Mid week on the market

Not everyone wants to say no to Europe it seems...

another glowing sunrise greets Tom on watch...

Nathan gets a good mix of fish with which to aid his market tour...

including a good shot of John Dory - sure signs that summer is on the way at last...

the sign of the mackerel cross...

best bass get weighed in quick...

top quality line caught fish a plenty on the market this morning...

with signs that the day might not be so sunny as the cloud builds from the west...

take off time for a young gull...

the Boulogne boats are yet to move...

with plenty of migrant workers living in the area it wasn't long before a Polish yacht appeared on the scene...

the biggest boat to go up on the slip this year...

time to change the trawl aboard the inshore boat Shiralee as the combination bridles are pulled off...

a man who made his money from fish...

don't miss this evening of home-grown talent at the Centre next month...

looks like work is about to begin on making good the worst of the damage to the Jubilee Pool...

looks like the tea breaks have been catered for already!

Newlyn Archive receives Heritage Lottery funding!

The Newlyn Archive based in Newlyn, West Cornwall, are delighted to announce that they have been awarded £3,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This will enable expansion of the Newlyn Archive to collaborate with the Lamorna Society, a society that promotes art, literature and social history the Lamorna Valley. The joining together of two West Country art archives will result in enhancing the range of material available; bring extra resources and valuable skills that will be able to reach much wider audiences.

The Newlyn Archive began as a collection of material, mainly digital with the purpose of collecting, preserving and sharing written, pictorial and other factual materials relating to the history of Newlyn and its immediate area. In 2012 it expanded to include the West Cornwall Art Archive, a collection of material about artists associated with Newlyn, along with the Newlyn Art Gallery, which opened in 1896 through the initiative of the Newlyn Society of Artists of which Stanhope Alexander Forbes was an important member. The funding will also allow for the next exciting project to commence ‘When Newlyners Walked to Lamorna’. The immediate result of the next project will be that more people and a wider range of people can engage with the heritage of this important area. The integrated archive will allow more access to those living in the Lamorna vicinity, and the existing members of the Lamorna Society, many of whom reside outside of the West Country. The links between Lamorna and Newlyn are particularly strong in relation to the colony of artists who lived and worked at Newlyn and Lamorna at the turn of the twentieth century.

Dr Pamela Lomax, Honorary Newlyn Archivist commenting on the award said “We are absolutely delighted to have got the award and our team of volunteers have already begun work, which we expect will be completed in October, when we hold a two-day exhibition called Newlyn at Play which will feature the famous walk to Lamorna that took place each year on Good Friday.” The Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Cornwall said, “Sharing Heritage is a wonderful opportunity for communities to delve into their local heritage and we are delighted to be able to offer this grant so that ‘When Newlyners Walked to Lamorna’ project can embark on a real journey of discovery. Heritage means such different things to different people, and HLF’s funding offers a wealth of opportunities for groups to explore and celebrate what’s important to them in their area.” ENDS

Contacts: Dr Pam Lomax 01736 362876 Email: pamlomax@aol.com

Press Secretary: Carolyn Stubbs 01275 373376 Email: carolyn.stubbs@btinternet.com

Porthleven Food Festival

Despite challenging weather - a gale of wind in May - whoever heard of such a thing! - Porthleven Food Festival made a great show of local produce in some pretty harsh conditions.

The  Dreckly Fish boys were there in force - hardy souls that they are!

As a reminder for all you videographers out there using mobile phones to shoot video - always hold the phone on its side ('landscape format') so as to avoid the above effect which is know in the trade as 'letterboxing'! Some apps like Google's 'Capture' will by default automatically film in landscape to prevent those black boxes appearing either side of the video on playback.

"The Future of Scotland's Deep Sea" - social media posts collated

Another glaring example of someone naively wading into managing the fishing industry!

Fisheries leaders have warned Alex Salmond that he risks a clash with the fishing industry after he claimed that 12 European nations could be barred from Scottish and Norwegian waters if an independent Scotland was refused EU membership.

In a keynote speech to the College of Europe in Brussels, the first minister said Scotland had much to offer the EU and called for a "practical, common-sense" approach to ensuring it inherited membership after leaving the UK.

But in a passage that has alarmed the fishing industry, Salmond warned that the alternative would be "the fishing fleets of 12 countries being denied any access to Scottish waters and, as a consequence, their access to Norwegian waters, which is also dependent on Scottish access."

One senior industry figure, who asked not to be named, said Salmond's words appeared to be a threat that "stokes considerable fear in our hearts".

David Mundell, the Scotland Office minister, said Salmond had made a significant legal and diplomatic error by threatening to block access to Norwegian waters. He said an independent Scotland would be legally obliged to allow safe passage to foreign ships with Norwegian fishing rights.

Stormy waters ahead!

 He said Scottish fleets fished heavily in other EU waters, including in North Sea areas owned by the rest of the UK.

"It has been a telling day for the first minister's judgment," Mundell said. "In the morning we read about his admiration for Vladimir Putin [the Russian president] and by afternoon he was threatening EU members with fishing ground blockades – the very members he would need to unanimously accept a new Scottish state. It has not been a masterclass when it comes to his diplomacy skills.

"The truth is, only a very small proportion of other member states' catches are taken from Scottish waters, and in any accession negotiations other member states would be more likely to press for improved access to Scottish fishing grounds in the North Sea than to make concessions for Scotland."

The fishing industry is not that easy to sort!

Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, said he would be writing to the first minister asking him to explain what he meant. 

"We need to ask the Scottish government for clarification of exactly what he means," Armstrong said. "Is this a threat to the rest of Europe or is fishing being placed on the table as a bargaining counter?"

He said that rhetoric would involve problems with the Spanish and Irish governments, in particular, but also raised questions about Scotland's rights to fish in other UK waters post-independence – effectively closing off large areas of the North Sea and Irish Sea.

Story courtesy of the Guardian.

Margiris now fishing off Mauritania

Didn't take long for the big ship to be back in murkier waters

Window Quiz

Name that boat?

Couldn't wait!

These crab claws are really hard!

What consumers think about fish

Interesting info-graphic - though it always helps to know the circumstances of how the survey was conducted in the first place - ie who did they ask the question of?!

From our Brittany correspondent - what the Breton's are doing post winter storm damage

Here's a few words from an ex-pat living in Brittany monitoring the local press and media. It seems the French Government are being a little more supportive of those coastal regions hit hard by the winter storms - the speed with which they have actioned repairs in stark contrast to the minimal work carried out in Cornwall where work on all but the most obviously hazardous damage has ground to a halt following David Cameron's 'money no object' declaration post storms!

"Just as in Cornwall, the Breton coast was battered by the February storms. The damage to harbours and sea defences is estimated to have cost around 10 million euros (excluding damage to private property). The French government has just issued an official declaration concerning storm damage, which enables natural disaster insurance to come into play and repair work is underway in the most seriously affected areas, particularly around Penmarc’h and Le Guilvinec. Breakwaters have had to be rebuilt or strengthened following recent breaches along this stretch of the coast.

Among the most visible damage, the disappearance of dunes leading in some places to 20 metres of land being lost. Local authorities immediately moved into action to ensure the coastal paths and shoreline would be cleaned up before the summer season, and now they are moving into the second phase reflecting on how to ensure protection in the long term. Attitudes have changed considerably over the past few decades. Piling up of rocks is now rejected and limited to harbour defences with alternative methods being looked into for the general coastline, as these “exceptional” conditions are expected to become more frequent in the coming years. Tourist leaders remain optimistic suggesting that the spectacular storm images may even encourage visitors to come to Brittany this spring and during the summer season.

While the forces of nature cannot be controlled, the impact of man’s behaviour on the environment and landscape can be changed. In recent years, there has been particular concern about boats being abandoned in ports and inlets around the coast of Western Brittany. For some owners, the cost of removing and dismantling old boats is prohibitive. The local authorities, including Finistère Council and Douarnenez Council have just launched a trial to clean up the ports. A disposal site and pick-up service should enable owners to dispose of their unwanted boats at a much lower cost. Recycling is the key to the funding proposal and will determine whether the trial will be extended, with the exact cost of the service yet to be announced."

Beach seine netting from Sennen for grey mullet - how they do it

The net is set from the beach with the aid of a small boat - in this case right inside the harbour in Sennen Cove...

and it's all hands to the beach to pick the fish out of the net! The net is owned by many fishermen who all take a share of the catch according to their share.

Having a whale of a time

Thought to be a sperm whale

Whales sometime put an appearance in the waters off Cornwall - though seldom do they come close enough to be caught on camera.  This time, David Stevens on the Crystal Sea II was lucky enough to just catch one of the ocean's giants in action after it breached!

UK fishermen claim nets used by the Dutch that send out electric shocks are annihilating fish stocks

The sooner this is is investigated the better! - though with the Sunday Times printing the story about only 100 mature cod left in the North Sea a good deal more needs to be revealed as to the validity of the claims being made.

THE Dutch trawler fleet is being blamed by British fishermen for “annihilating” stocks of juvenile Dover sole with a net that sends electric shocks into the sea floor.

The Dutch vessels are allowed to fish 12 miles off the Kent coast, but British crews claim their pioneering electric shock technology is devastating marine life and destroying the fishing grounds. They are urging fisheries officials to investigate.

The electrified nets are designed to give bottom-lying Dover sole a minor shock to move them into the nets. Dutch officials say the method — known as “pulse trawling” — causes less damage to the sea floor and nearby species.

Research has shown the electric nets can kill nearby cod, cracking their vertebrae and causing internal haemorrhaging. Most marine life in the area, however, should not be adversely affected.

British fishermen believe vast numbers of fish are being killed and are meeting Dutch officials to voice their concerns. They are also to send dead fish caught in their nets for laboratory examination. Tom Brown, secretary of Thanet Fishermen’s Association, said his members complained it was like “fishing in a graveyard” after the pulse trawlers had been in the area. “What they don’t catch, they annihilate,” he said. “Virtually everything is dead.”

Jeff Loveland, who owns two fishing boats in Ramsgate, which mainly catch Dover sole and skate, said: “This is absolutely devastating for us because we never caught so many fish that [were] already dead.

“You can have as many as 50 dead Dover sole in an hour and a half. We would hardly ever see a dead fish before.”

The crews believe that repeated exposure to the minor shocks is killing the fish.

Loveland said about seven Dutch trawlers were fishing off the Kent coast using pulse nets. He said: “It is a waste of time going to that area now. It stinks of dead fish.”

Fishing crews in Essex have similar concerns. Roger Free, a fisherman from West Mersea, said many of the dead fish he had pulled up in the area were juveniles. He is convinced the Dutch trawlers are to blame.

Story courtesy of the Sunday Times

Plenty of high quality fish on the market this Monday morning

Harbour commissioner Rob Wing spins another fishy yarn on the market this morning...

with the biggest landing of turbot this year from the netters that landed over the weekend...

BL 925806 Saint Catherine Laboure

for the second time in a week, the Boulogne boats make their way in to overland their fish back to their home port - good news for the harbour's coffers as, like any the boat landing in the port, they have to pay a % of the catch value that they land as landing dues - and it's good news for them as they can be nack fishing on the grounds in the Bristol Channel saving themselves nearly three days in steaming time from their home port...

followed by the L'Arc en Ciel...

both boats can work a light mid-water trawl and carry the pelagic doors for this net on the gallows aft above the Morgére bottom trawling doors on the boat's quarters...

time to take fresh water...

the marque of the boat's owners...

visiting wind farm service vessel, Lynas Point...

the classic West Country trading ketch Irene bathes in early morning sunshine...

waiting for weather to get to the Scillies...

as is Mitch's new inshore trawler, Sowenna III which as the name suggests is third in line in the Mitch fleet!..

hopefully it wont' be long before the new Cornish Ice ice works is commissioned.

Mission money means many fishermen in the south west cope with the winter storms

About £60,000 has been given to fishermen who were struggling to pay bills after storms stopped them from going to sea.

The Fishermen's Mission, which provides emergency funds, said it had given grants of £500 to fishermen and their families across Cornwall.

Months of stormy weather during the winter has caused a financial crisis for fishermen, the charity added.

The money has been given to those in housing arrears.


Julian Wearing, centre manager at the Newlyn Fishermen's Mission, said staff had also visited fishermen to offer emotional support.

He said: "Some didn't know if they could keep their house or feed their children.

"They had not been able to work for up to four months.

"As soon as the fishermen went back out to sea there was a vast amount of fish on the market and the prices dropped.

"Fishing is a tough gig. It is a way of life but it's a very dangerous one."

Local businesses have done their bit to help:

Photo courtesy of the Cornishman

Intrepid cyclists braved strong winds and rain to help add to the £60k already raised by Newlyn’s Fishermen’s Mission to relieve the plight which fishermen have been in since the storms which battered the Cornish coastline for two months this winter. Children and less confident riders cycled from the Mission to Marazion and back while stronger riders took on a 30 mile ride taking them round Penwith via Mousehole, Sennen and Pendeen. Whatever route they took however, they were all able to enjoy a fish and chip lunch cooked by acclaimed chef Ben Tunnicliffe, of the Tolcarne Inn.

Read more: http://www.cornishman.co.uk/Newlyn-cyclists-brave-wind-rain-Fishermen-s/story-21020517-detail/story.html#ixzz30AaIsBT6

L'Ard en Ciel in through the gaps

Sunny Sunday's comings and goings

Bound in to land the Joy of Ladram passes the Mount in the background...

as the James lowers her derricks and heads for the open sea...

the Algrie PZ199, one of the original three beam trawlers in the Stevenson fleet heads in '#ThroughtheGaps...

with a quick display of the Indian rope trick from Gary on her stern...

landing time for the KP.

The grand kids are going to love cracking these tomorrow!

A giant bowl of crab claws fresh from the sea! Got to be one of the best treats you can have #eatmorefish especially shellfish! Nice one Mr B.

Gary M landing in Newlyn

Gary M through the gaps

Trevessa IV heads in Thrpugh the Gaps in Newlyn

Not so sunny Saturday after a rough Friday night for those at sea

Trevessa IV bound in through the gaps...

as is 'Nick' the #dolphin who has come back from his holidays in the Scillies...

next in is the netter Gary M...

with the boys happy to be in the quieter waters of the harbour after a horrendous night off to the south'ard in a gale of SE wind...

the visiting trawler from Bideford...

latest Rowse crabber at rest...

the the Padstow based dredger Mannin waiting to get back to Penzance Dock where she has been engaged clearing the silted up entrance to the harbour and dock...

time for Timmy to help the boys land their turbot and monk trip for Monday's market...

looks like Ed is keen to get home after a really rough night...

look at the size of those crab claws!