Morrisons: “We are selling 60% more British fish now than we do normally”

Fathom podcast, in conversation with Morrisons supermarket, finds glimmers of hope for seafood sales under trying COVID conditions.

In a special, feature episode - commissioned following direct input from fishermen on what they want to hear on the UK’s only commercial fishing podcast - the Fathom team welcomed Sophie Throup of Morrisons, and Mark Greet and Edward Polley of Falfish seafood processors for a wide-ranging conversation about the UK’s taste for British fish during lockdown.

At the outset of the COVID-19 crisis, supermarkets across the country chose to close fresh fish counters - a decision described by Paul Trebilcock of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation (CFPO) as ‘counter-intuitive’ and ‘causing frustration at the quayside’. Challenged on this decision by the Fathom host, Sophie Throup - Head of Agriculture, Fisheries & Sustainable Sourcing at Morrisons - was candid in her response: “Everyone started behaving and shopping very differently - stockpiling toilet rolls and pasta. As a business we had to concentrate on helping customers move through the stores as quickly and safely as possible - closing counters meant we could focus our efforts on keeping shelves stocked”. The characteristic back-and-forth of fishmongers counters also presented a risk for retailers, with Throup adding: “Fish counters are about exchanging knowledge and information - personal contact - this is why they were shut right at the beginning”.

As shopping conditions changed, Morrisons - who source British fish via Falfish in the South-West - have spear-headed the reintroduction of fresh fish sales in supermarkets through developing a ‘British fish box’, putting a new emphasis on selling UK species. Asking if this represented a wider move towards ‘British produce for British customers’, Paul Trebilcock suggested this could represent a ‘new normal’ in the post-COVID consumer landscape. Responding, Throup noted that Morrisons “haven’t altered the range of seafood we’re selling, but what we have altered is the volume - we are selling 60% more British fish now than we do normally”. Throup added this includes a 1400% increase in sales of dover sole, and an 83% increase in sales of monkfish - something she characterised as ‘phenomenal’.

Emphasising how the ongoing lockdown conditions have changed how the public approaches seafood, Edward Polley of Falfish commented: “Under this period of lockdown, whilst people have been forced to stay at home, it’s also encouraged them to cook at home - and people are starting to eat more seafood at home. [People are discovering] how easy and simple seafood can be - the beauty is there’s something for every budget”

Whilst some sectors, the shellfish sector in particular, are still struggling to access much-needed export markets, Fathom hosts Paul Trebilcock and Chris Ranford reflected on how this difficult period could act ‘as a foundation’ for the future of fish sales in the UK - with strong communication between links in the supply chain paying dividends for buyers of all sizes, and for development of the domestic market: “Let’s hope the new norm is 60% increase in sales of British fish - let’s keep going in that direction!”

Listen to the episode in full here: https://cfpo.org.uk/the-fathom-podcast/

Two ships passing in the night: Fisheries in Brexit

The original article below was posted on the European Movement Ireland website.

To starboard or to port?: 

While the course navigated so far in Brexit is incomplete, the knotted issue of fisheries has being climbing the political ladder. Michel Barnier has stated that an EU – UK trade deal cannot be agreed without an agreement on fisheries. In this Just the Facts, we will explore why the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) may cause Brexit talks to run aground. 

What is the Common Fisheries Policy? 

The CFP, an exclusive competency since 1983, has four pillars that frame its objectives: 

1.  To sustainably manage fish stocks; 
2.  To provide market support and setting seafood product standards; 
3.  To provide funding to support fishing communities; 
4.  To co-operate with non-EU countries to achieve sustainability. 

Two historical policy principles underpin much of the wider Brexit debate: that of equal conditions of access and relative stability. Since 1970, the former has allowed any fishing vessel flying the flag of a Member State to access the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of another. This was done to ensure that the 1973 accession states, with their fishery rich waters, accepted it as part of the ‘acquis’, Since 1983, relatively stability has set out catch limits, known as Total Allowable Catches (TACs), for stocks, which the EU agrees to annually for c. 90 TACs. 

The failings of the CFP and its role in the 2016 UK EU membership referendum: The CFP has a history of not living up to its objectives, as per academic research, such as “A study of failure” (2005), “Designed for failure” (2010). One core fault is the annual setting of TACs above the scientific advice. A publication from the New Economics Foundation found that between 2001 – 2015, TACs exceeded scientific advice between 33% to 7% over that period. 

This and other failings of the CFP have been part of public debate on the policy for decades. The CFP was an easy source of fuel for arguments for the UK to leave the EU, with UK fishers a natural ally. They perceive a loss of control of UK territorial waters under equal conditions of access and what they see as the “unfair and disadvantaged the UK” where there are “gross anomalies in the quota share arrangements”. 

A University of Aberdeen survey before the 2016 referendum found that 92% of UK fishers intended to vote to leave, with 65% holding a negative view of the EU. Some 59% believed that leaving would greatly improve the industry, with 52% anticipating that leaving would ‘somewhat increase the amount of fish they could catch’. 

As fisheries is an emotive issue bound up in identity, it was easily plugged into the Leave campaign concept of “taking back control”, in this case UK territorial waters. As a result, it gardened significant coverage in international publications such as the New York Times. It culminated in the Fishing For Leave flotilla up the River Thames to Westminster the week before polling day. 

 

Fisheries in the Brexit Negotiations: 

The political and social saliency of fisheries has continued into the Brexit negotiations. Many fishers in Belgium, France, Germany and Ireland, fear being locked out of UK waters, where they often catch the majority of their fish, due to the CFP principles. For Ireland, some 60% of mackerel and 40% of prawns, key industry stocks, are caught in the UK. Their efforts often support economically isolated coastal communities, accounting for 81% of jobs in many fishing communities such as Castletownbere (West Cork) and 69% in Killybegs (Donegal).

Soon to be an independent coastal state, the UK will no longer be bound by the CFP, but by the UN’s Convention on the Law of the Sea. As a result, the UK will be able to control access to fish in its EEZ. At the same time, British fishers fear that in negotiations they will be sacrificed in favour of bigger economic issues. Considering for example that private detectives and veterinarians contribute more to the UK economy than fishing. 

The EU has attempted to soothe the fears of EU fishers, ‘Fishing Opportunities’ feature in the October 2019 Revised Political Declaration (p 14 §§71-75). It states that before 1 July 2020 both the EU and UK shall develop “establish a new fisheries agreement on, inter alia, access to waters and quota shares.” 

This was further fleshed out in the EU mandate to launch phase two of negotiations in February. It largely seeks to maintain the economic status quo for EU fishers. An EU – UK deal “should uphold existing reciprocal access conditions, quota shares and the traditional activity of the Union fleet.” 

The UK, on the other hand in its 2018 EU – UK White Paper, stated that it “will seek to secure increased fishing opportunities”, by moving “away from the principle of relative stability” to zonal attachment. This involves setting a quota based on where a stock lives, breeds and spawns within an EEZ. A study by the University of Aberdeen suggests that it would increase its share in several key stocks. 

To starboard or to port? Progress around fisheries has been slow, with little sign of breakthrough when talks resume in June. Nonetheless, both support a system, defined by scientific advice, to jointly manage border–straddling stocks. Also, far from the UK closing waters entirely to the EU, it wants to recalculate access and stock shares. At the same time, both sides are like two ships passing in the night, with no signal exchanged between them. An agreement is vital as history has shown how fishery disputes often spill into other political arenas. 

The ‘scallop wars’ in 2012 and 2018 saw British and French fishing boats clashing in the English Channel, which drew considerable attention in light of Brexit. In rows with Scotland over Rockall and the arrest of Northern Irish vessels, fisheries make a swift ascent up the Irish political mast in 2019. Even the ‘cod wars’ between Iceland and the UK from the 1950s – 1970s brought strains to the NATO alliance. 

While the economic weight of fisheries might only be felt in the coastal communities that depend on them, the political and diplomatic weight from the fallout from a fishery dispute should not be underestimated. This is important for the sustainable management of fisheries in a post-Brexit North-East Atlantic.

For more information please contact EMI here:

Latest issue of Quay Issues is out now - free to read!

Quay Issues explores the challenges facing the fishing industry and showcases creative and innovative ways that the UK fleet are finding to make the industry more sustainable, efficient and safe.

During our annual Fleet Survey we speak to hundreds of vessel owners at ports around the country. While the purpose of these interviews is to seek permission to access financial data we also uncover countless individual stories.

Quay Issues goes behind the numbers, to share stories from the Cornish coast to the Orkney Islands.

Read Quay Issues 6 online now.

We are working to making printed copies of Quay Issues 6 available.To request a printed copy please email quayissues@seafish.co.uk and we'll provide one as soon as distribution channels allow. 

Ad hoc April 2020 Fisheries statistics released.

An additional, more timely, publication on UK fishing activity will be released monthly. This is in response to the coronavirus pandemic and figures will be published every month until further notice. This release is in addition to the monthly national statistics the MMO publishes.  

UK Fisheries statistics for April 2020

These statistics were pre-announced for publication at 9.30am on Tuesday 26 May. Unfortunately, these were not published until 2pm on Tuesday 26 May. The delay was due to a series of IT issues. The statistics were not available to anyone except the production team until they had been released on gov.uk and were not altered at all between 9.30am and 2pm. In line with the Code of Practice for official statistics, this delay has been reported to the Good Practice Team in the Government Statistical Service. We apologise for any inconvenience this caused to our users. If the delay did affect you please let us know via our google form. The MMO stats team will ensure future releases are published on time.

DEVELOPING A PARTICIPATORY APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF FISHING ACTIVITY IN UK OFFSHORE MARINE PROTECTED AREAS

Successfully involving the fishing sector and stakeholders in decision-making over the management of fisheries in marine protected areas (MPAs) is important to their overall effectiveness and sustainable management of our seas. The results of a new project including new tools and approaches to use when establishing, evaluating and adapting fisheries management measures in MPAs aims to help achieve just that. 

The work has been led by JNCC, together with partners the Marine Management Organisation, Natural England, the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations and Bangor University supported with funding from the European Maritime and Fisheries fund (EMFF). A series of workshops over the last two years were facilitated by independent consultants CAG and brought together the fishing sector, regulators, scientific advisors and academic researchers to inform the new guidance, resulting in the MPA Fisheries Management Toolkit. 

The toolkit aims to provide a resource for those involved in, and affected by, fisheries management decision-making and lays out the key elements to consider when establishing a participatory approach to management in MPAs. Using two existing MPAs in the Irish Sea and North Sea as case studies to explore the challenges of managing sedimentary habitats; the project has focussed on mechanisms for enabling the fishing sector to engage positively with the management process and bring their perspectives and knowledge to the table. 

 It has been designed as a guide to help regulators assess the suitability of establishing a participatory approach, including governance structure, stakeholder balance, management objectives, and logistics. Each section comes complete with a standalone summary poster that highlights key information to help ensure that users can take away the key messages. 

The work also includes the development of the Benthic Impacts Tool, a management decision-making support tool, drawing on the latest scientific understanding on the impacts of mobile fishing gears on the seabed. 

Nick Greenwood, Principal Marine Conservation Manager, Marine Conservation Team, Marine Management Organisation, said “the project has been a fantastic opportunity to share perspectives on how and why we all participate in MPA management, and has produced some great resources which will hopefully help decision makers and stakeholders make the most of opportunities to come together” Dale Rodmell, Assistant Chief Executive, National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisation, said "the work has married together an evidence-based approach to MPA management with a more in-depth involvement of those affected by decision-making.  Ultimately, we want to see management outcomes that are widely supported and accommodate sustainable marine livelihoods with meeting management objectives." 

Declan Tobin, Marine Management Team Leader, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, said "as we enter a new era for management of our marine space, this project provided the perfect platform to bring key interest groups together. It offered an opportunity for all to express their views and opinions on what matters most and how to ensure a fair and equitable approach to management into the future. 

The guidance and tools that have come out of this work have been shaped by the various needs and concerns of all involved which should result in a positive legacy in guiding the next phase in sustainable management of our seas”. Prof Jan Hiddink, Professor in Marine Biology, Bangor University said “It has been great to be involved in a project that explored and appreciated the need for a quantitative approach for the assessment of human disturbance on the marine environment. The Benthic Impacts Tool has been developed for exploring the application of data during management of human activities with the hope of being applicable to a wide range of activities, habitats and species in the future.”

All resources from the project are available here.

How traceability and blockchain technology are helping tuna fishers maintain their livelihoods.

Technology can provide fishermen with the means to protect the identify of the fish they catch - be that for private management needs or to make public the provenance of their catch. We could learn from these Indonesian fishermen and their use of such technology - especially for the inshore and Under10m sector in providing buyers and consumers with a high level of traceability. The same technology could also be used to arm specific fisheries with the data needed to prove sustainability and ensure stock assessment and management.

Jafar’s story - learn how traceability and blockchain technology are helping tuna fishers maintain their livelihoods.

Meet Jafar. Most days, in the very early hours of the morning – well before dawn – Jafar sets off in his small boat from the nearby beach on Seram Island, Indonesia, to catch yellowfin tuna. Jafar Like other local fishers, he uses the one-by-one handline method – considered one of the most environmentally responsible ways of catching these highly-prized fish. And today, thanks to the full traceability of his catch, enabled through TraceTales and SAP Blockchain technology, his tuna is in high demand. Moreover, being able to prove where and how his fish was caught puts Jafar, his fellow fishers, and also their fishery on a much more sustainable footing in the long term. 

Before there was TraceTales and blockchain 

It was sometimes hard for fishers like Jafar to prove that the tuna they were catching was indeed from an environmentally and socially responsible fishery. Most handliners fish in small groups alone, and are usually out at sea all day. Even though they were catching some beautiful yellowfin, they couldn’t prove its origins because they didn’t have the traceability tools. The fishers knew the tuna companies, the companies knew them, but there wasn’t sufficient verified evidence of where the tuna came from and how it was caught. 

Buyers can now be certain that Jafar’s tuna is safe to eat

Jafar still continues to go out fishing just as before, but his trip and catch are now much more visible. This is where the value is. Once his tuna catch is received at the processing plant, that specific sourcing information is recorded through Trace Tales, a software developed by MDPI and USAID OCEANS. © Anova© Anova The fish is then processed and tagged with a QR Code label which contains details about when, where, and how the fish was caught, as well as who caught it. That information is stored in the cloud and enters a secure blockchain. Afterwards, a laboratory takes samples to confirm that the tuna is safe to eat, and this data is also uploaded to the blockchain. This in turn makes details about Jafar’s fish instantly available to restaurants and retailers in the United States. 

But that’s not the end of it. 

Jafar’s fish are then taken to the finishing plant for final processing and preparation before being shipped to market. Every single piece is tracked right the way through to the consumers by connecting TraceTales data into blockchain. The actual people who end up buying and eating his tuna – in places like New York, Washington and Los Angeles – can now learn that it was Jafar who caught their tuna, and whereabouts in Indonesia it came from. Jafar’s family’s future is a lot more secure Essentially, this is because of the value of traceability in meeting import regulations and market requirements, as well as in differentiating his catch in the marketplace. Jafar is very proud to be a fisherman, but fishing is a difficult and sometimes dangerous way to make a living. 

Now though, blockchain is helping him and his neighbours to maintain their fishing future by securing access to the more lucrative export market. Through traceability (including blockchain), they are now much better placed to continue to catch Indonesian yellowfin for many generations to come. Jafar is proud that his story is being shared with the world Major seafood markets like the United States and Europe want transparency, traceability and sustainability. Through blockchain, Jafar is now part of this landscape – making sure that handline Indonesian tuna can be enjoyed all over the world! At the same time, and looking at it from the market perspective, buyers and consumers can take great comfort in the knowledge that Jafar and other local fishers can make a sustainable living from the job that they want to do, while also preserving local culture and traditions.

Full story courtesy of IPNLF.

Watch Jafar’s story here: FROM OCEAN TO TABLE: Your Food. Brought To You By Blockchain © MDPI© MDPI 

Anova - SAP Block Chain from Anova Food, LLC on Vimeo.

EU is prepared to drop its "maximalist" approach to fisheries

Tony Connelly reports on the sector which is proving a key stumbling block in the future relationship negotiations (remember, the EU has said if there's no fisheries deal, there's no free trade deal. Tony is RTÉ's European Editor.

Here is his Twitter thread on the matter in full:

1/ The issue is over the UK's insistence that the methodology known as Zonal Attachment should replace the existing quota share out system, known as Relative Stability...

2/ Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, is holding a video conference with the fish ministers of the Group of Eight fishing member states, including Ireland. Lithuania, Poland and Portugal will join...

3/ My understanding is that EU fish ministers will bluntly tell Mr Barnier that he must stick to the mandate which member states gave him at the outset, namely that EU vessels should continue to enjoy the same access to UK waters as they did under the Common Fisheries Policy...

4/ As a reminder, the EU's negotiating mandate says the final deal should “build on existing reciprocal access conditions, [and] quota shares…” and that there should be “continued reciprocal access, for all relevant species, by [European] Union and United Kingdom vessels"…

5/ On May 15, Barnier told a news conference there had been some movement on fisheries. Zonal Attachment was "one element" in a possible solution, he said, but not the "only element". Some saw this as a signal the EU was going to compromise on the issue...

6/ Zonal Attachment is devilishly complicated, but it basically means using deeper data to work out where fish species live, breed, spawn etc. Essentially, the UK believes that that methodology would rightfully restore much more quota to UK vessels in British waters...

7/ Some member states regard this as a "quota grab" dressed up as science. Zonal Attachment, says one source, is at play in the EU's ongoing discussions with independent coastal states (which the UK will become) over mackerel, but it is taking years...

8/ Furthermore, says the source, the science isn't there to provide the kind of data the UK is referring to, and that in any case, the EU and UK share over 100 stocks. So if it has taken years for mackerel, then imagine how long it will take for an entire fishing deal...

9/ However, the UK is insisting on it...
10/ It's understood that in the interim between Barnier's tentative offer on May 15, the mood among member states has hardened, not least because of David Frost's letter of May 19, seen by many has combative...

11/ It's worth remembering that EU member states largely accepted the draft negotiating mandate drawn up by the European Commission in January. However, they made the language on fisheries tougher - something I'm told they will remind the EU's chief negotiator this afternoon...

12/ Adding to the pressure, the European Parliament Fisheries Committee has adopted a resolution "no comprehensive agreement can be concluded between the EU and the UK if it does not include a complete, balanced and long-term fisheries agreement...

13/ "allowing the continuation under optimal conditions of access to waters, resources and markets of the parties concerned"...

Tony is RTÉ's European Editor and Deputy Foreign Editor Colm Ó Mongáin look at what Brexit business is squeezed into the EU Summit in Brussels - listen here they present a series of podcasts on Brexit from an Irish perspective.