Thursday 5 December 2019

Seafarers UK new manifesto.

Seafarers UK has been championing seafarers working at sea since 1917. We support seafarers throughout their seafaring career: from first considering a career at sea, to working at sea, managing relationships at home while adapting to a seagoing life, then coming ashore and during retirement.



Working at sea can be a lonely and dangerous profession. At Seafarers UK we recognise the unique challenges seafarers endure. We want to ensure that although seafarers are far out at sea, they, and their families, are supported; particularly in times of need. Seafarers UK achieves the objects of our Royal Charter by campaigning and providing grant funding to partners to deliver welfare and support services to seafarers and their families which help them to thrive and live their best lives.

Our ten point manifesto for seafarers sets out our aspirations for seafarers’ safety and welfare before, during and after their seafaring career. In partnership with others, Seafarers UK will use its grant funding and advocate on behalf of seafarers so that all seafarers can:


  • Be kept safe and return from their seafaring voyages without experiencing accident or harm
  • Be supported to train and develop careers working at sea
  • Take care of their families and dependants during long periods away from home
  • Feel less lonely or isolated when working at sea, through maintaining connections with family and friends ashore, as well as having access to on board initiatives
  • Access free, high quality welfare services, which respond to seafarers and their families’ needs with respect and dignity and engage their views on the design and development of services
  • Access independent advice, information and support via their preferred delivery channels such as face-to-face, telephone, web chat, digital tools, social media or self-help literature
  • Be provided with regular welfare breaks in respect of hours of work, shore leave, length of journey, etc. in order to reduce fatigue and to maintain their health and wellbeing
  • Thrive and have their uniqueness respected within a culturally diverse working environment without fear of bullying or harassment. This includes equality of opportunity and respecting language, food, religion, and behavioural differences
  • Transition from sea to shore. This includes supporting the provision of accommodation and other welfare and support services aimed at adjusting from working at sea
  • Obtain dignity in retirement through access to financial security, appropriate accommodation and a network of support from maritime welfare charities.
  • Seafarers UK is a leading grant funder of charitable services supporting the safety and welfare needs of seafarers and their families. Every year over £2m is awarded in grant funding to a range of different partners delivering services to support seafarers and their families when in stormy seas.


Through providing grant funding to organisations, Seafarers UK achieves its Royal Charter objects to support:


  • The relief of seafarers, their families or dependents, who are in need.
  • The education and training of people of any age to prepare for work or service at sea.
  • The promotion of the efficiency and effectiveness of the maritime charitable sector within the Commonwealth.
  • The promotion of safety at sea.
  • There are many ways you can help us to achieve our aspirations to support the safety and welfare of seafarers:



Donate


Fundraise


Campaign


Become our corporate supporter

Wednesday 4 December 2019

Busy mid-week fish market in Newlyn.


Just some of the thousand plus boxes landed on the market for this morning's market...



like these inshore John Dory...


undulate ray...


with their mysterious markings...


both types of ray that sport spots but which is which?..


some tagged line caught bass...


more meaty ray wings...


the odd big monk tail...


and the spotted and not so sotted plaice...


the inevitable dose of haddock...


and much more for tomorrow's market... 


the odd ling still finds ts way into people's nets...



while the St Ives boys continue to enjoy heavy mackerel fishing again...


staple diet for beam trawlers, monk fish...


a big beautiful line caught and tagged bass...


ready for packing...


as another handline fisherman heads out of the gaps...




Le Men Dhu one step closer to being ready for sea.

Tuesday 3 December 2019

Padstow's pioneering lobster hatchery.


This little chap is juts one of 11,000 young lobsters that the amazing team at Padstow Lobster Hatchery have ready for distribution around the coast of Cornwall in the coming weeks..


here the hatchery's Ben Marshall explains how lobsters held in the centre...


don't  produce the familiar blue pigment when grown to tis size unless they are kept in the wild - the 11,000 lobsters are being looked after in a local Mussel Farm...


the hatchery took the decision years ago to invest in DNA sampling all the incoming female lobsters that are used to provide eggs for fertilisation - the results of that decision are now paying a huge dividend - recently it has come to light that as the result of a French lobster breeding programme back in the 1980s - which saw a few thousand lobsters bred in France and released into the waters off Sardinia - around 60% of lobsters tested in the Mediterranean are of Cornish-Breton decent!..


here Ben shows Matt Slater from the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide the holding boxes used to transport the tiny lobsters ready for seeding in the inshore waters around the coast.

Monday 2 December 2019

Monday morning in Newlyn.


Unusually this turbot has no pigment on the topside...



the inshore boats made the most of a relativey quiet weekend weather-wise so boats like the Imogen III were able to get in some good hauls like these ray...


the odd bass...


Couch's bream...


and the odd red mullet


while Still Waters picked up more ray...


tell-tale tail but from which fish?..


good enough to eat...


this time of year is not megrim sole season...


though the odd John Dory still seems to find its way over young Roger Nowell's footrope and into his cod end...


the odd monk or two...


a good day's fishing for Still Waters, the only Newlyn boat with a regular female member of the crew!...


just a few with the beam trawlers that landed...


plenty of these guys in t Ives Bay - despite being chased by bluefin tuna and minke whales...


nice work Sheila T...


just some of the macs landed...


good to see young Edwin wide awake...


plenty of frozen bait ready for the pots on the good ship Nazarene...


well before sunrise it's the ever elusive Cod at speed heading for another day handlining for bass...


Girl Pamela leaves the fishmarket...


Trinity House's Patricia at anchor...


with not a breath of wind to disturb the waters in Mounts Bay...


always good to see the Ivan Ellen tucked up in her berth...


Chris Morley making ready...


 to spend another day on the pollack and bass...



as a little more light breaks into the sky...


with the new lifeboat house...


and gigs enjoying the light, even though the temp is around 0˚...


seems we have a new Xmas tree in Keel Alley this year courtesy of Newlyn Harbour Lights - made entirely from discarded trawl net and other plastic fishing gear - hats off to all those helping Newlyn to maintain its green credentials!