the Secretary of State is informed by stakeholders in order to ensure that issues relating to their practical implementation are fully considered. (Paragraph 39) 6.The Government should establish a non-statutory advisory body, which can provide a forum for consultation and communication with stakeholders, for the new fisheries management system that will be established when the UK becomes an independent coastal state. This will help to provide transparency and confidence in the decision-making process, including in the application of the Fisheries Bill’s delegated powers. This body needs to have the credibility to make a real and sustained impact, encouraging support and buy-in for the new system among all stakeholders, including the fishing industry, the scientific community and environmental groups. (Paragraph 40) 7.The Fisheries Bill extends new powers and provisions to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) but not to Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs). The Government needs to ensure that new policy can be enforced in all English waters. IFCAs should be provided with the provisions and powers that a post-CFP regime will require. It is also important to ensure that both the MMO and IFCAs are adequately resourced to deliver their respective responsibilities and that unnecessary duplication is avoided. This means, amongst other things, that there must be an adequate number of fisheries protection vessels available to authorities. (Paragraph 47) 8.The Government should amend the Bill to more clearly designate the respective roles and powers of the MMO and IFCAs in relation to their duties for fisheries and marine protection, and to ensure they both have the necessary enforcement powers and resources of personnel and protection vessels to fully deliver the requirements of the UK as an independent coastal state. (Paragraph 48) Fishing Opportunities 9.The UK will have additional fishing opportunities after leaving the EU. An opportunity now exists to allocate these more fairly and transparently across the sector, and in line with the Government’s stated objectives in Clause 1. While we welcome the Government’s commitment to establishing a new method of allocation, the proposals laid down in Clause 22 do not meet our expectations and lack detail. We are concerned that such proposals will marginalise owners of smaller vessels and will not represent a significant break from current practice, which is based on the situation many years ago when the UK joined the EU. (Paragraph 56) 10.The Government should consult widely on the tender process for allocation of additional English quota and ensure buy-in from a range of stakeholders within the industry, including the operators of smaller vessels. Consultation should be followed by a trial, with feedback from affected parties to ensure workability and efficacy. (Paragraph 57) 11.We support the inclusion of the discards objective in Clause 1. The introduction of a new discard prevention charging scheme in Clause 23 is also welcome as a means to mitigate the impacts on industry. However, industry has valid concerns about the workability of such a scheme in practice. These concerns need to be addressed with urgency, taking into account experience, both good and bad, of the current discard scheme. (Paragraph 63) 12.The Government should trial and thoroughly consult on the discard prevention charging scheme and the associated secondary legislation to ensure it is workable, helps reduce discards and has stakeholder buy-in. The Government should establish a national research programme to identify new solutions to the issue of discard prevention with an aim of reporting its findings before the end of the transition period. (Paragraph 64) Sustainability and coastal communities 13.The Government has committed, on numerous occasions, to setting objectives and goals for sustainable fisheries for future generations. The 25 Year Environment Plan also made promising commitments to sustainability and our international obligations, including a clear commitment to delivering UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 and to achieving good environmental status in our seas by 2020 under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. (Paragraph 75) 14.At present, this level of ambition is not fully matched by the Bill, which lacks clarity about how the UK’s international obligations will be met once the UK leaves the Common Fisheries Policy. The Government should amend the sustainability and precautionary objectives in Clause 1 to ensure the Bill commits the UK to: (1) its international commitments on achieving maximum sustainable yield under the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals; and (2) its obligations to marine protection under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention). The Government should also amend the Bill to enshrine a future commitment to shared management of stocks, based on the best available scientific advice. These commitments should not be left to the Joint Fisheries Statement but should be made explicit in the Bill itself. (Paragraph 76) 15.The Government should also commit to a target date for Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)-level of exploitation of stocks. This should also be included within the next Joint Fisheries Statement, as suggested by the Minister, to ensure the UK can align with future international commitments for sustainable fisheries. Decisions for setting the target date must factor in both the likely timescale of the Bill and the stated ambition to achieve MSY as part of the precautionary objective. (Paragraph 77) 16.The Fisheries Bill is a significant opportunity for delivering a much-needed reversal of fortunes for vulnerable coastal communities and smaller scale fishers. Fair allocation of new and existing opportunities along economic, environmental, and social lines could lead to the regeneration of coastal communities and sustainable fishing practice. (Paragraph 87) 17.We also welcome the review of economic link conditions promised in the White Paper, Defra’s commitment to close working with Devolved Administrations and the additional funding promised to the Fishing Industry during the implementation period. We recognise the importance of a suitable replacement for the EMFF funding scheme for after 2020 and support the proposed plan and the measures suggested by the Minister. However, given the emphasis in the White Paper, the Committee does believe the Bill should include more explicit reference to the issue of economic regeneration of coastal communities. (Paragraph 88) 18.The Government should clarify what funding will be available to coastal communities after EMFF funding ends in 2020, and how eligibility for funding would be assessed. (Paragraph 89) 19.We recommend that the Government commits fully to delivering its review of economic link conditions proposed in the Fisheries White paper. The Government should also make direct reference to this issue in the Bill by expanding Clause 2 to make specific reference to economic regeneration of coastal communities. (Paragraph 90) 20.We regard the Bill as an opportunity to acknowledge the recreational fishing sector as a stakeholder in UK sea fisheries and recognise the advantages of more joined up thinking between the recreational and commercial sectors. We recommend that Clause 2(2)(h) be expanded to make explicit reference to recreational fishing. (Paragraph 94) Published by the HoC January 20th 2019.
Resting on the flat-bed, a huge 19th century single fluke anchor recently trawled up by one of the beam trawl fleet...
while quayside, Jeremy shackles in a strop to help lift the Resurgam's beam trawl...
that she retrieved from the bay yesterday from where she had dropped both sets of trawl gear to keep her decks clear prior to her major refit...
this is common practice for the local beam trawl fleet as it is a much easier way to manage storage of their fishing gear on the seabed which they can very easily use a creep to pick up later (having taken accurate GPS readings where the trawls were temporarily dumped)...
