Vacancies on Newlyn Harbour Commissioner & Advisory Boards.

 

What are we looking for?

Newlyn Pier and Harbour Commissioners, NPHC, are actively recruiting for positions on both the Board of Commission and Advisory Board, in accordance with Newlyn Harbour’s Enabling Act 1906 and Harbour Revision Order 2010.

Newlyn Harbour, is one of the largest Fishing Ports in England and is the gateway to some of the richest fishing grounds, a port of refuge and last port of call before leaping to the Isles of Scilly. NPHC has an ambitious vision to support the fishing Industry beyond Brexit by way of improving infrastructure and upgrading facilities for both the catching and processing sectors, whilst nurturing ambition to diversify in order to incorporate marine renewables in this ever-changing world. Therefore, NPHC is looking to recruit motivated and forward-thinking people to continue our exciting, planned growth.

With Newlyn being home to one of the largest fleets within the UK, coupled with a total value of fish landed to our port at circa £25,000,000 pa, we are keen to build on our present revenue streams whilst exploiting potential growth in all marine sectors. Do you want to be part of this?? 

As a Trust Port we are looking for a broad range of skills from all walks of life so if you think you may not be suited, please think again.

The Role:

• 3 Year voluntary appointment (Expenses offered for Commissioners). 

• Experience of ports is desirable but not essential. A varied skill base will be sought ranging from, Finance, Governance, Stakeholder Engagement, Leisure, Fishing, Local Residents and Marine renewables and much more 

• Successful candidates will be required to attend monthly meetings with occasional need to represent the Harbour on National memberships/functions. 

• Candidates will be required to have input to Port Policy and Strategic Planning and be comfortable liaising with stakeholders ranging from MPs to Local Government to residents and Harbour users 

• National locations will be considered due to dial in facility, however in person attendance preferred

Still Interested?

Please send a covering letter and CV to info@newlynharbour.com clearly stating which board you are applying for, Commissioners or Advisory Board or even both. 

Successful candidates shortlisted for interview will be informed the week commencing 28th June with interviews scheduled early July. If applicants have not heard from us before the 30th June unfortunately you have not been successful this time. 

Any questions please contact the email address above and we will endeavour to answer your questions.

Good Luck!

‘Call it a business plan’: North Atlantic supply chain group launches ‘policy FIP’ to drive political will for long-term pelagics management.

Mackerel - fish to fight for.

The North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group (NAPA) - a collective of 50 retailers and supply chain businesses working together to secure sustainable management of key pelagic stocks - starts the clock on three-year countdown to certification-ready pelagic fisheries.

“It is vital a collaborative, long-term approach to managing key pelagic stocks is in place, which in turn will help us to meet the commitments to our consumers to provide ethical, sustainable products. The policy FIP is an excellent vehicle for us to drive this and we would urge Coastal States to think of the FIP as a ‘business plan’. Ultimately, the market needs to be comfortable with the management of these stocks to ensure a future supply base and promote healthy oceans.” - Aisla Jones, Fisheries and Aquaculture Manager, The Co-op.

Following the news that Norway has unilaterally increased its own quota by over 100,000 tonnes – shortly followed by a quota increase from the Faroes – NAPA has announced the launch of the policy FIP for the first time. Representing wholesalers, food service businesses, aquaculture producers, feed companies, suppliers and processors, NAPA’s position is that the market won’t continue to tolerate ‘horse-trading’ and actions that they consider to threaten the overall sustainability of pelagic stocks.

Whilst traditional ‘FIPs’ (Fishery Improvement Programmes) focus on the need to enact data collection or develop management strategies, the NAPA policy FIP acknowledges that the pelagic stocks covered - NEA mackerel and Atlanto-Scandian herring - are in the unusual position of being data-rich, well-understood and with proposed management strategies published. The barriers to enacting sustainable management centre around decision-making and political will: hence the ‘policy’ focus of the FIP.

FIP Description 

There are two fisheries captured within this FIP: the North East Atlantic (NEA) mackerel fishery, and the Atlanto-Scandian herring (ASH) (also known as the Norwegian spring spawning herring) fishery. 

In correspondence to NEAFC Heads of Delegation in the past days, NAPA has announced the launch of an innovative ‘policy FIP’ - designed to drive political will for cooperative decision-making and secure sustainable management for key pelagic stocks. The novel ‘policy FIP’ covers Northeast Atlantic mackerel and Atlanto-Scandian herring - two stocks which recently lost MSC certification due to ongoing disagreements between Coastal States actors, leading to unilateral quota-setting. This, says NAPA, is an unacceptable threat to the sustainability of these key stocks, and one which has major implications for the purchasing decisions of the market.

Project Lead, Dr Tom Pickerell, commented:

“Horse-trading and unilateral quota-setting is not responsible management. NAPA as a group are calling for political barriers to be put to one side, and for Coastal States to make a simple, responsible decision: to follow the established science. With long-term, sustainable management in place these key commercial stocks can continue to thrive, and NAPA members can serve the global marketplace with confidence and security. Our goal? That Coastal States come together and enact science-based, responsible management.”

NAPA, which has been working on NEA pelagics sustainability since 2019 as a collective, has developed a similar tool for a third key stock: blue whiting. Not-yet-launched, but in the immediate pipeline, is a NAPA MarinTrust ‘improver programme’ for this important aquaculture feed-stock. Tom Pickerell further commented: “this shows the organisation and ambition of the marketplace in signaling the need for sustainable management: NAPA is focused on three stocks, and we have improvement programmes outlined for all of them - they will be independently audited, and we will hold ourselves to account as we strive to hold Coastal States governments to account. Should an agreement between Coastal States prove impossible, then individual supply chain members will be forced to re-evaluate their purchasing of these pelagic stocks.”

Find out more about the policy FIP for NEA mackerel and Atlanto-Scandian herring on FisheryProgress.org here: https://fisheryprogress.org/fip-profile/northeast-atlantic-ocean-mackerel-and-herring-hook-line-trawl-and-purse-seine

Future “looks good” for Cornish sardines

Cornish sardines are among a group of sustainable fisheries being credited for making vital improvements to protect ecosystems and vulnerable marine life on World Ocean Day (June 8).

New data shows that in 2020, 100 improvements were made by fisheries across the globe as part of being certified to the Marine Stewardship Council’s sustainability standard. Over half of these include improvements relating to endangered, threatened and protected species.

The Cornish sardine fishery is working on projects aimed at protecting marine wildlife. Sardine fishermen in Cornwall have collaborated with the Sea Mammal Research Unit to conduct studies using onboard video cameras and an app to better enable reporting interactions with endangered, threatened and protected species.

Cornish sardines also feature in MSC’s World Ocean Day campaign #BigBlueFuture this week, which is encouraging consumers to choose seafood with the MSC blue ecolabel and help protect oceans, livelihoods and fish for the future. 

Cornish sardine fisherman, Tom Pascoe, and the vessel he fishes on, Serene Dawn, can be seen in a new MSC #BigBlueFuture global campaign film, launched this week.

Gus Caslake from the Cornish Sardine Management Association (CSMA) said: 

“The hard work undertaken by CSMA members over the past few years has enhanced the management of not only the Cornish sardine fishery but also of the wider marine environment.

“The future looks good for the Cornish sardine, with excellent stock levels backed up by well-informed management advice.”

Globally, 15 of the improvements made helped enhance fisheries’ understanding and management of impacts on local ecosystems and habitats. This progress comes at a time when there is increasing concern about the unprecedented pressures facing our oceans. As highlighted by a recent UN Assessment report, there are many areas where urgent action is needed to avoid losing marine biodiversity – with tackling overfishing being a central part of this.

George Clark, MSC UK & Ireland Programme Director, said: “Unsustainable fishing practices are a serious threat to the biodiversity and productivity of our oceans, yet we know that with proper management, depleted stocks can recover and damaged ecosystems can once again flourish.”

The G7 effert - where the environmental lobbies want to see fishing heading

 

Government urged to commit to ban on damaging fishing in marine protected areas Oceana and Greenpeace made the call on World Oceans Day.

Campaigners are calling on the UK and devolved governments to commit to ban harmful trawl fishing in marine protected areas.

The call came as conservation organisation Oceana released analysis showing there were 68,000 hours of bottom trawling last year in areas which have been protected to conserve seabed habitats.

Greenpeace has launched a six-month operation with its new vessel Sea Beaver to patrol the UK’s protected areas off the south coast, documenting and taking action to stop destructive fishing.

The two organisations have come together on World Ocean Day to urge ministers to commit to ban bottom trawling in UK marine protected areas (MPAs) as a matter of urgency.

Conservationists warn that the fishing method, in which weighted nets are dragged over the seabed to catch fish, destroys important wildlife habitats on the seafloor as well as releasing carbon that is stored there.

The habitats are important for the health of the seas and species including commercially caught fish.

Analysis by Oceana, using the vessel-tracking data platform Global Fishing Watch and cross-referenced from the European Fleet Register, suggests 68,000 hours of fishing took place in 2020 in UK MPAs highlighted for their seabeds.

That is up 10% from 2019, despite the impact of Covid-19 on fishing activity, the organisation said.

If they cannot protect this small portion of our seas, what hope do we have for the rest of our ocean?

The data shows that 19 of the 64 offshore areas designated to protect seabed features and habitats such as rocky reefs, gravel habitats and cold-water corals experienced more than 1,000 hours of bottom trawl fishing in 2020.

Oceana said that since leaving the EU, UK ministers have the power to ban the most destructive industrial fishing vessels from MPAs immediately, but are continuing to license the activity.

Melissa Moore, head of UK policy at Oceana in Europe, said: “We are calling on UK and Scottish ministers to commit to ban bottom trawling in our marine protected areas, rather than licensing it.

“With the ecological and climate emergency we are in, swifter action is needed and the UK, along with all G7 countries, should lead the way to ensure marine protected areas are truly protected.”

Greenpeace said its Operation Ocean Witness, which will operate out of Newhaven, East Sussex from June until autumn, will document destructive fishing practices still permitted in UK seas and the wildlife in the oceans, and engage with fishing communities along the south coast.

Greenpeace oceans campaigner Chris Thorne accused the Government of calling itself a “global ocean champion while allowing destructive industrial fishing vessels to operate freely in our protected areas”.

“We’ve heard enough rhetoric, which is why we’re launching Operation Ocean Witness. 

“We will do our Government’s job for them, holding the most destructive fishing vessels to account and making sure our Government can’t hide the destruction taking place in our oceans, which so often remains beyond the horizon and out of sight for most of the public.”

He called on the Government to deliver on its promise to better protect the UK’s seas after Brexit, adding: 

“A world-leading network of marine protected areas, where all bottom trawlers and supertrawlers are banned, would revive our seas and coastal communities, unify our divided nation and make Britain a genuine leader in marine protection.”

A Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs spokesperson said: “We are committed to achieving a healthy and sustainable marine environment.

“Now we have left the EU, the Marine Management Organisation is consulting on additional safeguards for four of our precious marine protected areas, including banning activities that harm wildlife or damage habitats.”

Full story courtesy of the Standard here:

Workshop; Legal Challenges Faced by Coastal and Fishing Communities, Brexit and the New British Fisheries Policy (Tuesday, 8th June 2021)

 

Legal Challenges Faced by Coastal and Fishing Communities, Brexit and the New British Fisheries Policy (Tuesday, 8th June 2021)

Register here.

This workshop aims to bring together leading fisheries experts from academia, industry and policy to share their expertise, views and experience on the challenges that Brexit and the consequences for the United Kingdom in leaving the Common Fisheries Policy. How can we support and provide legal certainty to British and European fishing and coastal communities regarding the legal challenges posed by the UK’s new fisheries policy?

The goal of the workshop is to share and discuss ideas and emerging findings, share feedback on best practices, discuss legal issues and establish a dialogue between stakeholders and policymakers. A programme will be published online shortly before the workshop.

Register to join in with the meeting here - The workshop is open to all with an interest in fisheries and Brexit.

The “Legal challenges faced by coastal and fishing communities and the new British Fisheries Policy” is led by Dr Jonatan Echebarria Fernández of City Law School (Principal Investigator), Dr Tafsir Matin Johansson of World Maritime University (Senior Expert Consultant) and Mr Mitchell Lennan of the University of Strathclyde (Impact Assistant). The project is funded by the City Law School Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF).

The outcome of the workshop will lead to the publication of the “Fisheries in a Post-Brexit World – Economic, Legal and Policy Implications for the UK and the EU” monograph by Routledge. World leading experts from Academia, the fishing industry, and international organisations have confirmed their participation.

The following speakers have confirmed their participation:

1.Gerard van Balsfoort (European Union Fisheries Alliance / EUFA, Europêche) 

2.Catherine Barnard (University of Cambridge) 

3.Andrew Serdy (University of Southampton) 

4.Mercedes Rosello (Leeds Beckett University) 

5.Miguel Núñez Sánchez (Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda) 

6.Richard Barnes (University of Lincoln) 

7.Elizabeth Bourke (National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations) 

8.Seán Marriott (University of Lincoln) 

9.Rod Cappell (Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management) 

10.Ciarán O’Driscoll (European Movement Ireland) 11.Jimmy Buchan (Scottish Seafood Association)

The two panels will be chaired by Elaine Fahey (City Law School) and Jason Chuah (City Law School).

You can find and download the full programme here [PDF].

Please note that the workshop will be recorded.

Attendance at City events is subject to our terms and conditions.

G7 and it's not flaming June!

You don't just have to be a keen gardener to notice a distinct lack of ladybirds and aphids that will tell you it is not quite flaming June, just look out the window!..

traditionally, John Dory show up when there's plenty of sunshine

while hake tend to be a more year-round fish...

while spurdogs are currently caught in a sort of no-mans-land where they are being found on fishing grounds all round the UK in plentiful numbers - and all but a handful of Cornish gill netters are allowed to land 1 ton a month, the rest of the UK fleet has to dump these hugely tasty fish straight back into the sea whenever they catch them...

tub gurnards are every bit as tasty as they look...

superb ray still being landed in quantity by inshore trawlers...

while the ling, fish that was once the mainstay of the 1960s and 70s long ining fleet working from Newlyn are now seldom seen - which no doubt would please Lamorna Ash describing them in her book Dark, Salt, Clear about her time at sea and ashore in Newlynas "her least favourite fish...their long, thrashing bodies are reminiscent of eels and, when they die, their innards come up through their mouths so it looks as if they have vomited bright pink sausage meat"

at the other end of the fish beauty pageant come Couch's bream...

and red mullet...

which along with John Dory...

are top-earners...

for the inshore boats like the Lucy Too

New Venture...

Harverst Reaper...

and Millennia...

who along with Tom on the Harvest Reaper look to increase their landings by picking up these top quality fish, especially turbot which in recent days have topped £175 a stone (£28/kilo)...

though even haddock have been making good money for the likes of the Spirited Lady III...

there's plenty of sunshine at the end of the market this morning though

the good ship Butts is about to carry Cod out to sea for a day hunting the incredibly elusive bass...

but not so fruitful for Mr Morley on the mackerel...

Lucy Too in berth...

Britannia IV, a signwriter's delight...

one day it's the Sheila-T...

and then the Jen-T

Cod out Chris in...

landing crab from the Nicola of Ladram...

the latest boats to join the Rowse fleet...

as Mr Morley heads back to a berth after the third fruitless morning in a row searching mackerel out in the Bay...

Newlyn has another big cat visitor, Tia Elizabeth wind farm vessel stops by for an overnight rest and a fuel-up

tied up across the harbour are two police launches...

and the Border Force vessel, Valiant, more evidence of the increased security surrounding the G7 Talks at Carbis Bay which start in earnest today...

slipped and ready for anit-fouling and new anodes, an annual ritual for every vessel in the harbour...

Cornish crab, Polish truck...

the guys aboard the Amethyst take a good look at the departing windfarm cat.

 

EU and UK reach agreement in principle on fishing opportunities for the remainder of 2021 - with figures.

 

The EU and the United Kingdom concluded today the negotiations on an agreement in principle setting out catch limits for jointly managed fish stocks for 2021. This was finalised in a phone call this afternoon between Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, and UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Rt Hon George Eustice MP.

Today's agreement closes the first ever annual consultations on fishing opportunities between the EU and the UK under the terms of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The successful conclusion of the negotiations, which started in January, creates a strong basis for continued EU-UK cooperation in the area of fisheries.

Today's agreement in principle on the management of key shared stocks secures the fishing rights of both the EU and the UK fleets in both the EU and the UK waters until the end of 2021, as foreseen under the TCA. It establishes the total allowable catches (TAC) for 75 shared fish stocks for 2021, as well as for some deep-sea stocks for 2021 and 2022. It also provides clarity on access limits for non-quota species. The signing of the agreement, expected in the coming days, will also enable both parties to engage in quota exchanges.

Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius said: “Today we reached a deal with the UK on fishing opportunities under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. This agreement provides predictability and continuity for our fleets with definitive TACs for the remainder of the year. This is good for fishermen and women, our coastal communities and our ports, as well as for the sustainable use of our marine resources. This also proves that two partners on both sides of the Channel can find agreements and move forward if they work together.”

The agreement is based on the best available scientific advice on the state of fish stocks, as provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. It takes into account important sustainability and management principles, such as maximum sustainable yield and the precautionary approach, which are central to both the EU's Common Fisheries Policy and to the fisheries provisions of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Next, the Commission will shortly propose to the Council to incorporate today's agreement into EU legislation.

The NFFO gave a summary of the negotiations:

The marathon 5-month negotiation between the UK and the EU for a fisheries agreement for 2021 has concluded with a settlement. Some details on the written record are still being finalised but the Secretary of State for the UK and the Fisheries Commissioner for the EU have both announced agreement in principle.

The NFFO will reserve comment on the package as a whole until after the agreed record has been published. In the meantime, the information that has been made available is reproduced below.

It is worthy of note that the following factors have been significant both in the content of the agreement and how the negotiations were conducted:

The terms of the UK/EU trade and cooperation agreement

The UK’s insistence on its right of regulatory autonomy as an independent coastal state

The EU’s efforts to limit divergence from the CFP

The constraints applied by having to negotiate remotely because of Covid related restrictions

TACs


One of the central purposes of the agreement, setting TACs for 2021, had already been taken out of the equation after the UK, at the beginning of May, autonomously set provisional quotas for the UK fleets; these will now be formally adopted into the agreement without significant change.

Precedents

The main points of disagreement between the two parties (now resolved) eventually boiled down to:

Area flexibility

The following changes to Area flexibility apply North of 58.30’, between Area 6a (West of Scotland) and Area 4 (North Sea). Otherwise, existing flexibilities continue to apply.



Both parties have committed to engage urgently on interim quota exchanges and to a clear timeframe ahead of the establishment of the establishment of the Specialised Committee. The Specialised Committees (yet to be established) will formulate arrangements for a more permanent exchange mechanism.

Non-quota species

Both parties have agreed that notwithstanding the terms of the TCA, and reflecting the late stage in the year, tonnage limits on catches of non-quota species in each respective EEZ will not be enforced for 2021. Instead, catches on non-quota species will be monitored and work on a long-term management plan will be initiated within the context of the Specialised Committee

Bass management measures

Arrangements for bass have been amended:

• Trawl/seine catch limits have been changed from 520kgs per two-month period to 380kgs per month, within a 5% per trip limit

• The ban on bycatch of bass by shore nets has been removed, subject to close monitoring and limitation to those involved in this fishery prior to 2017

• There is no change to the recreational bag limit for bass

• Joint work on bass will continue in the specialised committee

Celtic Sea technical measures

The UK will apply new technical measures in the Celtic Sea which will apply to all vessels operating in that zone. These will apply from 3rd September 2021. Details to follow.

Industrial Species

Notwithstanding the UK’s principled opposition to industrial fishing, the following TACs were agreed:

• Sandeel 92,500 tonnes

• Norway Pout 128,300 tonnes

Skates and Rays

Better ways of managing the various skates and rays stocks will be referred to the specialised committee

Mixed Fishery Advice

It is expected that the agreed record will contain wording on a more rational approach to managing mixed fisheries in the future.

Written Record

All of the above is based on oral information and may be subject to adjustment when the UK/EU written record is made available.