Final #FishyFriday in June

There are several different species of gurnards landed at Newlyn, this, the red gurnard, is by far the most common...

a fish that young James here...

helps keep Big John well supplied with for crab pot bait...

a promising start to the day...

summer shots from some of the netters means plenty of turbot...

though their hake gear also picks up the odd scad...

tub gurnard...

and bream...

while the Algrie the only beam trawler to land weighed in with plenty of summer megrim soles stacked four boxes high in 100 kilo lots to go with her Dover soles and monk......

the Karen of Ladram...

and Amanda of Ladram put ashore plenty...

of hake, some of which were 'yay big' according to auctioneer Ian...

MSC Certified Hake, Newlyn fish indeed...

yet another blackfish on the market - and a quick look in the book confirms that it is not the even more uncommon Cornish Black Fish...

summertime also means more visiting trawlers working off to the south west of Mounts Bay...

it's rare to catch the Rowse fleet together in port as these nomadic boats spend most of their lives at sea...

not quite as poor as yesterday but still a sciffly sort of day...

the Scottish prawn trawler Aquarius makes her way in through the gaps...

and heads for the market to land her prawns...

there's still a big refit job to be done on the Cornishman...

the Brixham scalloper Kingfisher at rest...

a trio of teenage trawlers...

another side to the Kingfisher...

Penlee lifeboat in front of the now almost complete Penlee lifeboat house...

the Old Harbour in Newlyn still boats a few traditional sailing craft...

the cobbles down the centre of Boase Street are a nod to their past function when they provided a central gulley down most Newlyn town streets - basically they were over-ground sewers fed by spring water further up the hill...

the lifeboat house enjoying some early morning sunshine...

PZ Gallery is hosting a show of artworks inspired by the Atlantic Ocean next month...

and catering for thirsty people over the next few Days of the Golowan Festival and Mazey Day on Saturday...

quiet time at the fair.

MEO Brexit meeting at Penzance

MEP Brexit meeting in the Queen's Hotel, Penzance at 7:30pm this evening, 27th June 2019.

The very rocky future of Taranaki's inshore fishing industry

Longtime fisherman Ian McDougall says rules and regulations are killing the country's inshore fishing industry.

Ian McDougall's face tells a story.

The story of a weathered 70-year-old fisherman who has been working on commercial boats for more than 20 years. It's a hard life. Pay cheque not guaranteed, away from home the majority of the week, and the ongoing battle of trying to get the smell of fish out of your clothes. But it's addictive, he says. He's got the bug. But he wants out. Except finding the right person, known as a skipper, to take over his boat Compass Rose, in an industry McDougall says is in threat of dying out, has been a struggle lasting more than 12 months.

New Plymouth-based McDougall is already five years past retirement. He wants to be home spending more time with his wife Rose and their two dogs - Bella and Sonny. "I need to get out, physically I can't do it anymore. But I don't want to get out unless I can find the right person to run the boat and hopefully buy it outright." Bella is a frequent companion for McDougall, who at 70 wants out of the fishing industry so he can spend more time with his family.

Fishing is New Zealand's fifth largest export industry and contributes $4 billion to the country's economy, according to a 2017 report by Business and Economic Research Limited.

If the Taranaki fishing industry collapsed, the amount of capital required to start it again means it's not a foregone conclusion it would ever return. For a region surrounded by ocean the thought of losing our access to fresh seafood seems bizarre.The alternative is having the fish for our fish and chips caught here is having it come from massive factory boats operating in different parts of the country.

Considering New Zealanders spend around $177.7 million a year on fresh and chilled fish, and that fish and chips is our most popular takeaway, that may be a scary thought. Egmont Fisheries owner Keith Mawson says they are in dire need of more fish and fisherman. It certainly is for fish processor and exporter Keith Mawson of Egmont Seafoods. Mawson has created a lucrative business supplying fresh seafood to Taranaki businesses and residents.

Most days the shop is packed and people are disappointed when they run out, which Mawson says is starting to happen more regularly due to lack of supply.
His business is crying out for more fish and more fishermen to get involved in the industry. Because if things stay the way they are, Mawson says it's not a pretty ending and could be the end of them.

Continued compliance lumbered on fishermen, such as electronic documenting, the recently announced cameras on boats, and limited snapper and kingfish allowance, is what's stopping people from getting involved and forcing those that are involved out.

McDougall usually takes his fishing boat Compass Rose out an average three or four times a week, depending on weather. Life would be a lot easier for McDougall if he could catch more snapper and kingfish. Right now he can legally catch 7 tonnes in a year but once he goes over this he gets charged for it.

"When we get into the situation where there's too much snapper but the quality of the other fish we are catching with it is of a high value, we've got to get out of that area because we can't afford to catch the snapper." Due to this, and having to go out 7 miles because of protections put on Māui's dolphins, McDougall says his income has dropped 25 per cent.

In 2012 McDougall was the Taranaki fishermen that caught a dolphin in one of his nets. As per guidelines he tossed it back and reported it to authorities but says it caused "one hell of a stink". "I apologised to the rest of the industry, but I had to report it. The minister at the time blatantly went out and said a Maui's dolphin has been killed in a set net and that went world wide and that's when all the closures came in. "I had an observer on board for a long time and we travelled all over the place and never saw one."

And more restrictions have been proposed in the recent Hector's and Māui dolphins Threat Management Plan review, which McDougall says could cut off 75 per cent of area he currently fishes in and reduce his income even further.

The fishing industry pays more than $27 million a year in government levies. But Minister of Fisheries Stuart Nash says compliance is a last resort as he knows it may have significant impact on commercial operators.

"Ultimately, everybody wants the same thing – healthy oceans with plenty of fish.

"But, many of our important shared fisheries are under pressure, consumers are demanding greater sustainability assurance for seafood, and public expectations about how we manage our marine environment and the impacts of fishing continue to grow.

"The commercial fishing industry has tough challenges ahead of it. But it also has shown itself prepared to look at new ways of doing things." Nash says the way we fished 50 years ago is no longer sustainable and the progression of technology allowed for better decision making.

Back then, coastal fisheries had become fully exploited and too many boats were chasing too few fish. "For example the cameras on boats initiatives is being 100 per cent funded by government – the industry will not have to contribute towards the hardware or software. The new requirements are not yet in place so it's hard to argue that they are killing the industry." Some saw it as a way to embrace the 21st century but Nash understood others saw it as a threat.
"The New Zealand fishing industry has a strong future but, like all primary industries, faces increasing expectations from consumers and international trade partners to prove that fish are being caught sustainably." According to Ministry for Primary Industries research 97 per cent of New Zealand's commercial catch is from sustainable stocks. Supplies of fresh local fish could soon be replaced by frozen products transported in from other parts of the country.

It's a long road before McDougall can get out. But when he does he says it will benefit the other five commercial boats in Taranaki as he can be a relief skipper.  He has had two people interested in taking over his beloved boat but neither are ideal. One would require three more years of training and the other is only a few years younger than McDougall and about to undergo major shoulder surgery. His wish is for the industry to get the same support as dairy farming. "If I was a farmer and I had a drought the Government helps. We get bad weather, we get no assistance and my crew don't get paid."

It's important to McDougall to look after his crew. He has them on a $200 a week retainer and supplies their meals. Over a 12 month period McDougall says a fisherman takes home up to $600 a week. "Everybody thinks fishermen are making a fortune because it's $35 - $38 a kilo in the supermarkets." But after the annual catch entitlement lease is deducted, McDougall only makes 50 cents a kilo for snapper.

More young people getting into the industry would help it survive, McDougall says. After more than a year of searching McDougal hasn't been able to find a replacement skipper for his commercial fishing boat Compass Rose. Ellen Kibblewhite is a minority in the industry because of her age and gender. She can count on one hand the number of skippers she knows under 35. At only 24 she has her skipper's ticket, truck driving licence, forklift licence, is a registered electrician, is studying a bachelor of commerce, and one of the few women working on a fishing boat. "I've kept myself busy," she laughs. Ellen was 17 when she fell in love with fishing after working for a summer on her dad's boat. She loves the challenge and being on the ocean with a tight-knit group of people working toward the same goal. If you love working hard and getting rewarded she says it's a good industry, but it can be hard.

Ellen Kibblewhite got involved in the fishing industry as her dad Richard Kibblewhite (pictured behind her) owned his own fishing boat.
"You don't get much free time, if I get invited to a party I can't RSVP until that date. "I remember as a child asking dad if he would be home for my birthday and it was always 'oh you know if the sea's rough I'll be there'." When she does come back to shore, her clothes get thrown in the washing machine with three heaps of washing powder. "But the clothes never fully lose their stench, you usually have a bit of a tinge to you." Ellen has gone to university with the goal of taking over her parents' fishing business one day. Ellen Kibblewhite has her skipper's license at only 24 and is one of the few young women in the fishing industry.

If it wasn't for her father, Richard Kibblewhite, who has been fishing in New Zealand for more than 30 years, she would have struggled. Her father enjoys finding younger people passionate about fishing and helping them get in to the industry. He has put 11 people aged 18 to 20 through their skipper's tickets. However he does say Generation X has an unreasonable expectation of their value. "They'll start at the bottom but they want a million dollars for it. Young people these days are really different to what I've trained. "Sometimes they'll just send me a Linkedin profile and say 'you got a job bro?'"

Because he puts the energy into training he says he doesn't have a problem finding young people to get into the industry. But he's looking for those who want to move up and run a boat. That can be hard though when any training skippers undertake has to be funded themselves.

According to Kibblewhite and McDougall, drugs and alcohol are rife among young ones in the industry and a big reason for their high crew turnover. There is also a generational collide. Where Kibblewhite saw the benefit of fishing as getting away from the world, the new generation weren't prepared to be disconnected from it. "When you're out past seven miles you don't get internet on your phone so some of these young ones go 'can you anchor up a little bit closer so I can get on Facebook?'. "It doesn't fit in with the new world that the young ones live in."

Fishermen would like to see the amount of laws they have to abide, which Kibblewhite claims there are more than 5000, rationalised and tidied up. The laws look after the fish and nothing is looking after the fishermen, Kibblewhite says. "The fish under the water is in a terrific shape. It's one of the best managed fisheries in the world. "What's going on above the water is disappointing. Different Governments make fisheries decisions on what's under the water based on political viewpoints to win votes.

"That costs our livelihoods."

So why would young people get involved? Thousands of laws to adhere to, a risky job in an industry with an uncertain future, the pay is unstable, close living quarters, and you're away from home for days on end. It's not all bad though, Kibblewhite says. There is plenty to love about working in the fishing industry. "You can get away from all the idiots on land and nothing beats a good catch of fish on a beautiful day."

Stephanie Ockhuysen

Landing Obligation Forum created.

A series of meetings between regulators and the fishing industry, to discuss the implementation issues arising from the landing obligation, have now been formalised as the "Landing Obligation Forum." Another name for the forum could be an "in-year implementation/solutions group."

Defra, the MMO, UKAFPO and the NFFO will meet regularly to assess progress, identify problem areas and work on potential solutions. This means that policy makers, regulators and the broad range of diverse fishing interests (under and over-10m inshore and offshore) are in the room. This is not a policy making group, but it does provide a space where issues can be discussed frankly and give expression to a genuinely collaborative approach. These discussions run parallel to separate conversations being held with processors and retailers, as well as discussions between Defra/MMO and UKAFPO on the more operational aspects of quota management.

The Forum will be chaired by the NFFO and Defra will provide a secretariat to ensure that all action points are followed through.

Identifying potential choke risks and formulating possible solutions will be on the agenda for each meeting, as will regular updates from Defra on developments on the policy side that could have an impact on the industry.

There is a recognition that the industry has done much already to reduce unwanted catch, but improved selectivity and avoidance are inherently difficult in some fisheries, where losses of marketable catch as well as technical issues can be an obstacle. High survival and de minimis exemptions have been central to avoiding serious chokes in 2019, so far. The Group will assess how these are operating.

The group will also discuss the overall performance of the landing obligation and identify where improvements could be made. When the new legislation was adopted in 2013, interspecies flexibility was considered to be a major tool for the avoidance of chokes but has proven to be all but inoperable in practice. The group will discuss this and alternative mechanisms that could help with the integration of the landing obligation into the broader fisheries management system.

The five stocks subject to zero catch advice, and the innovative way of dealing with this through bycatch TACs and bycatch reduction plans, will be a particular focus of attention, simply because they are new and untested.

Big changes such as the landing obligation tend to generate unintended consequences by creating new economic incentives. The Group will keep track of these to ensure that they do not take the industry as a whole in unwelcome directions.

There is wide acknowledgement amongst regulators and the wider industry, that the landing obligation marks a huge change and challenge. Those challenges are best tackled in a cooperative collaborative way and the forum is a vehicle for that cooperation.

Fisheries APPG highlights need for joined-up action on seafood careers

Parliamentarians and representatives from a range of seafood industries came together to discuss issues affecting recruitment into seafood careers in Westminster on Wednesday 12 June. The event was the second public meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fisheries, a cross-party body focused on issues affecting the UK fishing and seafood sector. The Careers on Land and at Sea seminar opened discussion on the challenges facing processing, fishmongering and the supply chain, and how to attract and train new recruits in these industries.

The number of people employed within each segment of the fisheries supply chain is significant - seafood processing alone supplies around 18,000 jobs in the UK. However, there are concerns that not enough young people are being recruited to sustain this workforce. The Parliamentary event earlier this month, chaired by MPs Alistair Carmichael and Melanie Onn, brought together representatives from across the seafood sector to highlight where the most pressing challenges lie, and spark debate on potential solutions.

Fishmonger Rob Wing, of Wing of St Mawes, stressed the challenge that many seafood businesses are facing: “the seafood industry struggles to recruit and retain employees; this is mostly due to the ‘manual’ nature of processing work.” But attendees agreed that this manual work can be both highly skilled and rewarding.

Drawing on a wealth of industry knowledge, CJ Jackson, Principle and Chief Executive of Billingsgate Seafood School, reflected on the little-known benefits of careers in seafood, and the role of building awareness through establishing lifelong habits. “Seafood consumption is still challenging in the UK, and if we can encourage everyone to eat more, and it becomes much more day to day, a career in seafood may be more appealing,” says Jackson.

Despite the diversity of seafood careers on offer, young people entering the jobs market see the sector as unattractive employment. “The biggest challenge is awareness of the opportunities within the sector,” added Simon Dwyer, Manager of Seafox Management Consultants. He, like many others at the event, emphasised that “it is an exciting and multifaceted industry and needs to be portrayed as such.”

The audience consensus was clear. The industry needs to work together to show that seafood careers are an opportunity worth seizing. With clearer messaging on the array of seafood careers available and cross-industry coordination, recruitment into seafood careers could receive a much-needed boost.

The next APPG on Fisheries meeting will cover seafood marketing and certification, with organisers hoping to attract a similar range of engaged voices from across the sector.

A detailed report, outlining the outcomes of the meeting and the routes forward, will be available by shortly, via the APPG website - www.fisheriesappg.org - and newsletter (sign up at https://www.fisheriesappg.org/contact).

Contact: All Party Parliamentary Group on Fisheries Secretariat

secretariat@fisheriesappg.org

Misty Monday morning in Newlyn

Making the most of her extended range capabilities following a major refit, the tangle netter Ygraine landed an excellent shot of monk and turbot...

this should be young Jeremy's last year working the Nazarene once his new boat Galilee  has completed her refit...

off comes tubs of tangle net gear...

just in time for an early morning crew enlightenment session...

luckily, after a weekend of dull but fine weather the market was awash with inshore trawl fish...

with top quality fish a-plenty like these John Dory...

two very different plaice...

luscious lemon sole...

and some superb red mullet from the Imogen III...

more John Dory...

even more John Dory...

and, compared to 10 years ago, a rare blackfish...

hake were provided by the netter Stelissa...

while the beam trawler AA landed a good shot of brill, turbot and Dory...

luckily, many of the local boats are able to land fish that is suitable for use as bait by the growing fleet of crabbers...

caught around 120 miles SW of Newlyn by the Ygraine who also reported that they were still seeing plenty of crawfish in their nets - unheard of for over 30 years...

as per usual in the summer months, the beam trawlers AA  and Cornishman landed good shots of monk, megrim and other flats...

to  go with the Ygraine's monk...

every inshore boat landed a handful of bream, all of them Couch's...

soles, but which kind?..

now that the nights are drawing in it seems that another misty day is just par for the course...

time to start dispatching the morning's purchases...

Nichola of Ladram, the latest addition of the growing south west crabbing fleet...

now that the sailing season is in full swing Newlyn is once again bursting at the seams and pushed for berthing spaces - don't forget to join the harbour's Whatssap group to stay in touch, in addition there is a new visiting vessel form that you can download or complete on-line...

Nereus, that 'Old Man of the Sea' is back in Newlyn with her final landing of Cornish langoustine...

weeks away from the start of the Cornish  sardine season...

regular pontoon users will be glad to see the back of the temporary barriers surrounding the new lifeboat house - access all areas!

no doubt this cute little ball of fluffy feathers will be back next year fully fledged  and poised to dump on unsuspecting harbour uses from on high...

diary date - the not-to-be-missed annual Newlyn raft race is only weeks away - get your raft built now - all monies raised goes to help fund the amazing Newlyn harbour Christmas lights...

good to see Star Inn landlady Debs still does her bit to put a smile on the faces of passers-by.