Long steam home.

In this video shot shortly after her launch in 2012 the Kristine Vendelbo HM202 heads for home with 210 tons of sprats on board ...

wind forward three years and we find she has just steamed from that same home port of Hanstholm in the far north of Denmark to fish...

right on the 12 mile limit between Land's End and the Scillies - though on the AIS she now shows up as the Irish vessel, Unity. 

On Friday, the 29th of September 2017, Atlantic Shipping, as brokers, delivered the wet fish trawler M/V “Kirstine Vendelbo" to her new owners. The vessel is 27.50 x 7.70 m and was built in 2012 at Vestværftet, Hvide Sande, Denmark.

Partnership in Portugal to secure small-scale fishing livelihoods.

Environmental Defense Fund Europe will be joining forces with new philanthropic institution the Oceano Azul Foundation for a programme of work centred on artisanal fisheries in Portugal. The partnership was announced by José Soares dos Santos, President of the Oceano Azul Foundation, as part of a panel presentation at the global Our Ocean Conference in Malta on the 6th October. The project represents a new geography for Environmental Defense Fund's work across Europe, supporting sustainable fisheries in collaboration with fishing communities, governments and other stakeholders.

Commenting on the announcement of the partnership, dos Santos said that "economic and social sustainability depends more than ever on the sustainability of the marine environment".

This sentiment was echoed by Jessica Landman, Senior Director for Oceans, Europe: "At Environmental Defense Fund we work towards three goals: more food on the plate, more fish in the sea, and thriving coastal communities. It's a real pleasure to be partnering with the Oceano Azul Foundation in working towards these objectives for small-scale fisheries in Portugal: a nation of ocean-goers and seafood-enthusiasts. Together we recognise the importance of social, economic and environmental sustainability delivered hand-in-hand, and the vital need for communities to have a voice in how fisheries are managed. Watch this space!"

The first order of business for the partners will be to investigate where best to launch a pilot project to implement community-led, science-based co-management in Portuguese coastal fisheries. Environmental Defense Fund will be bringing to bear experience garnered from a long-term partnership with WWF Spain, where half a dozen or more analogous projects have been rooted in local fishing communities. Many of the tools to be applied in these fisheries - from data collection to the design of management using secure fishing rights to incentivise conservation - have been developed by the organisation's dedicated 'Fishery Solution Centre'. EDF’s Acting Iberian Peninsula Manager, Miguel Gomez, commented: "We know we have the right tools for the job - and we're looking forward to applying and adapting what we've learnt in Spain with the team in Portugal."

As part of an array of announcements for the new foundation, Oceano Azul also shared plans for a EUR 1,000,000 project, in conjunction with the Waitt Foundation, to develop a network of protected areas in the Azores, and to to donate EUR 100,000 annually to the ECOMARE Marine Animal Rehabilitation Centre.

Martin Luther 500 years on and time for a change.

Undoubtedly, the as yet unknown German scholar Martin Luther had no idea that 500 years to the day he posted his 95 theses on the door of his local catholic church in Wittenberg would there be a fishing boat 50 miles south of Waterford bearing his name. The boat, an ex Belgian beam trawler, is currently fishing along with other Irish and French vessels in the Celtic Deeps.

Technology has evolved so quickly and to such an extent that this modern-day Martin Luther's whereabouts can be monitored and contacted from a device small enough to fit in the palm of your hand - the introduction of printing at the time allowed for the spread of information which in turn eventually led to the Reformation and sowed the seeds for the Western world we live in today - maybe now it is the turn of the internet to sow the seeds for the second Reformation as this article in the Guardian suggests:

In other words, we are all members of the Church of Technopoly, and what we worship is digital technology. Most of us are so happy in our obeisance to this new power that we spend an average of 50 minutes on our daily devotion to Facebook alone without a flicker of concern. It makes us feel modern, connected, empowered, sophisticated and informed.

In this article, a discussion and link to a modern twist on challenging the norm - in this instance our total immersion in technology - the website 95theses has 'nailed' 95 technology challenging theses to a virtual door. 

Catch monitoring - a cost efficiency analysis on the New England groundfish fishery.

It's always helpful if someone else somewhere else with a similar problem comes up with a suitable solution.  Our American cousins famously suffered overfishing for cod in particular - here is a solution offered:

Background NE groundfish- management/monitoring

At Sea Monitors, Electronic Monitoring, Dockside Monitors

• What you pay

Costs, program

• What you get

Data Quality

http://eminformation.com/2006/2006

British fishing’s Brexit revival

British fishing’s Brexit revival - an optimistic piece from Alexander Fuiza writing for CapX

• British fishermen were allocated just 30 per cent of the fish in their waters in 2015
• Setting its own fisheries policy could deliver the UK a £3 billion boost
• A fishing revival would bring new activity to areas that need it the most

With the EU finally beginning formal preparations for negotiations over its future economic relationship with the UK, it’s time to look again at an area that stands to gain from Brexit: fishing.

Once it leaves the EU, the UK will can undo former Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath’s catastrophic decision to sell out British fisheries for European Economic Community membership. British fishermen should see a substantial boost to their share of fishing quotas in UK waters. The important question now is just how substantial an economic boost this will be.

Under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Britain has been forced by the EU to set rigid fishing quotas, often leading to healthy fish being thrown overboard – many of which die – to avoid exceeding the limits imposed by Brussels. The UK has had to surrender 70 per cent of the quotas in its own waters (defined as anything within 200 miles of the coast or the midpoint between Britain and a nearby country ).

How much of their own fish do non-EU countries retain? A good comparison to the UK is Norway, which is also blessed with substantial fishing waters, is Norway. They maintain a quota system similar to the CFP, but the proportions caught by domestic fishermen are much higher. In 2016 domestic fishermen took 84 per cent of fish caught in Norway. In Iceland the share is greater still; most years it is higher than 90 per cent of Iceland’s fishing catch goes to domestic fleets, according to the Icelandic Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture. These examples both point to a boost to British fishing from Brexit.

So just how much would taking back control of our fisheries bolster our economy? In 2015 fish was worth £1.661 billion in the UK economy. There were 12,107 fishermen employed in the UK, with a further 12,000 employed in the processing industry. Of the fishermen, 6,420 were based in England and Wales, 4,829 in Scotland, and 859 in Northern Ireland. Part-time fishermen accounted for approximately 19 per cent of the total. UK vessels landed 708,000 tonnes of sea fish into the UK and abroad with a value of £775 million; 12.7 per cent of the fish UK vessels landed were from foreign waters – the value of domestic catch alone being around £676.6 million.

If UK fisherman took the same share of domestic fish as their Norwegian counterparts, the value of domestic fish landings would jump from £676.6 million to £1,894.5 million. Factoring in an equivalent boost to fish processing, this could mean a £3 billion boost to the UK economy.

Of course, mapping Norway’s numbers onto Britain’s fishing industry is a fairly basic way of speculating on the industry’s future. But it does make the point that Brexit represents a substantial opportunity to the UK’s fishing industry. If this boost had a proportionate effect on employment in fishing, it would mean more than 20,000 new jobs in both fishing and fish processing.

In the same way, it could be anticipated around 21,792 fishing jobs could be gained, and around 21,600 fish processing jobs, for a total of 43,392 jobs in addition to the 24,107 currently employed in fishing and fish processing. That excludes potential secondary employment growth from jobs servicing the newly employed, on-shoring of fish processing jobs, and the creation of larger fishing firms.

The result wouldn’t just be more jobs, but more jobs in areas where they are badly needed. Again, assuming a proportionate distribution of these new jobs, around 8,692 of the potential 21,792 new positions created would theoretically accrue to Scotland, concentrated in the Islands, Highland towns and Ayr, rather than well-heeled Edinburgh. Almost half of the benefits going to Scotland, despite it representing around 8 per cent of the UK population, is almost ironic given how many Scots voted Remain, but there we go. Roughly 1,532 jobs would go to Wales, and 1,546 to Northern Ireland. Both Wales and Northern Ireland are substantially poorer than the UK as a whole, with GDP per capita of £18,002 and £21,770 respectively. Northern Ireland’s unemployment rate is substantially above the UK average at 5.7 per cent.

Relatively left behind regions of England would gain too. The North East, home to Brexit bastions like Tynemouth, Sunderland and Middlesborough, stands to gain 2,180 fishermen. The South West meanwhile could gain as many as 4,995, concentrated in the too often forgotten rural counties of Cornwall and Devon. Unemployment in the North East is 6.8 per cent. In the South West it is 3.7 per cent, though a large number of jobs in counties like Devon and Cornwall come and go with the tourist seasons. Clearly, these areas could do with a boost.


By Alexander Fiuza


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No "If's or but's" Butts is best at bass!

Brighter than it has been as a result of the clocks going back yesterday, first light...

sees Nimrod (named after grandfather) the latest addition to the Rowse crabbing fleet nestling between the Harriet Eve and the Chris Tacha...

 though as yet the sign-writer has not yet had a chance to weave his magic over the old name numbers and name on the bow...

shades of the past when there were no market fridges to hold fish in and with only half the market space available two netters are waiting in landing berths for the market to be cleared of fish before putting their fish ashore...

despite a flurry of forklift action ferrying fish away...

meanwhile, in the market Cefas are busy collecting fish data from the Resurgan's landing...

with the single fridge full of mackerel landed by the handline fleet over the weekend...

and fish from two beam trawlers, five inshore trawlers and a handful of punts...

saw some solid landings of haddock...

plaice...

and more plaice...

but all of these landings were totally overshadowed by the fish from this boat - there are fishermen, good fishermen and the best fishermen and then there are the best fishermen that fish for bass - and the best of the bass fishermen in Newlyn has just returned to fishing... 

and let us remind ourselves that Steven 'Cod' Astley now goes to sea with two titanium legs after a suffering from sepsis...

so with over 70kg of bass on the market this morning - 20kg more than the next nearest boat its heartening to see he is still the master when it comes to chasing what Keith Floyd always referred to as, the "King of fish"......

while Dennis Pascoe aboard the punt Sprigs of Heather, probably the oldest working full time fisherman in Newlyn, hauled in a few big squid to go with his bass haul...

during the refurb, access is now kept clear at the western end of the market...

despite the hundreds of boxes being stacked across the market floor...

from the big netters like the Joy of Ladram...

and the Ajax...

long-dead fisherman Freddie Howis would often joke that conditions for working on the market were worse now then they were 100 years ago when, "they had donkeys and carts to move fish about"...

a sentiment no doubt shared by that happy market chappy, Roger as he drags another stack of boxes to the exit...

while this big pollack has been doused in tallies it seems...

Plugger on the Shiralee must have been well pleased with this trip of rays - big by any standards not just for a 10m inshore trawler...

as more light begins to crack the sky...

two of the hake netter Charisma's crew exchange pleasantries...

as they wait for the market to be cleared of fish so they can land and sort their fish for Tuesday's market...

since work began on the refurb half the market space has been lost which means that on days when big trips from beam trawlers, netters and the fleet of 30+ handliners coincide...

the market is pushed for space...

and with the morning light giving such stunning vistas...

it's now wonder you just have to take the time to record the moment...

while others work flat out to keep pace with the fish being bought...

the beam trawler, Resurgan made £31,000 last trip, will she beat that this morning...

all three Rowse boats picked out in the morning sun...

while the wreck-netter Gary M waits to sail again...

work is forging ahead and a new roof is on one end of the market...

out in the bay a handful of mackerel boats have found a biggish mackerel mark...

back in the Dry Dock, the new IoS supply ship, Mali Rose.

Life Jacket Scheme -Do you want to give peace of mind to your loved ones?

You could be entitled to a Mullion Compact 150 Lifejacket with a personal locator beacon.

Fishing boat crews who live in Plymouth will be safer at sea, thanks to a project designed by Plymouth City Council with support from the local fishing industry.

Plymouth City Council has been awarded £77,000 from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the Maritime Management Organisation for the scheme to help reduce loss of life and accidents within the local fishing industry.

The life-saving equipment with in-built locator beacons has now been ordered as part of the two-year project which aims to encourage behaviour change through training and new equipment. Delivery is expected in November and December and then MarineCo will make arrangements to distribute the life Jackets to those eligible fishermen.

The project, which has been designed with input from fishermen’s representatives, SEAFISH and the emergency services, hopes to reduce the number of fishermen’s lives lost at sea.

Last September, following a Motion on Notice at Full Council, the Council applied to the Marine Management Organisation for funding through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund to fund the purchase of ‘personal flotation devices’ equipped with personal locator beacons.

The project includes training, personal fitting and training carried out by a supplier with a unique understanding of the fishing industry, fishing grounds and the operations of emergency services.

Register Your Interest

To register your interest please complete the below form and return to jane.hunt@plymouth.gov.uk. For more information please email or call 01752 398048.

 Life Jacket Application [Word, 122KB]

New Safety Rules - Code of Practice for Safety of Small Fishing Vessels

This Notice provides a Code of Practice for the Safety of Small Fishing Vessels of less than 15m Length Overall, replacing MSN 1813. It takes into account MAIB investigation findings.

The main changes from MSN 1813 are:

• Liferafts required on open vessels of 7m Registered Length (L) to less than 15m (LOA) and decked vessels of 7m (L) to less than 10m (L), to come into force on 23 October 2019 for existing vessels only, new vessels must comply immediately;
• Vessels built prior to 16 July 2007 newly entering the fishing industry must have a Certifying Authority Survey prior to registration and MCA Inspections of the vessel are required at change of ownership;
• Emergency drills are now required;
• Radar Reflectors are now to be fitted to all vessels;
• Bilge Alarms required for Open vessels (7m (L) -15m Length Overall (LOA));
• Certificates to be issued for Small Fishing Vessels;
• Substantial modifications, fitting of new gear or changes to the mode of fishing to be approved by MCA prior to work taking place;
• EPIRBs with a built in GPS receiver capable of transmitting the position to a satellite are required all vessels of 10m (L) and over. Vessels less than 10m may have PLBs with a GPS receiver for each crew member or an EPIRB with a built in GPS receiver. EPIRB and PLB requirements to come into force on 23 October 2019 for existing vessels only, new vessels must comply immediately;
• Stability requirements for new or significantly modified vessels of 12m (L) – 15m (LOA)
• Carbon Monoxide Monitors for vessels with enclosed spaces which contains a fired cooking or heating appliance or where engine exhausts penetrate those spaces. The Code strongly recommends fishermen wear Personal Flotation Devices.

THE CODE ALSO PROVIDES GUIDANCE FOR OWNERS AND SKIPPERS OF VESSELS OF LESS THAN 12M ON HOW TO ASSESS THE STABILITY OF THEIR VESSEL.

DOCUMENTARY - The struggle of a traditional fisherman for another Europe

John O'Brien, a fisherman from Inishbofin Island, off the west coast of Ireland, is struggling to continue fishing in the style of his ancestors. While European legislation against overfishing threatens the island's only resource, it is bringing the voice of island fishermen to the highest political level for the first time. Loïc Jourdain filmed during eight years this struggle of David against Goliath, narrated in the documentary Of the laws and the men. Chronicle by the association Les Lucioles du Doc.

It is an exceptional trajectory that John O'Brien, a small Irish fisherman who defends traditional fishing in front of the lobby of big trawlers by calling on the technocrats of his country and of Brussels. The native of Inishbofin, Ireland, succeeded in mobilizing the fishermen of his island and the neighboring islands, who suffer from drastic rules against overfishing for which they are not responsible. We then sail with him to the heart of the Irish and Brussels powers. The fisherman must fine-tune his strategy to convince and rally to his cause. Without ever losing its simplicity, it does brilliantly, meeting other European island fishermen and ecologists.

The proximity with the character allows the viewer of the documentary Des lois et des hommes , which comes out on October 11 in the cinema, to understand what is played between these different scales. Through the eyes of John O'Brien, one discovers the vagaries of the European Commission, so focused by the regulations that it forgets the essential: the reality and the specificities of the field. A remark by John illustrates this feature very well: "First of all, Europe has financed enormous trawlers and now, seeing the extent of the damage, it tries to stop overfishing as it can. "


For a global view is not enough to see the absurdity of the consequences of this regulation at the local level. After the ban on salmon fishing in 2007, islanders are forced to fish intensively for herring, which is becoming scarcer and then crab, which they are forced to export to China. An intensive practice contrary to the habits of their ancestors, in harmony with their environment. "Now I ask my sons to do what we have been taught not to do: to fish a single species, until it disappears. My grandfather must turn to his grave ", desolates the native of Inishbofin. He repeated it repeatedly: the fishermen of his island have always respected the cycles of reproduction of the species, fishing according to the seasons, to preserve this essential resource. The human being is not the enemy of nature and the inhabitants of Inishbofin offer us another way of viewing ecology: no longer to preserve nature in itself, but to protect the balance which allows the life of all beings who share a territory.

Without fishing, the islands are depopulated and, like the salmon, the island culture disappears. Guided by the voice of the Irish fisherman, the viewer discovers from within the community and its traditions where festivals and religious rites are organized around the sea. The very strong choice of O'Brien's omnipresent voice-over calm timbre, rhythmic as the ebb and flow, leads us to think of the importance of a word that is both individual and collective. The word of those who are not accustomed to speak, to resist, to be heard. John O'Brien lets his culture be heard and known in institutions to prove how to preserve it. The aesthetics of the documentary gives unconditional support to his demonstration. From the very present Gaelic language to traditional music,

Laws and men strike for its political significance. As a critique of globalization, Loïc Jourdain wants to show another way: respect for ecology, but also for humanity and its traditions, without falling into a backward drift. If heritage is to be preserved, it is because it is the key to a sustainable future for both humans and fauna, where equilibrium would return.

Laws and men , national release on October 11, 2017

Documentary by 106 minutes
Directed by : Loïc Jourdain
Production : Lugh Films
Co-production : Original idea (France), South Wind Blows LTD (Ireland), France 3 Corse Via Stella, Production France 3 & The Irish Film Board
Distribution : Ubuntu Culture & Docks 66

More information about the film: the website .

Les Lucioles du Doc These monthly columns published by Basta! are carried out by the collective of the Lucioles du Doc, an association working on documentary cinema, through its dissemination and the organization of workshops of realization with a large public, in order to set up spaces for popular education policy. See the website of the association.

Want to train as a fisherman?

Fishermen are at the very heart of the seafood industry, catching the fish and shellfish that we consume every day.

There are a variety of roles needed on a fishing vessel in order to keep operations running smoothly. While many tasks are shared between all members of a vessel, the division of duties can generally be summarised between three main roles: Deckhand, Skipper and Engineer.

Deckhands, are responsible for day-to-day tasks such as equipment preparation, operation and repair, cleaning chores, cooking, and gutting and storing fish.

Mates and Skippers manage and supervise the vessel's crew and are responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the vessel. Many skippers will also share some deckhand duties, particularly on smaller vessels.

Engineers are responsible for maintaining mechanical and electrical equipment on the vessel, which includes propulsion equipment, steering equipment, and board pumping equipment.

It is possible to learn on the job and undertake training in order to progress to mate, skipper and engineer roles, though most new entrant fishermen will start out in trainee deckhand roles.

More information about training for fishermen can be found here.

More information about maritime careers, qualifications and learning pathways can be read at the Maritime Skills Alliance website.

#FishyFriday in Newlyn

Big wheels for big boats...

the Sapphire II along with the Lisa Jacqueline are holding their fish over till Monday's market...

as there was precious little space on the market floor this morning with four beamers landing...

with plenty of buyers...

keen to get a successful bid in on the fish...

like these lemons...

plaice...

and monk fish tails...

the odd tub gurnard...

and some solid trips of cuttles...

some seasonal meaty congers...

and a smattering of top quality reds and squid... 

though with no netters landing owing to the big spring tide...

the only hake on the market was from the beam trawlers...

these boots were made for supervising...

the mighty mackerel...

just like an argument, there's two sides to every flatfish...

Newlyn Fish Festival's celebrated auctioneer Ed Buckland deep in conversation with harbourmaster Rob Parsons...

it's cool to be cold.