Fish tales: new art show at Two Temple Place trawls Cornwall's past

From oyster boat to pilchard-press, Roo Gunzi's collection of Cornish cultural treasures marks a sea change for one of London's grandest buildings Share38

Fisherman hauling in nets, pilchard-pressing devices, and d'Artagnan: it's the Cornish art survey of a lifetime, but it's not in the west country – it has just opened in a remarkable Victorian building off the Strand in London. Featuring paintings made in Cornwall in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the exhibition includes many that have been in store for decades, and one not exhibited for well over a century.

Pilchard driver in Mousehole oil on board by Christopher Wood

The same boat photographed steaming off Mousehole when hand lining for mackerel in 1978 

Two Temple Place was built in 1895 as a London bolthole for the American publishing and business tycoon William Waldorf Astor, later Viscount Astor, in truly startling gothic-Tudor-renaissance style. By coincidence the same architect, John Loughborough Pearson, was also responsible for Truro cathedral. Astor would have been astonished to see a Cornish oyster-fishing boat, on loan from the Maritime Museum in Falmouth, taking up much of the floor of his palatial library.

The building is now owned by a charity, the Bulldog Trust, which has launched a programme of annual exhibitions based on regional collections to open up the space to visitors. Palatial … Two Temple Place in London. Photograph: Will Pryce Curator Roo Gunzi, who's completing a thesis on one of the best-known artists, Stanhope Forbes, has worked in partnership with the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro, but she has also tracked down paintings in private collections and museum stores all over the country. One gigantic painting by Forbes, showing the interior of a blacksmith's shop, normally hangs in the council offices in Ipswich. The artist began painting it on the spot, but was so overcome by the heat and smoke that he had to resort to reconstructing the scene in his Newlyn studio. Another huge canvas, a pair of horses drawing a block of newly quarried stone, has come from a private collection and hasn't been seen in public since 1905.

Another painting of "seine" fishermen dragging their catch was completed in 1897 by Charles Napier Hemy – after 14 years of making studies for it. It caused a stir when initially exhibited in London, celebrated as "a sea piece of the first order", but has been in the Tate stores for decades.

Gunzi has also borrowed some of the real objects painted by the artists, including a miner's barrow, an iron and granite weight for pressing pilchards, and a wooden box used to carry fish from the boats to be sold on the beaches. Detail from Henry Scott Tuke's Portrait of Jack Rolling (1858-1929). Photograph: The Tuke Collection Hilary Bracegirdle, director of the Royal Cornwall Museum, said: "It's a magnificent opportunity for us to have these pictures seen together anywhere, never mind in London – there is no county museum service covering Cornwall, so we're used to battling it out alone. I hope this makes people more aware of the cultural treasures that we do have in the county."

But visitors may find themselves helplessly distracted by the building, which has some of the most spectacular – if barking – interiors in London. While the exterior is startling – topped with a copper weathervane in the shape of Christopher Columbus's ship – the inside almost defies description, with a gemstone hall floor, stained glass Swiss scenes, and a frieze of characters including Desdemona, Bismarck, Lorenzo de' Medici and Mary Queen of Scots. And the mahogany staircase is adorned with figures from the book Astor considered the greatest ever written: Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers.

"It certainly isn't the easiest of spaces to hang paintings in," Gunzi said, stepping back to look at a row of gnarled weather-beaten faces, portraits of people who would have been discomfited to find themselves in such grand surroundings. "But I think, in the end, it has worked surprisingly well."


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Venue: Two Temple Place, London Until 14 April

SHOULD YOU STILL EAT MACKEREL? - OF COURSE!

Rob Wing from Wings of St Mawes has been moved to post an article on his company web site to help put the mackerel story in context. As Rob explains, Cornish hand line caught mackerel does not even amount toa half of 1% of the TAC (total allowable catch) for the UK - that is 0.02% of the entire TAC for mackerel. Understandably Cornish handline fishermen feel agrieved that depsite their bnest intentions to serve a noble cause they are now being penalised by a system unable to take into account their place in the grand scheeme of things.

Hopefully, consumers are now able to make an informed decision based on this information.


Here's the full story from the Wing's web site:

"Mackerel has become a popular choice on menus for both restaurants and homes and justifiably so. Its flavour and relatively low cost are but two reasons for enjoying this humble fish but added health benefits are now understood by chefs and housewives alike.

Cornish line caught mackerel - less than 0.02% of the mackerlel TAC

Recent news from the MCS (Marine Conservation Society) is that mackerel should no longer be eaten regularly has angered Cornish hand line fishermen across the county. Cornwall's quota (amount to be caught) equates to the amount of fish a large industrial trawler might harvest in less that a nights fishing.

To help clarify and put this situation in to context; if the total allowed catch of mackerel for the EU inn 2013 were represented as 1 mile, the total Cornish catch of 2012 would be represented by the first 3.5 yards of that mile. This figures have been produce from local informed sources.

Total EU quota ()estimated) 250,000 tons 2013 
EU quota 336,285 tons 2012 
UK quota 166,765 tons 2012 
Cornish handline quota 1750 tons 2012 
Cornish handline caught in 2012 648 tons

The above figures show that The Cornish mackerel caught is less than 0.04% of the total UK quota allocated and 0.026% of the estimated EU total quota. If Cornwall catches the same amount of fish as last year it will represent only 0.019% of the total EU quota of 336,285 tons.

Anecdotally it is estimated that one large industrial vessel has the capacity to harvest around 1000 tons per nights fishing, so where is the logic in penalising our small boat local Cornish fishermen?

We believe in the sustainable way in which our Cornish fishermen catch their daily landings of mackerel. This century old method of catching mackerel, using one hook for one fish is never going to harm our mackerel fishery.

We strongly encourage our customers to continue to check the sourcing of the fish you buy, ask where it comes from and if necessary for proof of that source. The Cornish Fishmonger will continue to buy our fresh mackerel from Cornish fishermen working with handlines for the reasons set out above."

Rob Wing from Wings of St Mawes.

Sole, Lundy, Fastnet, Storm force 10 increasing hurricane force 12 imminent

Surfs up!

Evidence that the recent weather conditions are extreme - her world record holder in the surfing fraternity takes on what is thought to be a wave close to 100 feet in height - with the weather buoys recording 46 feet in open water the other day it hardly seems surprising!

Full story here courtesy of the Wired web site.

Weather so bad the biggest boats in the UK fleet are tied up!

The biggest pelagic boats in the UK fleet are currently taking refuge in Killbegs in Northern Ireland...

and can be seen on the VesselTracker AIS.

Crabstock - Cornish ex-pat sets out his stall in the Cotswolds

Fish fun comes to the Midlands this year in the shape of a big food fest called Crabstock - fish and beasts!

Here's the lowdown from founder Matt Ayres:

For many years now there have been many fish festivals and crab festivals all close to the sea and for some strange reason not inland, here at The Obelisk Centre in Northampton, we have a fantastic venue and we have decided to put on the Only Inland Shellfish Festival known as Crabstock. The reason behind Crabstock is to teach the next generation of the health benefits of eating are Great British shellfish, supporting our own UK fishing fleet, for a lot more public awareness of facts of import and export of shellfish throughout the UK and to provide everyone coming with a great weekend of brilliant food, live music and knowledge of the industry that we should all love and standby.

CALLING POST GRADUATE FISHERIES AND MARINE BIOLOGISTS!

Opportunity on Marine Institute Mackerel Egg Survey

Unfortunately, this only applies to students in Irish universities!


CALLING POST GRADUATE FISHERIES AND MARINE BIOLOGISTS!

The mackerel and horse mackerel egg survey sails from Cork on the 18th March and there are berths available for motivated postgraduate marine biologists. This leg of the survey will investigate mackerel spawning in the Celtic Sea and the Bay of Biscay.

Mr Brendan O’Hea will lead an experienced team of biologists from the Marine Institute on the survey. The mackerel and horse mackerel egg survey takes place every three years and provides fisheries scientist with a vital signal on the trajectory of these most important fisheries resources.

The survey will follow a series of transects from the Bay of Biscay to the South Coast of Ireland deploying a Gulf V11 plankton sampler and pelagic trawl to sample eggs, larvae and female mackerel in the water column. At 21 days in length this survey is an opportunity for postgraduate students with a confirmed interest in fisheries biology and zoo plankton. 

This call closes on Friday 8th February 2012 at 1pm. 

 For more information on how to apply please check out our website link below or if you have any other quires don't hesitate to email us at smart@gmit.ie

Artisanal Fishermen Congress Europe - a way forward

Small-scale fishing vessels account for 80% of Europe's fishing sector, but as the vast majority of fishing quotas and EU subsidies have favoured industrial fishing operations, which have in many cases accelerated the depletion of fish stocks and environmental damage to our seas, the voices of small scale fishermen have largely been ignored.

Over 60% of European fish stocks are over-exploited  Now, small-scale fishermen from across Europe are joining forces to put sustainable, artisanal and low-impact fishing at the heart of the on-going reform of European Union (EU) Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). 

Read one highly sceptical fisherman's road to Damascus conversion account of the trip!

Worst weekend weather update

The last few ays have seen extrem weather conditions in the North East Atlantic - luckily, Cornwall and the fleet have escaped the worst effects of the weather system that traversed the Atlantic last week.

Here is an extract from GCaptiain's blog:

Last weekend saw an unusually intense hurricane force extratropical storm low over the North Atlantic. An active weather pattern started showing up on computer models more than a week earlier and by the 21st, the official NOAA “96 hour North Atlantic surface forecast chart” showed a rapidly deepening 977mb storm low over the central North Atlantic for 12Z Friday January 25th moving northeastward with a forecasted central pressure dropping to 933mb by 12Z on Saturday the 26th!

See the rest of the post and charts here.

Guess who?

This was the cover of the long defunct Professional Fisherman. Name the year, the boat and the crew members buried in fish!

Seafish - Project Inshore

The Seafish-led project to secure the future of England’s small-scale fisheries is making significant progress through its three-year plan. Stage One reports are now available for download and work is underway on the Stage Two pre-assessment phase.

Stage One mapped the ‘inshore fisheries’ for the first time, profiling all of them with a biological analysis of 57 different species, highlighting their commercial importance. These first significant milestones reached by the project detail key commercial fisheries, the fishing gear types they use and species fished to develop a list of fisheries that will progress to Stage Two, the ‘pre-assessment’ phase.

Expected to report in April 2013, Stage Two will be a gap analysis (based around the MSC pre-assessment process) to determine what is working well in the English inshore sector, what needs improvement, and to identify examples of best practice as well as giving an early idea of how each fishery will measure up against the MSC Standard for sustainable fishing. This will highlight crucial areas for development and provide a basis for Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authorities (IFCAs) and key industry stakeholders to work together and implement positive change.

Matt Watson, MSC's English Fisheries Outreach Officer, said: "Work is moving forward quickly with a huge amount of information collated in the Stage One reports, used as the basis to inform the Stage Two gap analysis work. The Stage One reports are now publicly available on the Project Inshore pages of the Seafish website and I urge everyone with an interest to have a look at these reports."

Richard Caslake of Seafish said: "We are delighted to see Project Inshore progressing on target and reaching significant milestones. This is an important initiative for the industry and we would urge all those with an interest to have a look at the reports and continue to give their valuable feedback."

Project Inshore is a three-year programme that will provide sustainability reports for each of the IFCAs, mapping all English inshore fisheries to showcase best practice. Set to be completed in 2015, it covers over 2,000 small fishing boats along the coast of England which make up nearly three quarters of England’s fishing fleet.

More Information

The project is funded by the European Fisheries Fund, Sustainable Fisheries Fund, Seafish and supply chain partners.

Partners in the project include the Marine Stewardship Council, Seafish and the Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB).

Project Inshore was launched on 8th June 2012 coinciding with World Ocean’s Day and the two stage one reports can be downloaded on the Seafish website.

Further details of the project here: About the project

Project stages and timelines

Stage One - Fishery Analysis (due November 2012)

Including a broad review of English inshore Fisheries including: • Species profiles important commercial species for the inshore sector. • Value and seasonality of landings for key ports for the inshore sector. • Regionalised fishery reports by IFCA district. • Inshore fleet characteristics including gear types used and fisheries targeted. • Habitat maps.

Stage Two - Gap Analysis (April 2013 •This will use the MSC Pre-Assessment as a gap analysis on English inshore fisheries, looking at each species and gear type within each IFCA area, as well as biological stock units across IFCA areas.

Stage Three (Early 2014) •The development of sustainability reports for each IFCA area. This will highlight commonalities and potential efficiencies between regions, species and gears and provide a roadmap for the future management and sustainability of all of the English inshore fisheries. •Follow up and support for interested fisheries wishing to move into full MSC assessment (to mid 2015).

Independent auditors The majority of Project Inshore assessment work will be carried out by Food Certification International (FCI), an accredited independent Certifier specialising in the commercial fisheries sector. Seafish and the MSC will provide on-the-ground support for fisheries and IFCAs. Advisory Group

The MSC will establish a multi-stakeholder Advisory Group made up of key organisations from within the sector to feed into the work of Project Inshore and help disseminate information about the project. The Advisory Group represents diverse experiences, geographies and interests in relation to the English inshore industry. The Advisory Group meets twice a year in London.

The Advisory Group is formed from the following organisations:

• Association of Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCA)
• Defra
• Direct Seafoods
• Industry representation
• Marks & Spencers
• Marine Stewardship Council
• Natural England
• National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations
• Seafish
• Shellfish Association of Great Britain
• WWF


Comment:

Blue-green involvement:
It is when projects like this come on stream that you might now begin to take not of how and from whom NGOs and charitably finded bodies like the WWF receive their monies - an excellent example of why ther eare increased calls for transparency at all levels of involvement see blue charities posts.

http://blog.through-the-gaps.co.uk/2012/11/blue-charity-business.html

http://blog.through-the-gaps.co.uk/2012/11/blue-charity-dutch-response.html

Fishing vessel overdue off Devon coast tonight

Sadly, the latest news is a body has been recovered.

Torquay lifeboat and others are searching for a missing fishing vessel that has not returned to port.

ITN latest news at 02100:


Brixham Coastguard is still coordinating the search for the 19ft fishing boat 'J.C.K.'. It was due back at around 7pm and was last seen passing Thatcher Rock at approximately 6.25pm. The following units are currently involved in the search; Torbay and Berry Head Coastguard Rescue Teams, Torbay RNLI all weather and inshore lifeboats, Exmouth and Teignmouth RNLI lifeboats, and the Coastguard search and rescue helicopter's from Portland and RNAS Culdrose. There are another three vessels in the area also helping. The weather conditions this evening have been gale force, south westerly winds 24 mph gusting 58 mph. 

 We are currently carrying out an extensive land, air and sea search. We are doing everything we can to locate 'J.C.K.', which has one person on board. 

 – PETER DAVIES, RESCUE CENTRE MANAGER AT BRIXHAM COASTGUARD

Bad weather? - even the Spaniards are dodging!!

Niall Duffy ‏@WestCorkPhoto

@power633 @Ajax_Hake You know its bad outside when the Spannies are dodging for cover behind Bere Island

View Bere Island off Castletown in a larger map

The above tweet only just hints at just the sea conditions in the South Western Approaches and the West coast of Ireland over the last twenty four hours...

Here, the weather conditions at buoy 62107, the Sevenstones Lightship off Land's End - the wave heights are in feet...

or the K1 buoy well south west of Ireland and Cornwall...

while at Rockall the pressure and wave height have dropped rapidly to a mere 26 feet!...

further south and way west of Ireland on the treacherous Porcupine Bank the wave height topped an incredible 45 feet earlier today - and the wind has barely exceeded 50 knots!...

This video was shot some years ago aboard a Spanish long liner working at Rockall - and shows the FV MAR AZUL call sign MQSL8 filmed from FV TROITA call sign MQSR8 in very rough seas - the conditions are extreme and are probably a match for the wave heights currently being recorded around the western coasts of the UK and Ireland! Undoubtedly, there area number of these vessels working on the Rockall and Porcupine Banks as you read this!

Boys making bubbles at the car wash!

Saturday saw Penlee lifeboat crew's 2013 SOS day arrived and was spent with Patch and the crew making huge amounts of suds and bubbles around a steady stream of grubby cars and vans!

‘KILLING WAVES’ – NEW SAS FILM FROM GENERATION CHANGE!

Check it! Rad film about Surfers Against Sewage. Who they are and what they are about! If you are not a member yet then you need to join, in the knowledge you are contributing in the defence of your coastline, beaches and waves. 
www.sas.org.uk and www.protectourwaves.org.uk.

TOMS and Dazed Digital Announce Exclusive Screening of ‘Killing Waves’ from Generation Change winning filmmaker Carlos Carneiro.

Carlos Carneiro has been announced as the winning filmmaker of the ‘Generation Change’ film project partnered by One for One philanthropic company TOMS and pioneering style site Dazed Digital.

Having launched in July 2012, the ‘Generation Change’ film project aimed to discover truly inspirational individuals or groups that share TOMS philosophy of starting something that matters. The competition posted on the Dazed website, encouraged UK- based filmmakers to submit a proposal for a three-minute film that told an inspiring story with the winner receiving £5,000 to create their film. The winning clip was then chosen by TOMS, Dazed and acclaimed British director Lucy Walker (Waste Land and The Tsunami And The Cherry Blossom).

Fast forward to six months later and ‘Killing Waves’, the three-minute film from Carlos Carneiro will be given an exclusive Dazed Digital screening on the 22nd January 2013. The documentary tells the story of Surfers Against Sewage, an environmental charity based in the North Cornwall coast villages of St Agnes and Porthtowan. Established in 1990 by a group of passionate, local surfers and beach lovers the charity works to protect the UK’s oceans, waves and beaches so that everyone can enjoy them safely and sustainably. Their start-up campaign led to water companies investing £5 billion in sewerage infrastructures and the charity have since continued to build its catalogue of environmental successes targeting issues affecting beaches including marine litter, sewage, pollution, climate change, toxic chemicals, shipping and coastal development.

‘Killing Waves’ by Carlos Carneiro provides an insight into the individuals behind Surfers Against Sewage, set on a back-drop of the wild Cornish coast exploring their combined passion for surfing and campaigning for a better coastal environment that everyone can benefit from.

The Exclusive Screening of ‘Killing Waves’ by Carlos Carneiro launched on Dazed Digital on the 22nd January 2013.

Weather cuts short trips for Monday's market

Plenty of beam trawl fish for Monday's market with all the fleet bown back to port at the end of the week for weather...

the Treevssa had a good shot of megrim soles for this time of year...

while all the boats picked away on monk...

a pair of ling gaze upwards...

signs that the cuttles are still evident in numbers...

yet more fish from the Trevessa....

 time for a quick cuppa in the office.

Broadcasting live from Brussels - 3216th Council meeting - Legislative Deliberation (Agrifish) Monday, January 28, 2013 at 10.00

Blowing through the harbour

Gear store and energy canned...

two of the bigger new recent investments in the port...

weather is keeping these Dutch eurocutters in port, a familiar sight with their cod ends airing in the breeze...

a right pair, wont be long before the Hosking's new netter gets in her first trip under her new registration...

a stern view of the Dutch boats sheltering for weather...

parked up and waiting for fish - Newlyn, despite its extreme location has excellent transport links with the rest of the UK and Europe.

Bugaled Breizh: the hypothesis of a submarine again rejected

Bugaled Breizh on her way in to Loctudy, her home port in Brittany.

Three reports from the media in France covering the news today exonerating involvement of the British submarine Turbulence in the sinking of the trawler Bugaeld Breizh, january 15th 2004. The Bugaled Breizh, the second of trawler of that name owned and skippered by Michelle Douce was a regular visitor to Newlyn in times of bad weather. She sheltered in the port only a few days before accident which saw the loss of five lives. Skipper, Michelle Douce was ashore at the time of the loss owing to an injury which had kept him from going to see for nearly a year. He was due to return to sea the next voyage.

The Bugaled Breizh entering Newlyn harbour sheltering from bad weather around 1995

Watched by Billy Stevenson from the comfort of his car, another Loctudy trawler, Kristel Vihan enters Newlyn  24 hours after the local fleet had tied up for weather.

A new expert report submitted to the judge questions the origin of traces of titanium hull trawler, which was attributed to a far underwater. The plaintiffs react. By Stéphane GrammontPosted on 25/01/2013 | 11:10 

The mystery remains about the causes of the sinking of Bugaled Breizh off Britain in 2004. Two experts, whose results were released Friday by the prosecutor of Nantes, away from the idea of ​​the involvement of a submarine in the accident, which left five missing. The first expert examined the presence of titanium on the warps (cables) Breton trawler. According to Brigitte Lamy, the prosecutor, this data is "not significant involvement of a submarine." The second expertise, the British submarine Turbulent, involved a time in the accident, was "well dock" the day of the sinking, said Brigitte Lamy, in a comminiqué. The victims' families have been waiting several months these two appraisals. They are convinced of the involvement of a submarine sinking brutal, remained unexplained, the trawler. January 15, 2004, during the accident, NATO and the British Navy conducting military exercises in the area. The two judges of Nantes in charge of the case had appointed three experts to check whether the traces of titanium found on the trawler could have come from contact with a submarine. "At the end of this report, which has been filed, the experts have to say that the element 'titanium' found in tiny amounts on the warps Bugaled Breizh were not significant involvement in a submarine, "wrote the attorney Nantes.

On the other hand, a separate report, told a French specialist submarine forces, was to examine the possible involvement in the sinking of the British submarine Turbulent. "According to the conclusions of the report and on the basis of technical information relating to the position of military buildings at the time of the sinking, the expert considers that the British submarine in question was well Shore January 15, 2004 and that sea rescue dispatched to the area by the British authorities have been under normal conditions, "the statement said Brigitte Lamy. 

Sinking of Bugaled Breizh: no submarine in question?

The wreck of Bugaled Breizh is bailed small Traces of titanium found on the warps Bugaled Breizh led the judges of Nantes, in charge of the case since July 2012, to nominate three experts. They should check whether these traces could be from a collision with a submarine. 

Counsel for the Republic of Nantes Brigitte Lamy said in a press release that " the element "titanium" found in tiny amounts on the warps Bugaled BREIZH was not significant involvement of a submarine. " Indeed, apart from two Russian submarines designed in the 60s, the exterior of submarines, whether conventional or nuclear attack is free from any form of titanium, which does, in very low levels in the sub-layers of paint. 

Experts could not say, for against that titanium could come from the original painting of Bugaled Breizh. It is not only present in the form of dioxide in painting trawler, but also in other ports. Traces on the warps can been made ​​by friction on the hull or on the docks. reaction of Me Kermarrec, counsel for the plaintiffs

Moreover, the statement continued, "a separate report was presented during the fall, a French specialist submarine forces, charged by the judges to give its opinion on the possible involvement of a submarine of the Royal Navy." 

According to the conclusions of the report and on the basis of technical information relating to the position of military buildings at the time of the sinking, the expert considers that the British submarine in question was well Shore January 15, 2004, as did know his commander, and the sea rescue dispatched to the area by the British authorities were in normal conditions. Bugaled Breizh The case of a timeline



Story courtesy of Bretagne newspaper.

The trawler sank Bugaled Breizh January 15, 2004, in international waters of the English Channel, off the Lizard. Five sailors died in the sinking.

----- 2004 -----

- 15 January: Bugaled Breizh sank off the Lizard (south-west England), killing five crew members. The next day, the maritime prefecture of Brest reveals that international military exercise took place in the area.

- January 19: Attorney Quimper excludes a collision with a submarine and evokes a collision with a container Philippine, Seattle Trader.

- June 7: analyzes paint exonerate the Seattle Trader.

- July 10: The wreck is raised.

----- 2005 -----

- March 24: private expertise advance the "most likely hypothesis" a"note" with a submarine thesis rejected by the Ministry of Defence.

- April 14: Journalists refer to the British submarine Turbulent, denies that the British Ministry of Defence.

- October 13: The Bureau of Investigation and Analysis (BEA Wed) does not track the submarine.

- December 9: lifting of military secrecy on military exercise Jan. 15.

----- 2006 -----

- July 20: Defence said he sent to Justice "all documents declassified NATO" .

- 1st September: after new expertise, the judge mentions "the hypothesis of a building submarine" .

- September 21: National Laboratory tests revealed traces "unexplained"titanium on the trawl cable port, reinforcing this view.

- 27 November: BEA Wed concludes hooking a sandbank by the fishing gear and not a submarine.

----- 2007 -----

- February 28: Attorney says no submarine was British or Dutch in the area.

----- 2008 -----

- March 5: Families complain of poor international cooperation and require the intervention of President Nicolas Sarkozy.

- April 12: The judges reaffirm that submarine hypothesis is "the most serious in the state of the record" , that denies the floor.

----- 2009 -----

- January 13: The judge rejected the family's request to investigate the position of the submarine. They call.

- November 11: Minister of Defense Herve Morin promises to "put everything on the table" and provides that "no French submarine" is involved.

- November 27: The Court of Appeal of Rennes ordered a further investigation and entrust this task to the expert Dominique Salles, a former submariner.

----- 2010 -----

- April 30: report mentions the alleged liability of a U.S. submarine.

- July 2: Court of Appeal of Rennes decided "further judicial information in order to identify the submarine in question" and appointed two new judges to Nantes.

----- 2011 -----

- June 17: A new report concluded that the titanium one of the cables of the trawler "can not be considered as an indication of the presence of a submarine" . This report from Mr. Salles, a former submarine officer, is described as "dirty trick" by a lawyer of the victims.

----- 2013 -----

- January 25: expertise, at the request of judges assigned to the case Nantes, considers the presence of titanium cables trawler as "no significant involvement of a submarine" , and a second concludes that the British submarine Turbulent was "  well dock " that day

NB: These stories have been mechanically translated by Google.

How Behavioral Economics Could Save Both the Fishing Industry and the Oceans

Here's an interesting take on fisheries management from the Harvard Review - through incentivising the fishing communities around the globe.

It's frightening enough that 87% of the world's assessed fisheries are fully or over-exploited. But it is even scarier to consider how little we know about the condition of most of the world's fisheries, because four-fifths of them have never been scientifically assessed. A recent study in the journal Science is providing fresh insights into thousands of fisheries where data has not been previously available. These "data poor" fisheries make up 80% of the world's catch — and many are on the brink of collapse.

Despite the dire news, there is a bright spot in the study. The authors conclude that the ocean is nowhere near a lost cause and with the right management tools, the abundance of fish could increase by 56%. In some places, the study says, fisheries yields could more than double.

This isn't just a big deal for the fish. As the authors of the Science study write, "When sustainably managed, marine fisheries provide food and livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people worldwide." So what's the key to seeing such a rebound become reality? An approach to overseeing fisheries known as rights-based management, or catch shares.

Over the past decade, catch shares have taken hold in U.S. waters, ensuring the sustainability of about 65% of the fish landed in the United States. This is the greatest unknown policy success of our time. Don't take my word for it — I work for the Environmental Defense Fund, a policy shop that has long championed the approach. Instead, consider the facts that helped lead the authors of the Science article draw that same optimistic conclusion.

Catch shares are a market-based management tool used in commercial fishing that, coupled with catch limits, have been successful in rebuilding fish populations while improving the efficiency and business of fishing. After decades of failed regulatory regimes, catch shares are working for fish and for fishermen. What's unfolding before our eyes is a global behavioral economics study — one that's delivering major benefits to people around the world.

The Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery, for example, was on the brink of collapse in the early part of the last decade. Fishermen were limited to 52-day seasons that were getting shorter every year. The shortened seasons, an attempt to counter overfishing, hurt fishermen economically and created unsafe "derbies" that often forced them to race into storms like the boats in The Deadliest Catch.

This short window also meant that all of the red snapper were being caught and brought to market at the same time, creating a glut that crashed prices. Many fishermen couldn't even cover the cost of their trip to sea after selling their fish.

A decade ago, the Environmental Defense Fund began working with a group of commercial red snapper fishermen on a new and better way of doing business. Together, we set out to propose a catch share management system for snapper. Simply put, fishermen would be allocated shares based on their catch history (the average amount of fish in pounds they landed each year) of the scientifically determined amount of fish allowed for catch each year (the catch limit). Fishermen could then fish within their shares, or quota, all year long, giving them the flexibility they needed to run their businesses.

This meant no more fishing in dangerously bad weather and no more market gluts. For the consumer, it meant fresh red snapper all year long.

After five years of catch share management, the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery is growing because fishermen are staying within the scientific limits. Boats that once suffered from ever-shortening seasons have seen a 60% increase in the amount of fish they are allowed to catch. Having a percentage share of the fishery means fishermen have a built-in incentive to husband the resource, so it will continue to grow.

Another major problem facing commercial fishing is known as discards — a euphemism for the tragic waste of tons of fish thrown overboard dead. Under the Gulf red snapper catch share system, discards have decreased by half. Fewer wasted fish, along with a fishery that stays within its limits, are two keys to rebuilding the resource. On the business end, fishermen have seen a 25% increase in the price they get for their landings of red snapper. The economic incentives for sustainability are clear. Creating a responsible commercial fishery does not have to be at odds with the economic goals of fishermen. In fact, it can make those goals easier to reach.

The success of red snapper fishermen led to the creation of catch share programs for other species and in other regions — grouper and tilefish in the Gulf of Mexico, groundfish in the waters off Northern California, Oregon and Washington State — resulting in similarly impressive increases in revenue and decreases in waste.

In New England, a form of a catch share also produced promising results for groundfish. From 2009 to 2011, groundfish landings were up six percent, revenues for fishermen were up 18% and discards were reduced by two-thirds. But all is not well there. Warming Atlantic waters are leading to migration changes and increases in predator species that prey on cod and compete for food. Declining cod populations led the Obama administration to issue a Disaster Declaration to provide needed relief to fishermen. In New England, catch shares have kept a difficult situation from becoming even worse.

Now the idea is catching on elsewhere. The European Commission has proposed adoption of "Transferable Fishing Concessions," a European version of catch shares that would increase fishermen's incentives to comply with science-based catch limits. And earlier this year, the World Bank announced a global partnership for oceans that includes more than 100 other organizations — governments, private sector interests and NGOs, including the Environmental Defense Fund — to address issues related to overfishing, pollution, and habitat in the world's oceans. Rights-based management programs like catch shares will be a major part of that strategy to address overfishing. At the same time, they will contribute to the health of the global economy; the World Bank estimates that failed fisheries management contributes economic losses of $50 billion annually.

As an experiment in behavioral economics, the results are striking. A look at the varying fisheries management approaches around the world shows that the industry behaves in very different ways under different sets of rules. Overfishing is not a given. The key to solving it is to take human behavior into account, giving the industry more rather than fewer rights and responsibilities, and developing financial rewards for stewardship of the resource. Catch shares accomplish all of this.

It's all too easy to lose hope that human beings will ever rise to the challenge of solving the global environmental crises we face. But we should not despair. The catch shares success story demonstrates that people will respond when we get the right market signals in place.

In other words, we don't have to change human nature to save the seas. We just have to change human incentives. And catch shares give us a very effective way to do just that.

How Behavioral Economics Could Save Both the Fishing Industry and the Oceansby Eric Pooley.

Further insight into how these more proactive fishing community based approaches can be seen here on the Aquamind web site - a fishing consultancy largely suppoprted by a team of very experienced fishermen.

Deep sea fishing - the kind of day you would want to forget.

Life aboard the bigger Spanish trawlers - the early footage shot on the Newfoundland Banks - one of the least forgiving places in the North Atlantic to be caught out in a storm and have to dodge - Rockall or the Gran Sole bank would be similar in home waters- watch carefully from the comfort of your chair from one minute onwards! These ships are nearly two hundred feet long.

Things aren't always what they seem!

The discards story was never going to be an easy one to put across to a fisheries administrators and green organisations - few of whom have any first hand seagoing fishing boat experience to know exactly what happens when fish are hauled aboard - much less Jo Public!

The Real Fish FightHugh's Fish Fight

Many fishermen have recently been working with scientists studying the rates of survival of discarded fish with some so far interesting results. Most flatfish, Plaice, Sole, Skates and Rays along with others survive at 40% to 100% 

So if Hughs Fish Fight is here to blindly stop discards then it very much looks like a discard ban would actually increase massively the mortality without benefit for the fish stocks of fishermen. Its very sad that so many of the public have been duped by Hugh and his cronies.