Back to a day in the life of Newlyn.

Always good to see inshore fish like this ray mix caught by the day boats being landed on the market at Newlyn...

even more so when they land fish more reminiscent of Through the Gaps recent Mediterranean experience!..

however, top amongst the inshore boxes are these bass...

caught by none other than Cap'n Cod on his punt, Butts...

a ray of this size would keep a restaurant going for a day or two...

as would these oh-so sweet monk tails...

as another handful of auction tallies are dropped on a box by George 'fridgemeister' Cleave...

a paint job has transformed the look of some harbour workshops and offices - but where are the tide clocks?..

Ocean Pride is looking very spruce after her big refit and aft net pound and shelterdeck extension...

ex Brixham beam trawler Sasha Emiel and now Troon registered as the 

Olivia Jean and working 17 scallop dredges a side...

young Mr Andrews, aka @CornishLobster heads off for another day hauling his pots...

one of the great steps forward as a result of the new Penlee Lifeboat house being built is that the harbour...

finally has some decent washroom facilities for visiting boats, especially the yellow-wellies in their yachts...

also heading out to haul his two pots (now that he's 'retired')...

Francis steams past a small fleet of punts happy to be fishing for some Mounts Bay mackerel at last...

scalloper Q-Varl from Brixham...

the Joy of Ladram between tides...

mending bag at the ready, taking the easy life...

after another hard day pounding the ocean looking for transgressors of fishing law, the IFCA boat under the command of Shane Liddicoat makes her way in to port...

later in the afternoon, Nigel heads off on the mackerel...

also taking things easy in the sun, skipper Richard puts together another trawl for his fishing tiger...

 looking very shipshape after her paint-up!

P.E.I. company testing new bait for lobster and crab fishery

With an increasing number of crab boats, increased consumption of low value species and regulations like the Landing Obligation - bait for crab and lobster boats has become harder to source and, as a result,  expensive. An American initiative looks at the way ahead through an innovative use of raw, natural materials for use as bait.

'We recognized the need for something better'

A P.E.I. company has created a new bait that it hopes will someday replace traditional bait such as herring and mackerel.

Bait Masters Inc. is testing the new product in the fall crab and lobster fishery on P.E.I.

"The new bait is a mix of fish and other organic matters in a biodegradable casing," said Wally MacPhee, co-owner of the company.

"It reduces the amount of pelagic fish used in the bait process. We're hoping to reduce it by 50 per cent per piece so it would be a help with sustainability."

Mackerel and herring, the traditional bait used by the lobster fishery on P.E.I., has become increasingly more expensive and difficult for Island fishermen to find.


The new bait is a mix of fish, fish parts and oil in a biodegradable casing. They call it their 'secret formula.' (Randy McAndrew/CBC)
"The numbers are dropping, they're having a hard time catching them, catching what they used to catch," MacPhee said.

"We recognized the need for something better than the current way they were doing it."

Canada says no to Asian carp as lobster bait
DFO rejects rock crab plan to ease lobster bait shortage
'Lots of attempts'
Co-owner Mark Prevost worked for almost a decade in the fishery.

"It was the cost and the waste for me," Prevost said.

"The short amount of time I spent fishing mackerel, it was how much was wasted and how hard it was to catch and with the new quotas coming out, how much more expensive it's going to be."


The new bait doesn't have a name yet but they do refer to it as a sausage. (Randy McAndrew/CBC)
The two started looking at alternative baits a couple of years ago.

They ordered what was available in North America, with the idea of possibly becoming a distributor.


Prevost, left, and MacPhee worked with staff at the BioFoodTech facility in Charlottetown to scale up production. (Randy McAndrew/CBC)
"But there wasn't any available that actually worked or fished well so we made our own," Prevost said.

"It took a lot of attempts but now I think we're pretty close to having a finalized recipe."

The expansion is going to be pretty quick. Long term...we'd like to see it in as many traps as possible.
—Mark Prevost, Bait Masters Inc.
They turned to the BioFoodTech Centre to help them scale up to produce 10,000 units, after starting in their own kitchens and barns.

"It's kind of a secret formula. We'll just keep it at that for now," MacPhee said.


The plant-based casing is made out of banana peels and a few other ingredients that they don't want to reveal. (Randy McAndrew/CBC)
Testing phase
Bait Masters had the bait in traps on nine boats in the spring lobster fishery, along with an employee who tracked the catches, comparing the alternative bait to the traditional fish.

"We found out that it fishes well, fishermen seem to like it," MacPhee said.

"It is still going through its testing phases so we're going to keep tweaking as we go, but it seems to be working well and it's fishing right along with the other bait."

Prevost and MacPhee said they haven't set a price for the new bait but say it will be comparable per pound to traditional bait.

"It was a good feeling to see some positive results finally," Prevost said.

"We've definitely made many attempts at it and it took quite some time, so now to get feedback from the fishermen especially, it's been great."

Bait shortage

Donald Macdonald fishes out of Nine Mile Creek, P.E.I., and has been using the bait in both the spring and fall fishery.

"I think the bait's really good, it's clean, efficient and it lasts," Macdonald said.

"The issue is getting it to fish as good as the other bait and once they do, it'll really sell."

Macdonald said he will use more of it next season — if the bait continues to fish well.

"Bait's more expensive, harder to get and you always want to try something," Macdonald said.

"I wouldn't want to go and set all my gear right away, but keep trying it slowly and if the numbers keep working out then, yeah."

Prevost and MacPhee will send the data they've collected on the new bait to a researcher at UPEI.

Next year, their goal is to make 300,000 units to start selling commercially in the spring of 2020.

"The expansion is going to be pretty quick," Prevost said.

"Long term I guess we'd like to see it in as many traps as possible."

Nancy Russell · CBC News

For the full story from CBC news click here:

Portafino, Italy - where tiny fishing boats share moorings with super-yachts.

When the port you want to visit is so exclusive that there is no public parking there's only one way in - take the boat...

on the way, buildings old and new hug what little sea-level land is available neath the 1000ft Ligurian hills...

harbours, quays and moorings have been created using every inch of shore for the huge number of leaisure boats...

which increase in size the closer to the resort made famous by the super rich, actors, artists and film stars starting in the 50s when the likes of Rex Harrison became a resident there...

on approach, the port itself seems hidden from the outside world...

but as you draw closer there are a few clues as to its status in the 'must visit by luxury yacht'...

before the natural harbour begins to open up...

and the classic Italian architecture sets an almost magical scene...

amongst the dozens of moored leisure craft are old and new examples of the traditional double-ended boats found all the way along the Mediterranean coast...

along with a handful of fishing vessels...

the narrow quayside is home to a number of fishermen's stores...

for the small fleet...

which includes a handful sporting the traditional hull design...

on moorings...

the boats work a variety of lines and nets...

and, as it's the Med, the mesh sizes are small...

along with pots used to catch octopus...

there may even have been a Cornish miner responsible for this fishermen's store carved out of the rock - many of the railways and funicular railway projects in Italy were run by Cornish engineers, notably Robert Trewella from Ludgvan...

the setting might be idyllic...

but today's catch has been limited by time with only 1000 hooks shot as an impending late blow in the day caused the skipper to fish closer to the shore than he would normally have liked.....

 for a few squid...

and bream, some of today's salted anchovies bait remained unused.........

but every fish was stunning in appearance so hopefully, given the exclusive nature of many restaurants and hotels here the prices for the guys are high enough to compensate for the slack fishing...

asking what other bait was used produced a surprising response - frozen mackerel from that ship, the Cornelius Vrolijk that is entitled to 23% (by weight) of the entire UK fish quota...

at the end of the day with the light fading...

there was just enough time to make a quick oil sketch of the fabled fishing port...

that continues to draw so many visitors...

though even those with bottomless pockets, though they might have multi-million pound boats...

like the Lucky Lady, ROE and Phoenix 2 are every bit as limited as visiting motorists are with quayside mooring berths at a premium...

as can be seen in the wake of the visit...

where yet another yacht, Tranquility has dropped anchor a few leagues off the fabled resort. Boats this size are nearing 1 million a week to charter.

How post Brexit rules have, and will, affect sections of the fishing industry.

SCOTLAND's lucrative west coast fishing fleet is on the brink of collapse due to a "crazy" immigration law which effectively prohibits non-European nationals from fishing on local boats, it has been warned.

The Clyde Fishermen's Association has revealed that 20 of 65 members' boats have gone under in the last year and a half because they cannot recruit internationally. The situation is set to get worse with further bankruptcies, which threatens the £80million a year industry. Meanwhile, because of the vagaries of the immigration laws, their east coast colleagues can freely employ crew from outside the European Economic Area.

Now the CFA is warning there is an expectation that another six boats may go out of business in Campbeltown very shortly – which would cut membership by almost half. The CFA say the issues extend to the entire west coast, with boats also tied up on Barra because they cannot get crew to man them. Elaine Whyte, association secretary, who has met with the migration minister Ben Macpherson to raise concerns, said: "I am seeing the fleet crumble in front of my eyes and I cannot do anything about it. There needs to be regional solutions. It's crazy as it is." She says the issues have arisen as a result of an enforced rule that means that international workers cannot work within UK territorial waters which is 12 nautical miles of the mainland. They are subject to the rules of the UK's points-based system for immigration which was phased in between 2008 and 2010.

The UK Government previously operated a concession that allowed some visas to be issued to non-EEA fishermen to work on the inshore fleet but that ended seven years ago. Concerns are further exacerbated because of Brexit, as crew members from the EU and the wider EEA will be subjected to the same rule.
The CFA say that unlike the east coast, most of the waters off the west coast of Scotland are "enclosed" within the 12-mile limit and the richest pickings for fisherman is within that zone. West coast fishermen are primarily focused on shellfish – mainly langoustine, scallops, lobster and crab.

The langoustine catch is one of the most important for the Scottish fishing industry and contributes around £80 million to the economy each year. It is estimate one third of total world landings are made here. The Tier 2 (General) visa is the main visa category for bringing non-EU/EEA workers to the UK, and is restricted to skilled workers. The concern is that despite the demands of the difficult and often dangerous work, fishing vessel crew members are not deemed to be sufficiently skilled to fall under the ambit of Tier 2. Tier 2 visas are restricted to jobs paying a minimum salary of £30,000 a year, which is more than the average salary of many Scottish fishermen. As a result, immigration rules only permit non-EU/EEA crew to be engaged on fishing vessels operating outside the 12 nautical mile limit. There are further concerns that the same rules will apply to EU and EEA countries post-Brexit. There are also worries that migrant workers are being put off from taking up positions in the UK because of the nation's impending exit from the EU. It is estimated that nearly one in five of the 8000 crew on the Scottish fishing fleet are non-EEA workers, with a further 400 from within the EEA. Most use a transit visa to enter the UK, which allows them to work on vessels fishing more than 12 nautical miles off the UK coastline.


Ms Whyte said the issues with the immigration rule are made worse because there are fewer young Scots who are interested in fishing. "The immigration policy is every detrimental to the west coast," she said. "We are very reliant on EU and international crew, and the rule effectively stops boats in the west accessing workers those in the easy can can. We were up at 65 boats and we have lost 20 in the last year and a half. "It is an issue that could be sorted out with a stroke of a pen. "If you are in Peterhead you get outside the 12-nautical-mile limit because there are no islands and rocks. It is different here. We have an outcrop of rocks and island and boats don't go beyond 12 nautical miles. "That's why you will see a very vibrant fishing industry in the north east and east but it is not so good on the west coast. "They are in a massive disadvantage because of access to crew. They go out of business because they can't get the crew." He said EU workers are also leaving because of Brexit.

"One gentleman had been here for 12 years and because he was told we don't know what is going to happen with immigration and he would be better leaving, he went for a job with half the wage in Holland. "This is going to be a continuing problem for the west coast of Scotland and we are really are at a tipping point. "Fishing can provide a sustainable form of employment for many families – it is a good way of living with untapped potential, yet we can't do much about what is happening right now."

Darren Stevenson, partner with the Scottish law firm McGill and Co that specialises in UK immigration law, says Boris Johnson's immigration reform white paper might provide a route to remove the Tier 2 restrictions. It proposed to reduce the minimum skill level required which could cover fishing vessel crew. But Mr Stevenson said a concession in the rules to allow non-EEA fishermen to be employed would be a far quicker route, and it was not clear whether the Prime Minister will follow through with the white paper proposals.

“There a number of potential solutions to the issue, based on proposals to reform our immigration system in the Government white paper published last year," he said. "The first is liberalisation of the existing rules so as to lower the skill threshold required and include skilled fishing vessel crew. Another is to rely on a proposed new route for lower skilled workers. "Alternatively a concession could be granted outside of the rules, something which had existed previously, and still exists for vessels engaged with wind farms within territorial waters. "However it is not clear whether Boris Johnson’s Government intends to carry forward the white paper proposals in their current form. It is also important to note that the Scottish Government wants to have control over migration policy for Scotland, which could provide greater flexibility.”

A government spokesman said: “Where a vessel operates wholly or mainly within the 12-mile limit of UK territorial waters, a non-European Economic Area (EEA) seaman working aboard requires permission to do so. “After Brexit, the Government will introduce a new, fairer immigration system that prioritises skills and what people can contribute to the UK, rather than where they come from – and one that works for the whole of the UK.”

CASE STUDY

Kenny MacNab's family has fished for generations in the waters off the west coast of Scotland.

But the 64-year-old, who runs his prawn trawler Frigate Bird from the village of Tarbert in Argyll and Bute, has a dark view of the way immigration laws are devastating the industry he has spent his life in. He mourns the loss of fishing boats when there is still a good living to be made on the trawlers.

"Guys I know sold perfectly good businesses, good boats, packed it in and went away looking for jobs on fish farms," he said. He said the irony is that prawn stocks are good, and that this year, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea recommended a 24% increase in the quota for the whole west coast. "There is still a good living to be made from fishing. The stock is there to be caught. But they just couldn't get men. "It's sad when that happens. When there's a good living to be made and you just see the fleet dwindling and dwindling, just simply due to no crew, it's so sad. "I am fortunate in that I can find local crew, as we are a family business and been here so long. "I still go out occasionally when I am stuck for a man. We aren't at the moment but we know we could be at any time. We have a couple of young guys, and if one of them packed it in I would probably need to get back out."

He said a concession in the immigration laws should be reinstated to allow the west coast fleet to employ non-European Economic Area fishermen.

"They have the advantage on the east coast, because all their prawn grounds is outside 12 miles [so can employ non-EEA crew]. On the west it is inside 12 miles. "They had to get crew to survive on the east coast. They can get crew legally. We just cannot do it on the west coast. "It is coming to a head now, because we are depending on local crew."

He said the continuing confusion and indecision over Brexit is also not helping the situation.

"Everybody is at this stage where we wish something would happen and get all this uncertainty out the way," he said. And he pointed out that the loss of boats has a huge effect on rural Scottish villages such as Tarbert. "You are talking about a population in Tarbert of 1400 people, and we have lost a good few boats in the last couple of years. If you lose even half-a-dozen jobs in a place like this, it is a big hit to the village.

"People talk about losing hundreds of jobs in bigger areas, like the Glasgow area, but if you look at the percentages, losing 20 jobs here is like losing two or three thousand in Glasgow."

Full story courtesy of Herald Scotland.