Fisheries Innovation Scotland announce new projects to help strengthen the Scottish seafood sector

 

Fisheries Innovation Scotland (FIS) today announced two new projects, following invitations for pioneering research issued in late 2020. FIS, which brings together seafood experts, scientists and Scottish Government to champion practical innovation in fishing, sought new ideas to explore digitalisation of the Scottish fleet and understand greenhouse gas emissions from fishing vessels. Both projects offer opportunities for FIS to help the sector build business reputation, resilience and new routes to market.

Kara Brydson, Executive Director of FIS said: “These projects are designed and led by our industry, bringing heads together to create sustainable business opportunities in the new political and market contexts we’re facing together.”

Responding to the need to combat greenhouse gas emissions across all industries, FIS will partner with consultancy MarFishEco (MFE) and Heriot-Watt University to explore specific emission issues from each fleet segment within Scottish fishing. FIS hopes this piece of research will be an important contribution by the Scottish fishing industry, especially as the Glasgow-hosted 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) edges closer.

Experts from MFE and Heriot-Watt University will look to inform the development of a practical tool to measure and validate changes in carbon use at an individual vessel level and inform national action to reduce fleet emissions, including identifying technological solutions, costs and pathways to transition.

“MFE are excited to be selected to undertake this work as such emissions baselines are becoming increasingly important in terms of nationally determined contributions to reduce carbon emissions,” said Andrew Johnson, MarFishEco Chief Executive.

 “Scotland has such a large biomass of fish landed at its ports making it an obvious place to begin such work and understand what the picture looks like. It will then be equally important to engage with policy and industry to find practicable solutions to mitigating carbon emissions as best possible without detrimental impact on the economic viability of different fisheries. We hope this work will provide an important baseline upon which to build so that Scotland can be ahead of the curve and place itself as a world leader both in terms of high-quality seafood but also in terms of industry initiatives to help curb the negative impacts of industrial activities.”

With technology playing an increasingly critical role in many crucial aspects of Scottish fisheries, through in-water gear selectivity, real-time reporting apps, and more, FIS recognised the need to accelerate its understanding of how to provide business and research intelligence to fishers, scientists and managers.

FIS will work with Verifact, a company that provides software and advisory services to the seafood sector, to audit the Scottish fishing fleet’s current and future digital capabilities, and look for opportunities learned within other sectors in order to support FIS in identifying practical, innovative projects. Frank Fleming, CEO of Verifact said:

“We are looking forward to working with FIS to identify how emerging technologies can play a key role in adding value to the Scottish seafood sector. The project will explore how digitalisation can add value to catches and build efficiencies in supply chains while contributing to scientific data collection and sustainable practices. FIS are forward-thinking by looking at this project. Other food sectors are also investing in this area and it is important that the Scottish seafood sector maps out what it can do in the short and medium-term to inform its decision making in the coming years.”

Over the next five weeks, both organisations will be working on their respective projects, with support from FIS, its members and other experts. Once the initial desk-based research is complete, FIS members will decide on the next steps for practical innovation projects. More information about the project teams will be released on social media channels over the next month.

EU extends temporary catch limits on fish stocks shared with Britain

 

European Union ministers agreed on Tuesday to extend to the end of July the bloc’s catch limits for fish stocks shared with Britain, to ensure fishing can continue uninterrupted while Brussels and London seek a full-year deal.

FILE PHOTO: Fishing boats and fisherman are pictured on the beach at Hastings following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Hastings, Britain, June 9, 2020. REUTERS/Matthew Childs In their post-Brexit trade deal, the EU and Britain agreed to jointly set limits each year for fishing their shared stocks after Britain completed its exit from the 27-country bloc on Dec. 31.

They had hoped to negotiate this month a full-year agreement on fishing opportunities for 2021.

As a temporary solution, EU ministers agreed to keep applying last year’s EU catch limits for shared stocks until July 31. The temporary rule, covering stocks including plaice, cod, haddock and whiting, was due to expire on March 31.

“We found a solution so that EU fleets can continue to operate in their traditional fishing grounds after 31 March,” said Portuguese maritime minister Ricardo Serrao Santos, who chaired the meeting.

A European Commission representative said EU-British talks last week made significant progress towards a proper agreement, but that the roughly 75 fish stocks concerned meant the talks were complex and required further time.

Brussels sets annual limits on catches from around 100 commercial stocks of fish shared between EU countries in European waters, to avoid over-fishing.

The EU and Britain are also negotiating catch limits for shared deep-sea stocks in 2022.

Separately, Norway, Britain and the EU this month reached a deal on catch limits for jointly managed North Sea fish stocks following Brexit.

Access to one another’s fish stocks became a vexed issue in Brexit divorce negotiations, with the two sides ultimately agreeing a gradual fall in the quotas European fleets can catch in British waters, reaching a 25% reduction in value terms after 5-1/2 years.

After that, there will be annual talks to set the amount EU boats can catch in British waters and vice-versa.

(This story corrects paragraph 4 to specify April-July catch limits are based on scientific advice, rather than last year’s levels)

Full story courtesy of Reuters by Kate Abnett

Have you been subject to a VMS prosection?

Are you a fisherman or boat owner that has been prosecuted for an alleged fishing offence, where the prosecution have relied wholly or in part, on vessel monitoring data? 

If so, the industry are seeking your help!

I am collating data for research that is being concluded in the next few weeks and am seeking historic prosecution papers - specifically illustrated drawings relied on by the prosecution depicting the vessel transiting across land as part of the route. 

VMS or in this case AIS tracks that traverse the land.

Sounds an odd request for charts showing boat on land - but we know there may be many more fishermen to come forward with paperwork that may assist the research. Please contact me in confidence on:

07402 089170 or via NUTFA on sarah@nutfa.co.uk

SWFPO's Jim Portus has some thoughts on the matter:

Vessel Monitoring Systems or VMS is in regular use around the world nowadays. It can be a useful tool for monitoring, the clue is in the name, but enforcement requires additional information and evidence gathering with intelligent use of the data. Some authorities have prosecuted on the basis of the VMS data alone, relying on intimidation to secure conviction with the promise of a modest fixed penalty or FAP that offers a quick and attractive solution for busy working fishermen. In such cases there is no presumption of innocence! 

This research is gathering cases where VMS tracks clearly show nonsense, where the system has erred and the vessel is shown to have crossed the coastline because of aberrations. We all know that VMS is not 100% accurate, but just how often is it inaccurate beyond appreciable limits? 

Please assist innocent fishermen whose livelihoods and reputations are at the mercy of authorities whose use of this tool is excessive and anything but intelligent.

 

It's not what you say but how you say it.

Regulations introduced following the UK's departure from the EU have delayed the export of live crustaceans to Europe, resulting in the loss of whole shipments of lobsters and langoustines in Scottish ports.

Fishing represents a relatively small part of the UK economy, but fishing rights have dominated much of the Brexit negotiations with the European Union. And as the UK escapes EU environmental protections, fishing is once again a battleground for competing marine conservation ideas.

While these debates are almost always about numbers - catch quotas, stock levels, prices and taxes - focusing on these quantifiable aspects alone can lead us to overlook the values ​​that, in the first place, keep people in the fishery.

Our research into inshore fishing in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland - a sparsely populated archipelago off the west coast - has taken us from boats to processing factories and archives, demonstrating a commitment to sustainability that never ends. not limited to legislation. We have found that respecting the culture and language of these islands is as important as protecting the flora and fauna to preserve a thriving marine environment for generations to come.

Navigating the past

About 75% of the fishermen in the Outer Hebrides speak Gaelic, which is far more than the 61% of speakers for the entire population of the islands. Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language - related to, but distinct from, Irish Gaelic - once spoken across much of Scotland, but today mostly confined to its westernmost islands. This language experienced a decline during the 20th century and today has around 60,000 speakers.

The daily practice of the language by fishermen at work helps pass it on to the next generation, as young people soak up Scottish Gaelic when they are on the boats and in the processing factories where the catches are landed.
A whole system of "comharran" - navigation marks in Gaelic - surrounds the islands. Most of them are known only to fishermen. A "Creagan Breac" refers to a fishing spot that can be found by lining a large, clear boulder on the mountainside on South Uist with the end of a promontory on which stands a church.
“No one else has this knowledge,” said one fisherman from Uist. "Even the old peasants don't know them".

Much of the knowledge about the creatures that inhabit these fishing grounds is also recorded in the Gaelic language. A fisherman from Benbecula explained: “My father used to tell me: 'You have to go to this precise place at this precise time and there will be lobsters”. And ... that's how it works. This is what my grandfather and my great grandfather did too. "

This is what social scientists call TEK - the environmental information that are incorporated into the culture and language and transmitted from generation to generation.

Old ways, new challenges
The Scottish Coastal Fleet fishes within 12 miles and represents around three-quarters of all Scottish fishing vessels. Almost 90% of them are small caseyeur boats for two people. Our research has shown that in the Outer Hebrides, the cultural knowledge of fishermen contributes to an age-old commitment to sustainability. Some areas are unexploited during the spawning season and under-size specimens and egg-bearing females are safely discarded. This approach makes sense, as one fisherman from Benbecula explained, because: “Fishermen are not going to cut their necks for years and generations to come. "
The knowledge of fishermen here relates not only to the species they target - such as lobsters, shrimp and crabs - but also to the marine environment in general. The life stages of juvenile seagulls, the myriad species of dolphins and whales, the different kinds of seaweed found with the traps are all described in great detail by names and phrases in Scottish Gaelic.

These centuries-old links between language and the environment challenge dominant views on how best to protect habitats. The vitality of Scottish Gaelic as a living language would certainly suffer if fishing were to be curtailed, and much of the knowledge associated with it, which has helped to keep fishing in the seas of the Hebrides sustainable for generations, would be also lost.

When discussing the extension of marine protected areas by the Scottish government to limit fishing in the Hebrides, one fisherman said: “All Gaelic culture there will be gone. The Gaelic language that we speak, in the course of our work, would no longer be there. The culture, the people, everything would disappear forever. "

In our Gaelic-language feature documentary, Iorram , ( Boat Song ), we explore the heritage of these islands through contemporary imagery and previously untranslated stories and songs, archived by the School of Scottish Studies at the Edinburgh University in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

Faced with the age-old image of communities battling the sea in what remains one of Britain's most dangerous professions, we hear the voices of the Hebridean "herring girls" confronted with the weirdness of English food without a word of English to complain. We learn that fishermen have been kidnapped as contract workers and taken to the West Indies. We see prices crashing, ships sinking, GPS coming in.

Despite all these changes, Scottish Gaelic binds fishing communities together. The heated debates about the future of Scottish fishing, whether it will be run by Holyrood or Westminster, and how much of a stake the fishing communities themselves have in their own future, are sure to rage as they go. and as the question of independence arises again.

But it is imperative to take into account the enduring value of the language and culture of these islands.

Iorram (Boat Song) premiered in 2021 at the Glasgow Film Festival and can currently be viewed virtually in independent cinemas across the UK. To find out where to see it, visit https://iorramfilm.com .

Magnus Course
Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology, University of Edinburgh

Arthur Cole
Lecturer in Film Practice, University of Newcastle

This article is republished from https://theconversation.com "under a Creative Commons license. Https://theconversation.com/how-scottish-gaelic-is-helping-protect-scotlands-seas

See also the short film “Our Fathers' Sea” https://vimeo.com/299843335?ref=em-share

Festival international de films - Lorient : Pêcheurs du Monde 2021.

Would be great to see the UK fishing industry get this kind of support from creative individuals and bodies.

THE FESTIVAL IS REINVENTING IN 2021

With no clear horizon for a face-to-face festival in March, the team is mobilising for the 13th edition to happen. From March to September, the Pêcheurs du Monde film festival will regularly offer face-to-face and remote meetings. More than ever, it is important to revitalise cultural life. Through its new actions, the Festival will continue to nourish reflection on the oceans, on the links between man and nature and to defend a different point of view on fishing in the world.


THE THREE HIGHLIGHTS: 

• Face-to-face, in March / April, youth bridges: The festival maintains its cultural activities in schools with meetings and screenings in colleges, high schools and universities.

• Remotely, from March 22 to April 5: 21 films from the 2021 “Official Selection” will be shown on the KuB platform, the Breton web media, with the possibility of voting for the Audience Award >> Online on KuB, KulturBrittany 

• Face-to-face, from September 20 to 26, in Lorient and Pays de Lorient: this second itinerary will end with the Reflections of the 13th edition: stopovers in the Pays de Lorient, screenings of award-winning films, meetings with directors, etc.

FISH AND SAVE THE OCEANS 

Open as much to the local as to elsewhere, the Festival questions the future of the oceans and fishermen, the challenges of the 21st century to be taken up and proposes to exchange perspectives

39 films from 20 nationalities: Brittany Iran, United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Germany ... 

Fishing and pollution, the grabbing of seas and the protection of resources, Brexit, the place of women in fishing are the guiding principles of this 2021 Official Selection. The Festival is also the sharing of cinematographic heritage. That of two sacred cinema monsters, Visconti and Orson Welles, but also that of Breton fishermen with “September 1930: tuna boats in the storm” by Alain Pichon. 

Follow us throughout 2021!

The three main types of bottom trawl (demersal) fishing - fly-shooting, trawling and beam trawling.

Trawlers like the 42m Enterprise, the latest to join the Newlyn fleet,..

fish with two beam trawls either side of the boat...

each trawl attached to the beam at the end of two 30mm wire warps is towed over the sea bed...

the chain mat underneath the trawl net scours the sea bed and only catches fish that appear directly in front of the beam and net...

the trawls are towed at 3.5knots and hauled around every 3 hours for the duration of a trip - the area covered by the beam trawls is approx 144000m²   or 0.0114²km in one hour...

fly-shooters or seiners, like the Annalijdia, a recent visitor to Newlyn... 

use large bottom trawls with 80mm mesh size...

attached to 50mm combination (a mixture of polypropylene and wire) 'ropes' which sweep the sea bed...

after the trawls are deployed and then hauled, the towing action covers a diamond shaped area swept by the combination ropes...

it takes around two hours for each haul, from the start, to when the catch is taken on board...

which means 2km x 2km = 4km² of the sea bed are fished every hour...

The Dutch fly-shooter Lub Senor has also been fishing south of Newlyn

Seine net fish is noted for its quality as the catching method means that the fish on the sea bed are effectively herded towards the net by the action of the combination ropes and only enter the trawl as the ropes close the nets - the smallest part of the trawl uses 80mm mesh...

as can be seen in this animated and underwater video footage...

the 23m trawler Crystal Sea works a twin-rig trawl - two nets are towed side-by-side spread apart by two trawl doors - the smallest part of the trawl uses 100mm mesh...

as can be seen in this flume tank demonstration of how to rig the trawls - the trawl doors are around 180m apart so the area of seabed covered during the course of one hour's trawling is around 1.1km² - considerably less than the are covered by a bottom trawler - even when twin-rigged trawls are used.

Nominations open for Fishing News Awards.

 

The Fishing News Awards 2021 Fishing News is proud to present the Fishing News Awards 2021, which shines a spotlight on the achievements, innovations, and successes of the commercial fishing industries of the UK and Ireland in 2020.

Since last March, everyone associated with the fishing industry has faced many challenges in trying to keep their family-based businesses afloat. Major those these were, they fade into insignificance when compared to the tragic loss of loved ones that many have suffered over the past year and our sincere condolences go out to everyone who has lost family members and friends.

Some welcome signs of recovery within the industry are now appearing, including the proposed reopening of restaurants which should have a positive impact on fish prices. Conscious of the importance of giving the industry some respite from continuing challenges, and wanting to celebrate the many and varied achievements of fishermen throughout the UK and Ireland, Fishing News is proud to launch the 2021 awards. Continuing with 2020’s format, Fishing News Awards 2021 will be virtual event, taking place at 7pm on 17 June 2021.

On that date, simply make your way back here for our announcement video or connect with us on Twitter or Facebook on the day to find out the winners – and don’t forget to dress up! Just because we’re virtual this year that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the winners with style.

The Fishing News Awards recognises the collective achievement of the industry, the strength of which is much greater than its individual parts, so it’s important that the efforts of fishermen, boat builders, port staff, processors, seafood retailers, product manufacturers and service companies are all celebrated.

Nominations for Fishing News Awards 2021 are now open, click here to register your nomination. This year’s 16 categories for Fishing News Awards 2021 can be found below and we’re delighted to bring voters two new categories: U10 Fisherman of The Year recognising the achievements of those working on under 10 metre boats and Product of the Year to recognise innovative and exciting new products being used in the industry.

Use the menu below to see each category in the Fishing News Awards 2021

Demersal Fisherman of the Year	Fishing Port of the Year
Pelagic Fisherman of the Year	New Boat of the Year – Demersal
Shellfish Fisherman of the Year	New Boat of the Year – Pelagic
U10 Fisherman of the Year	New Boat of the Year – Shellfish
Indep. Fresh Fish Retailer of the Year	Young Fisherman of the Year
Processor of the Year	Trainee Fisherman of the Year
The Sustainability Award	Product of the Year
Service Company of the Year	Lifetime Achievement Award

Nomination entries close on 26 March so make sure you put in your nomination now. To keep up to date with the awards, don’t forget to look out for more information in Fishing News and on our Twitter and Facebook pages.