It's a fresh #FishyFriday in Newlyn this morning.

Good to see a handful of visiting boats taking advantage of the fishing grounds off Cornwall...

along with local boats like the Annie May making a solid landing of monk and turbot...

yesterday saw a handful of lucky handliners pull strings of mackerel aboard

Cod was one of the bigger players in the feeding frenzy...

the unmistakable tub gurnard...

but to which fish does this huge gaping mouth belong?..

the one with the spots is easy to ID...

the beam trawler St Georges had a bonus haul of red mullet, not a fish they normally catch in any quantity...

their staple diet being Dover...

or megrim sole...

the netter Ocean Pride picked up a good run of hake...

this hake throat will be one of the delights on offer at Argoe, a new restaurant due to open in July situated right in the harbour bounds serving only seasonal fish with plenty of al fresco seating...

lobsters are the subject of some debate with the second reading of the Sentience Bill in the House of Lords which seeks to accord certain species rights to humane treatment...

with few wreck netters these days blackjacks (coley) as seen less often up for auction...

and the days when boats used to target conger eels in any quantity are long gone...

 660 stone (4,000kg) on the deck of the KimBill longlining in one night for example...

and of course, the lovely looking ling...

best of the 'butt...

cod are also not seen in any quantity these days as few Newlyn boats trawl in the (Bristol) channel...

these crab pots have were crept up after being lost for many months...

in the future, these highly manouverable sardine boats...

with their season about to start...

will be berthed against the Mary Williams pier...

plenty of work deck on this classic Salcombe crabber...

Pelagic Marskman on the slip, more news on her to come.

 

Fishing News Industry Awards 2021

Welcome to the 2021 Fishing News Awards, which shines a spotlight on the achievements of the UK and Irish fishing industries during 2020. Find out this year's winners here!

UK GOVERNMENT MUST INVEST IN COASTAL COMMUNITIES - but is there a caveat?

The dream:

UK Government must invest in coastal communities. A new report claims that at least fourteen thousand jobs could be created as part of rejuvenated coastal communities if the Government invests £400 million per year for ten years, instead of the meagre compensation offered to cover Brexit losses.

A report published by Sustain shows how investing in managing fisheries more fairly and sustainably would allow the UK industry and coastal communities – some of the areas worst hit by coronavirus and Brexit-related disruptions – to grow significantly and sustainably in terms of jobs and income, deliver the ‘sea of opportunity’ promised by Brexit, and give significant returns on investment in a remarkably short space of time.

Boris Johnson has allocated some funds to compensate for losses caused by Brexit and Covid-19 including £23 million for exporting businesses. However, apart from an as yet unconfirmed £100 million, there are no plans to support the industry to flourish longer term. This report makes the case for a much larger investment of £400 million per year for a decade. It is calculated that this would allow fisheries to add more than £2 billion annually to GDP from increased catches and associated coastal economies, and would put an end to UK seafood being rejected by businesses over sustainability concerns. At present depleted fish stocks, poor data, and lack of independent verification of sustainability for UK seafood means the fishing industry is failing to meet its full potential.

Ruth Westcott, co-ordinator for sustainable fishing at Sustain said “The opportunities that were promised through Brexit must now be delivered by Government investment instead. The compensation package offered to the industry is money down the drain if it isn’t part of a bigger investment plan. If funding is focussed on recovering marine ecosystems and fish stocks, and allocating fishing rights fairly, the industry could thrive. This report is clear, there are incredible gains to be had – for jobs, for climate change and for nature – from well managed UK seas, and the investment would easily pay for itself within a decade in GDP growth and jobs. This government has promised to level up the UK and with the right support now, our coastal communities could look forward to a better and fairer future.”

Highlights from the report

A Government investment of £400 million is needed to rejuvenate the UK fishing industry, including:

Supporting fishers financially to catch less in the short term where needed to recover stocks. Such compensation for environmental benefits is commonplace in farming. Reduced demand caused by Covid-19 and Brexit offers the perfect opportunity to do this. £30 million per year to ensure all fisheries have sufficient data to be managed effectively Continuing previous EU funding streams with £81 million to invest in sustainability certification and helping fishers switch to more sustainable gear and practices, and £60 million for coastal heritage and tourism facilities. In addition, the Government Buying Standards should be strengthened to ensure public money is supporting sustainable British fish producers.

The proposals in the report would boost jobs and the economy by:

Allowing depleted fish populations to recover, to yield 30% higher landings and create 10,000 new jobs Sharing some of the UK’s quota allocation more fairly, with more for the small-scale fleet which employs more people per fish. This would create at least an estimated 3500 jobs. Rejuvenating recreational fishing and new wildlife-watching could add at least another 700 jobs in tourism. Demand has been growing across the world for sustainable fish, especially in public sector institutions. Many restaurant chains and caterers only serve fish which is either certified sustainable or rated 1-3 by the Marine Conservation Society. Unfortunately, most of the species caught around the coast of the UK at the moment do not meet this sustainability criteria so they are missing out on market opportunities. Some cod, langoustines (scampi), scallops, herring, bream, cuttlefish, halibut, ray, skate and whiting are considered Fish to Avoid by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).

For consumers, recovered fisheries could mean more of our favourites like cod and sea bass, caught in the UK, on shelves and on menus. At the moment these species are mainly imported to meet our demand as UK stocks are depleted. A recovery of marine wildlife could see whales, dolphins and seabirds return to our shores and could be key to unlocking new opportunities in UK tourism. Where fishing harbours, recreational fishing and wildlife tourism have been valued as important assets, they have already seen a boost in visitors and tourism spend.

The Government promised that a Brexit deal would allow UK fisheries to prosper. In fact, the deal has made it more difficult to export fish, and the moderate increase in quota is mainly for species like horse mackerel that are very unlikely to benefit the small-scale fleet. The government has promised to invest in a Green Recovery from Covid-19 and, given the disappointing Brexit deal, fisheries offers the perfect opportunity to do so.

Report courtesy of Sustain.

However, the reality:

It is one thing to create employment and opportunities for job creation BUT, having done so and recruited your staff - where are they going to live?

Your 'typical' 2 bedroom 'fishermen's cottage ...

costs £275,000 in Newlyn...

which mean being able to pay a £10,000 deposit  and £1117.25 per month over 30 years at 3% interest...

worse still, £325,000 in Mousehole.

Coastal towns in Cornwall need affordable housing to rent or buy just as much as they need jobs and job creation - the two are inseparable.

Where do you even begin to respond to the answer given this question in Parliament?

This is not, "taking back control". 

The level of understanding displayed in this response is telling. Just how seriously is the threat of thse hugely powerful and game-changing fishing vessels being taken by the MMO and the Government on behalf of off and inshore UK fishermen?

For the benefit of Victoria Prentis (and anyone else) who doesn't know the difference.

Below, is the Acionna, a typical example of a Scottish seine net vessel with her net as referred to in the written answer to Caroline Lucas' written question:

The largest of the rubber discs on the footrope are around 6" in diameter.

The combination rope used was light enough for the crew to hand haul them recently when they suffered a hydraulic problem with the rope reels that hold them

The Acionna is 24m long and 204 tons and 470hp

Below, is a typical example of the new breed of fly-shooter referred to by Caroline in her question -  seen here in the same berth as the Acionna in Newlyn.

The Annalijdia is 42m long 455 tons and 1275 hp

Spot the difference Victoria?

The Dutch boat has a pair of winches capable of holding 3700 metres (that's over 3 miles) of 50mm seine rope, which can also be used for twin-rigging with Dyneema warp, plus a centrally mounted middle wire winch with capacity for 750 metres of 26mm wire, and which is also prepared for Dyneema warp. The package also includes twin 12m3 net drums built into the aft gantry. She works twin seine nets with 60m heavy rubber footropes.

There is no sense that the minister was provided with anything like accurate or reasonable information in order to answer the question - who was responsible for such mis or dis-information?

Caught on camera, the mid-week market action in Newlyn.

Overcast but warm enough and with a 15' tide most of the netter fleet are away to sea...

Wednesday's market was full of top quality mainly inshore fish...

 from trawlers like the Still Waters...

the only net fish being that from the Ocean Pride landing mainly turbot...

ground fish like these blonde ray...

and monk from the Lucy Too...

along with a few butterfly squid...

while these superb line caught pollack...

came by way of the handline boat, Maverick...

where the catch are gutted, washed and kept in these insulated tubs full of slush ice which is why young Mr Smith's fish always look as if they have just jumped from the sea straight into a box for auction...

seems that these stripey little fish are still only little more findable than rocking horse s**t...

Tom would have had a big smile on his face when this beauty fell out of the cod end on to the deck aboard the Harvest Reaper...

haddock...

Dover sole...

and these pristine red mullet will no doubt find themselves suitably served on restaurant tables not a million miles form Newlyn later today...

keeping the merchants like Mr Smart busy loading...

his newly internally glass-fibred van (nice work Dan) caught in action by Gemma Wearing filming for the Seafarers Charity...

there were 14 of big yachts using Newlyn the other day, proof that if you build it they will come...

while there's still a building work to be done aboard the Billy Rowney...

time to take fuel across the deck of the Sapphire II for this immaculate and classic tosher.