Last landing for 2014 by the Gary M

The Christmas lights ring the harbour walls...

as the last of the boats like the Govenek of Ladram land on the last day of 2014 and tie up against the quay...

and the GaryM land alongside the fish market...

puts her fish ashore...

with a solid trip of over 100 boxes of pollack ready for the first market of 2015.

Last fishing days for the year for theNewlyn fleet as they make the most of fine weather between Christmas and New Year.

Wrapped up in a survival suit, Cap'n Cod makes his way to the market after a day chasing bass...

followed by Jeremy, keeping tucked well in as the Lyonesse is making her way out #ThroughtheGaps...

for a night sardine fishing....

 closely followed by the Asthore...

and the latest addition to the fleet in Newlyn, the Mayflower...

providing visiting photogs with some dusk shots...

the Bacon boys head for the market...

followed by the sequel to a Fistful of Dollars...

the light is special at this time of year with crystal-clear skies!

The hunt for Cornish sardines begins

With next to no wind and temperatures just above freezing the sardine boats head out to sea for a night's work in Mount's Bay hunting Cornish sardines.

Christmas treat to eat

At this time of year all the big supermarkets offer salmon at half price...

- if you buy a whole one, so the solution to get a whole fish for the price of half ...

is to fillet and pin bone the both sides...

slice one side in two and place the first half skin side down on a length of cling film...

get some decent sea salt...

and, using this recipe from the Rick Stein's latest and excellent fish cookery book...

prepare the cure mixture of salt, fresh dill, sugar and a good dash of brandy, vodka or whiskey...

cover the first side of salmon with the cure and place the second half skin side up...

to form a sandwich...

wrap the fillets up tight in the cling film and leave for at least three days in the run up to Christmas Day turning over every 12 hours - a good dose of brine will be drawn out of the fish which can be drained off later - then slice very thin and savour the flavour accompanied by a mustard and dill sauce!

The other fillet can be cut into steaks.

Where are we?

Through the Gaps is away from the sea for a few days - but where are we?

Merry Christmas from Newlyn

That's almost it for 2014!

The Emma Louise is one of the last boats alongside the fish market for 2104...

which is now ready to be cleaned down for the final time...

the market is moving with the times and now has a new departures and arrivals board installed - a whiteboard to replace the old blackboard technology...

most of the boats are all set for the Christmas break...

including the port's top trawler again, the Crystal Sea II.

MMO Under 10m additional quota guidance.

THE MMO has updated its guidance on quota leasing and on activities to source quota for the under 10 metre and non-sector fleet.

Those fishing against the 10 metres and under or non-sector pool quota can apply to lease extra quota from a producer organisation (PO) to supplement their catch limits or to keep fishing for a stock where the allocation has been reached.

Following feedback from the industry, the MMO has added additional guidance to its website on the process they should follow when leasing extra quota. This includes encouraging people to contact the MMO to discuss their needs before taking out a lease. Such information may facilitate the MMO arranging quota swaps and gifts of quota from other EU Member States or Producer Organisations on behalf of wider groups within the pool. We can also provide an update on any ongoing negotiations.

For example, in 2014, the MMO has sourced additional haddock quota, bringing 49 tonnes into the English under 10 metre and non-sector pool which more than doubled the 30 tonne allocation originally available. This has enabled the MMO to keep the fishery open for the whole year and to increase the allocation in December.

The MMO also sourced additional English Channel cod quota, in particular for area VIId. Following a consultation activity in November an additional 10 tonnes of English Channel cod quota (area VIId) was secured for the under 10 metre pool, with this being reallocated from an English Producer Organisation. The MMO used this to keep the fishery open with a catch limit of 400kg for the rest of 2014.

The MMO aims to help the fishing industry maximise use of quotas available to them while ensuring that the limits set at EU level are not exceeded. It had reduced the cod catch limit for the under 10 metre fleet earlier in November due to the pool nearing their quota limit for 2014. The MMO would like to thank those who responded to the consultation, in particular Producer Organisations for their co-operation and trading with the Under 10 metre pool.

This development has also contributed to the UK using a higher percentage of its cod quota for area VIId in 2014 than it did in 2013, with 90% so far this year against 56% in total in 2013.

#Taiji - the dolphin fishermen of Japan.

Greenpeace have been livestreaming the trapping of a pod of dolphins in Japan in what is known as the #killingcove.

Cove Guardians @CoveGuardians

Correction: A pod of Striped dolphins and possibly a few Bottlenose within pod now netted within the killing cove. #tweet4taiji

A Fisherman's Voice - a new website for the fishermen of Cornwall.

A Fishermen's Voice - There's a new website devoted to providing information written by fishermen, here's what they say:

A way for fishermen to show the public the real issues of the fishing industry. No news channels, government or scientists, just fishermen and facts.

Guilvinec: A sailor of Bara ar Vro is missing - update

On Sunday, one of the sailors of the crew of the Guilvinec registered trawler Bara ar Vro has been missing since the morning. Sea and air search continues.

This Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014, at 5:53, the Regional Operational Centre for Surveillance and Rescue (Cross) Etel is alerted by the skipper of the trawler Bara ar vro one of the sailors on board, forty years equipped with PFD (integrated buoyancy clothing), is missing.

The 22m trawler, registered in Guilvinec, owned Bigouden Armament, was fishing to 120 nautical miles (220 km) off the Pointe de Penmarc'h. The Cross Etel, to coordinate search operations, which involved several commercial vessels (Jigon Am , Sea Frontier) and fishing (Idatsa) in transit in the area and then hires a Cayman helicopter  Navy based Naval Air Station Lanvéoc Poulmic took off at 7:10 am. The Caiman reached the area at 7:50 . He flew over the area until 9:16 but without result.

At 9 am on Cross Etel hired a Falcon 50 of the flotilla 24F (based on the Naval Air Station Lann Bihoue) to raise Cayman. Without result. At 14h, the Cross Etel engages another Falcon 50 in relief of the former. Research hitherto unsuccessful, should continue at sea (the presence of 6 fishing vessels or merchant) and in the air until nightfall.

Weather zone: Sea 2 (calm), wind 15 knots (25 km/h)

As reported by the Ouest-France website. (Google translation)

No end to the EU’s crazy fishing policy

There's no end to the EU’s crazy fishing policy - Few people under 50 can recall a time when Britain had Europe’s largest fishing fleet, writes Christopher Booker.

There could be no more eloquent epitaph on the destruction of Britain’s once-proud fishing industry than the recent revelation that 23 per cent of the entire fishing quota Brussels allows Britain now goes to a single giant Dutch trawler, the Cornelis Vrolijk, to land all its catches in Holland.

Few people under 50 can recall a time when Britain had Europe’s largest fishing fleet and 80 per cent of all its fishing waters. But back in the 1990s, this column was almost alone in reporting what had followed after Edward Heath was so desperate to enter “Europe” that he gave way to Brussels’s new demand (not even legally authorised by the treaties) that all fishing waters must be merged as a “common European resource”.

The only way fishing rights could then be parcelled out among the member states was by a complex system of national “quotas”, which allowed Britain’s fishermen just 13 per cent by value of this new “common resource”. To allow everyone a share required drastic cuts in fleet sizes, such as the time when we were ordered to make a further 19 per cent cut, while Spain’s huge fleet lost only 4 per cent. This was hailed by John Gummer, our then-fisheries minister, as “a good deal” for our fishermen. Related Articles

TransferWise, the smart new way to send money abroad Sponsored by TransferWise But another inevitable consequence of the new system was the appalling “discards” scandal, forcing fishermen to chuck back into the sea millions of dead fish for which they had no quota.

Eventually, I found this dreadful story so depressing that I stopped reporting it. Now, years later, after yet another dismal meeting in Brussels, we are told the environmental “discards” disaster has been ended. Fishermen must now bring all their catch back to land. But only so that millions of fish can now be discarded to landfill instead.

So Britain’s fleet continues to shrink, while 43 per cent of the UK’s quota has now been bought up by foreign-owned vessels (32 per cent going to just five boats, including the Cornelis Vrolijk). And still we hear our latest fisheries minister telling us that this new deal represents “the best possible” outcome for Britain. Bah, humbug.

Full story courtesy of the Daily Telegraph

Bara Ar Vro French trawler incident off the coast of France.

Des recherches en cours au large de Lanvéoc pour tenter de retrouver un marin du chalutier le Bara Ar Vro, qui est tombé à la mer
— Bleu Breizh Izel (@Francebleubzh) December 21, 2014

It seems two merchant ships have diverted course to assist with reports that the trawler Bara Ar Vro has been involved in an incident off the French coast with a crew member lost overboard in the early hours of this morning....

The last recorded position from her AIS was at 05:48 this morning...

to the north of her a large group of trawlers are working together...

right on the edge of the south bound traffic separation zone off the west side of Ushant.

Advice from the RNLI - applies to all boats not just fishing boats - the negative affects of free surface water and watertight integrity.

Loose kit, fish and excess water on or below deck can all shift and raise your boat’s centre of gravity. If left unchecked, the effect of their movement can capsize your boat within minutes. Find out how to avoid the problem before it develops. 

Next time you’re on your boat make sure you: check all scuppers/freeing ports are open and clear stow catch and loose gear securely at all times, preferably below deck keep it watertight: check critical pipework, stern and rudder glands before each trip and check bilge alarms regularly.

New RNLI safety films for fishermen - as the most dangerous month of the year comes round again.

Statistically, January sees more fatal accidents than any other month in the commercial fishing industry.

Modifications to your boat, such as installing new equipment or changing internal layout, can affect its stability at sea. Find out what effects these changes can have – and how to counteract them.


If you’re planning to make changes to your boat: 

• ensure adequate freeboard 
• consider weight creep (also known as stability creep) 
• when working out the maximum load allowed consult an MCA surveyor, naval architect or Seafish Marine Services before any major changes, whether it’s an addition or position change. 

Get free advice at seafish.org or email marineservices@seafish.co.uk.

Penlee 33 years ago.

Twelve hours after the Penlee lifeboat was lost the Nelwyn trawler Fern under skipper Alan Goddard searches for any signs of survivors off Tater Dhu alongside the St Mary's lifeboat and Rescue 192 from Culdrose.

Fishing in 1991

Fishing in 1991

There's a familiar ring to the stories from this TV report on the fishing - even though it is 1991!

1500 fish merchants and 100 trains were operating out of Grimsby in its heyday. Listen to the minister (10:30) talk about technical measures and regional control. Little recognition that the government was just as complicit in building a huge fleet of modern boats as the fishermen with the resultant decline in stocks. Today, Wick, Scrabster, Banff, Buckie, Peterhead, Fraesburgh, Eyemouth, North Shields, Whitby, Scarborough, Grimsby and Lowestoft have but a fraction of the boats there were in 1992.

It's the last #FishyFriday of 2014 - make it a good one for fishermen everywhere!

Tools of the trade for fish market staff...

with a good mix of fish on sale...

bass always put  a smile on a trawlerman's face...

the writing's on the wall, well the ink is on the door as it were, a sure sign of cuttles on the market...

and sure enough there are several good hauls from the beamers...

like a Christmas selection box, name them fish...

tell-tale signs that there's black gold on the market...

though why there are boxes up-ended in the tubs remains a mystery...

how good would it be to have a few of these beauties grilled for supper...

big, bad bass from Newlyn...

it's a sole but what kind?...

last of the netters to land this year, the Govenek of Ladram alongside the fish market...

the Wayfinder is now minus her wheelhouse....

Newlyn Harbour Christmas  lights.