Latest issue of Quay Issues is out now - free to read!

Quay Issues explores the challenges facing the fishing industry and showcases creative and innovative ways that the UK fleet are finding to make the industry more sustainable, efficient and safe.

During our annual Fleet Survey we speak to hundreds of vessel owners at ports around the country. While the purpose of these interviews is to seek permission to access financial data we also uncover countless individual stories.

Quay Issues goes behind the numbers, to share stories from the Cornish coast to the Orkney Islands.

Read Quay Issues 6 online now.

We are working to making printed copies of Quay Issues 6 available.To request a printed copy please email quayissues@seafish.co.uk and we'll provide one as soon as distribution channels allow. 

Ad hoc April 2020 Fisheries statistics released.

An additional, more timely, publication on UK fishing activity will be released monthly. This is in response to the coronavirus pandemic and figures will be published every month until further notice. This release is in addition to the monthly national statistics the MMO publishes.  

UK Fisheries statistics for April 2020

These statistics were pre-announced for publication at 9.30am on Tuesday 26 May. Unfortunately, these were not published until 2pm on Tuesday 26 May. The delay was due to a series of IT issues. The statistics were not available to anyone except the production team until they had been released on gov.uk and were not altered at all between 9.30am and 2pm. In line with the Code of Practice for official statistics, this delay has been reported to the Good Practice Team in the Government Statistical Service. We apologise for any inconvenience this caused to our users. If the delay did affect you please let us know via our google form. The MMO stats team will ensure future releases are published on time.

DEVELOPING A PARTICIPATORY APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF FISHING ACTIVITY IN UK OFFSHORE MARINE PROTECTED AREAS

Successfully involving the fishing sector and stakeholders in decision-making over the management of fisheries in marine protected areas (MPAs) is important to their overall effectiveness and sustainable management of our seas. The results of a new project including new tools and approaches to use when establishing, evaluating and adapting fisheries management measures in MPAs aims to help achieve just that. 

The work has been led by JNCC, together with partners the Marine Management Organisation, Natural England, the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations and Bangor University supported with funding from the European Maritime and Fisheries fund (EMFF). A series of workshops over the last two years were facilitated by independent consultants CAG and brought together the fishing sector, regulators, scientific advisors and academic researchers to inform the new guidance, resulting in the MPA Fisheries Management Toolkit. 

The toolkit aims to provide a resource for those involved in, and affected by, fisheries management decision-making and lays out the key elements to consider when establishing a participatory approach to management in MPAs. Using two existing MPAs in the Irish Sea and North Sea as case studies to explore the challenges of managing sedimentary habitats; the project has focussed on mechanisms for enabling the fishing sector to engage positively with the management process and bring their perspectives and knowledge to the table. 

 It has been designed as a guide to help regulators assess the suitability of establishing a participatory approach, including governance structure, stakeholder balance, management objectives, and logistics. Each section comes complete with a standalone summary poster that highlights key information to help ensure that users can take away the key messages. 

The work also includes the development of the Benthic Impacts Tool, a management decision-making support tool, drawing on the latest scientific understanding on the impacts of mobile fishing gears on the seabed. 

Nick Greenwood, Principal Marine Conservation Manager, Marine Conservation Team, Marine Management Organisation, said “the project has been a fantastic opportunity to share perspectives on how and why we all participate in MPA management, and has produced some great resources which will hopefully help decision makers and stakeholders make the most of opportunities to come together” Dale Rodmell, Assistant Chief Executive, National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisation, said "the work has married together an evidence-based approach to MPA management with a more in-depth involvement of those affected by decision-making.  Ultimately, we want to see management outcomes that are widely supported and accommodate sustainable marine livelihoods with meeting management objectives." 

Declan Tobin, Marine Management Team Leader, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, said "as we enter a new era for management of our marine space, this project provided the perfect platform to bring key interest groups together. It offered an opportunity for all to express their views and opinions on what matters most and how to ensure a fair and equitable approach to management into the future. 

The guidance and tools that have come out of this work have been shaped by the various needs and concerns of all involved which should result in a positive legacy in guiding the next phase in sustainable management of our seas”. Prof Jan Hiddink, Professor in Marine Biology, Bangor University said “It has been great to be involved in a project that explored and appreciated the need for a quantitative approach for the assessment of human disturbance on the marine environment. The Benthic Impacts Tool has been developed for exploring the application of data during management of human activities with the hope of being applicable to a wide range of activities, habitats and species in the future.”

All resources from the project are available here.

How traceability and blockchain technology are helping tuna fishers maintain their livelihoods.

Technology can provide fishermen with the means to protect the identify of the fish they catch - be that for private management needs or to make public the provenance of their catch. We could learn from these Indonesian fishermen and their use of such technology - especially for the inshore and Under10m sector in providing buyers and consumers with a high level of traceability. The same technology could also be used to arm specific fisheries with the data needed to prove sustainability and ensure stock assessment and management.

Jafar’s story - learn how traceability and blockchain technology are helping tuna fishers maintain their livelihoods.

Meet Jafar. Most days, in the very early hours of the morning – well before dawn – Jafar sets off in his small boat from the nearby beach on Seram Island, Indonesia, to catch yellowfin tuna. Jafar Like other local fishers, he uses the one-by-one handline method – considered one of the most environmentally responsible ways of catching these highly-prized fish. And today, thanks to the full traceability of his catch, enabled through TraceTales and SAP Blockchain technology, his tuna is in high demand. Moreover, being able to prove where and how his fish was caught puts Jafar, his fellow fishers, and also their fishery on a much more sustainable footing in the long term. 

Before there was TraceTales and blockchain 

It was sometimes hard for fishers like Jafar to prove that the tuna they were catching was indeed from an environmentally and socially responsible fishery. Most handliners fish in small groups alone, and are usually out at sea all day. Even though they were catching some beautiful yellowfin, they couldn’t prove its origins because they didn’t have the traceability tools. The fishers knew the tuna companies, the companies knew them, but there wasn’t sufficient verified evidence of where the tuna came from and how it was caught. 

Buyers can now be certain that Jafar’s tuna is safe to eat

Jafar still continues to go out fishing just as before, but his trip and catch are now much more visible. This is where the value is. Once his tuna catch is received at the processing plant, that specific sourcing information is recorded through Trace Tales, a software developed by MDPI and USAID OCEANS. © Anova© Anova The fish is then processed and tagged with a QR Code label which contains details about when, where, and how the fish was caught, as well as who caught it. That information is stored in the cloud and enters a secure blockchain. Afterwards, a laboratory takes samples to confirm that the tuna is safe to eat, and this data is also uploaded to the blockchain. This in turn makes details about Jafar’s fish instantly available to restaurants and retailers in the United States. 

But that’s not the end of it. 

Jafar’s fish are then taken to the finishing plant for final processing and preparation before being shipped to market. Every single piece is tracked right the way through to the consumers by connecting TraceTales data into blockchain. The actual people who end up buying and eating his tuna – in places like New York, Washington and Los Angeles – can now learn that it was Jafar who caught their tuna, and whereabouts in Indonesia it came from. Jafar’s family’s future is a lot more secure Essentially, this is because of the value of traceability in meeting import regulations and market requirements, as well as in differentiating his catch in the marketplace. Jafar is very proud to be a fisherman, but fishing is a difficult and sometimes dangerous way to make a living. 

Now though, blockchain is helping him and his neighbours to maintain their fishing future by securing access to the more lucrative export market. Through traceability (including blockchain), they are now much better placed to continue to catch Indonesian yellowfin for many generations to come. Jafar is proud that his story is being shared with the world Major seafood markets like the United States and Europe want transparency, traceability and sustainability. Through blockchain, Jafar is now part of this landscape – making sure that handline Indonesian tuna can be enjoyed all over the world! At the same time, and looking at it from the market perspective, buyers and consumers can take great comfort in the knowledge that Jafar and other local fishers can make a sustainable living from the job that they want to do, while also preserving local culture and traditions.

Full story courtesy of IPNLF.

Watch Jafar’s story here: FROM OCEAN TO TABLE: Your Food. Brought To You By Blockchain © MDPI© MDPI 

Anova - SAP Block Chain from Anova Food, LLC on Vimeo.

EU is prepared to drop its "maximalist" approach to fisheries

Tony Connelly reports on the sector which is proving a key stumbling block in the future relationship negotiations (remember, the EU has said if there's no fisheries deal, there's no free trade deal. Tony is RTÉ's European Editor.

Here is his Twitter thread on the matter in full:

1/ The issue is over the UK's insistence that the methodology known as Zonal Attachment should replace the existing quota share out system, known as Relative Stability...

2/ Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, is holding a video conference with the fish ministers of the Group of Eight fishing member states, including Ireland. Lithuania, Poland and Portugal will join...

3/ My understanding is that EU fish ministers will bluntly tell Mr Barnier that he must stick to the mandate which member states gave him at the outset, namely that EU vessels should continue to enjoy the same access to UK waters as they did under the Common Fisheries Policy...

4/ As a reminder, the EU's negotiating mandate says the final deal should “build on existing reciprocal access conditions, [and] quota shares…” and that there should be “continued reciprocal access, for all relevant species, by [European] Union and United Kingdom vessels"…

5/ On May 15, Barnier told a news conference there had been some movement on fisheries. Zonal Attachment was "one element" in a possible solution, he said, but not the "only element". Some saw this as a signal the EU was going to compromise on the issue...

6/ Zonal Attachment is devilishly complicated, but it basically means using deeper data to work out where fish species live, breed, spawn etc. Essentially, the UK believes that that methodology would rightfully restore much more quota to UK vessels in British waters...

7/ Some member states regard this as a "quota grab" dressed up as science. Zonal Attachment, says one source, is at play in the EU's ongoing discussions with independent coastal states (which the UK will become) over mackerel, but it is taking years...

8/ Furthermore, says the source, the science isn't there to provide the kind of data the UK is referring to, and that in any case, the EU and UK share over 100 stocks. So if it has taken years for mackerel, then imagine how long it will take for an entire fishing deal...

9/ However, the UK is insisting on it...
10/ It's understood that in the interim between Barnier's tentative offer on May 15, the mood among member states has hardened, not least because of David Frost's letter of May 19, seen by many has combative...

11/ It's worth remembering that EU member states largely accepted the draft negotiating mandate drawn up by the European Commission in January. However, they made the language on fisheries tougher - something I'm told they will remind the EU's chief negotiator this afternoon...

12/ Adding to the pressure, the European Parliament Fisheries Committee has adopted a resolution "no comprehensive agreement can be concluded between the EU and the UK if it does not include a complete, balanced and long-term fisheries agreement...

13/ "allowing the continuation under optimal conditions of access to waters, resources and markets of the parties concerned"...

Tony is RTÉ's European Editor and Deputy Foreign Editor Colm Ó Mongáin look at what Brexit business is squeezed into the EU Summit in Brussels - listen here they present a series of podcasts on Brexit from an Irish perspective.

EU ready to ease fisheries demands in Brexit talks .

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union is willing to shift its stance on fisheries in negotiations with Britain next week, sources said, in what would be the first major concession from the bloc in talks with London on their relationship after Brexit.

Fishing is politically sensitive for France and the 27-nation bloc says it would not seal a new trade deal with Britain without a stable agreement.

Currently, fishing mostly takes place in UK waters and most of the catch goes to EU fishermen.

Britain wants to unwind that after Brexit materialises next year, saying it would become an independent coastal state and wants to be in control of its waters and fish.

But the EU has so far sought to keep the status quo, a demand an official with the bloc described as a “maximalist” starting point of negotiations.

“There have been hints of a possible reconciliation of approaches,” the official said ahead of another round of EU-UK talks next week.

“We would be looking to shift on demands to keep everything as is now, a somewhat maximalist opening position, if the UK also moved from its position of coastal attachment. That’s where the room for compromise lies.”

An EU diplomat following Brexit also said the bloc wants to seek a potential compromise on fisheries in talks next week.

“Our opening line of keeping the current terms is impossible to uphold,” the person said. “That is clearly unattainable so we’d be looking to some narrowing of the positions.”

Fisheries have been one of the key stumbling blocs in talks on a new partnership between the EU and Britain, which left the bloc earlier this year and is now in a status-quo transition until end-2020 to allow for talks on a new deal.

With fundamental differences between the bloc and London, negotiators have struggled to make headway in video conferencing mode amidst coronavirus lockdowns barring physical meetings.

The talks have made precious little progress so far and the EU has warned of a stalemate unless there is new momentum next week.

Full story courtesy of Gabriela Baczynska from Reuters.

French artisanal fishermen want the same as Looe fishermen - a licence to fish for bue-fin tuna.

Translated by Google from an article on the Small French artisanal fishing platform website:

Franck Romagosa is a fisherman with small trades in Saint Cyprien , on the PETIT DAMIEN, a speedboat of 9 meters. Franck has been fighting for 7 years to obtain a bluefin tuna AEP (European Fishing Authorization). Franck does not ask for the moon: according to him, one tonne of quota per year for small trades would be sufficient: “One tonne per year means that you can fish on average 1 tuna per week . With one tuna per week, sold locally, you can generate € 35,000 per year, which will allow you to employ a sailor and therefore generate local employment. In addition, by fishing bluefin tuna, you reduce the pressure on other fish species ”

Despite his fight, Franck has still not obtained a bluefin tuna AEP. The issuance of new DWS is limited to a few dozen per year for several hundred requests . The candidates are handpicked ... Thus, the criteria of the size of his boat, the first installation or the age of the captain are all priority conditions for obtaining the precious sesame. One year before retirement, needless to say that Franck is rather poorly classified to be a winner ... He denounces an award system which is not transparent, even discriminating against the oldest fishermen: “In fact, as I am close to retirement, they do not want to give me EAF, while some who are already retired keep their EAF. It is a fairly opaque system and the best way to have quota ... is the piston!" The union of fishermen small trades of Occitanie (SPMO) of which it is a member wishes to review the criteria of delivery of the AEP in order to give a chance to the oldest who renew their requests each year for sometimes more than 10 years… without success. The SPMO also denounces the hijackings of the system which allow the same shipowner to hold several EPAs under the names of different companies and entrusted to young priority managers.

Other fishermen with small trades also point out the aberrations of the system: "The bluefin tuna caught by purse seiners with the French quota will never arrive on the French market: everything is sold in Japan!" And before that the tuna are fattened in cages in the south of Spain, with blue fish caught by giant trawlers off the African coast or the North Sea. During this time the French consumer eats tropical tuna which we will loot off the Seychelles . It is a series of injustices for local artisanal fishermen" The bluefin tuna industry, which represents a considerable economic windfall for around twenty vessels, contributes absolutely nothing to the local economy, apart from a few seafaring jobs a month a year, during the fishing season!!

However, as all artisanal fishermen say, bluefin tuna would be a real gift for the local economy : "A bluefin tuna sold in slices at the stall or in short circuits , it allowed people to know about a magnificent product, revitalise many businesses, and that would save some struggling fishing businesses. ”Tuna is found everywhere, closer to the coast, in concentrations never seen before. It is there, there is only to bend down to fish it , but it is prohibited for Franck and for the great majority of small trades, lack of AEP in sufficient number and too high a concentration of quotas.

“We would fish tunas one by one, with rod , by releasing those which are too small, and by preserving the resource. But instead we prefer to fatten billionaires by giving them thousands of tonnes of quota”. Indeed, for several years, the owners of industrial tuna vessels which already hold 90% of the French quota, in particular by having pre-empted the quotas allocated to the small trades segment , have been offered hundreds of additional tonnes "thanks" to the prior art system catch: those who fished the most in reference years are those who obtain the most quota, an inequitable distribution system, which gives the premium to manufacturers at the expense of artisanal fishermen.

Franck can't help but be nostalgic for the time when he fished bluefin tuna with his father, "at a time when the tuna was not fattened in cages but landed on the quay, and where the local economy benefited of this gift given by the sea”. Times have changed, but fighting the injustices done to artisanal fishermen remains a priority and the fight of small trades for bluefin tuna is not yet over…

UK fishing fleet’s ability to respond to challenges showcased in latest Quay Issues magazine

New edition of Seafish publication highlights UK fishing industry’s spirit in finding new ways to thrive.

The entrepreneurial spirit of the UK’s fishing fleet and the innovative solutions it is finding to everyday challenges are showcased in latest edition of Quay Issues magazine.

The sixth edition of the award winning annual magazine from Seafish, the public body that supports the £10bn UK seafood industry, tells the stories behind the statistics of the UK fleet survey. Spanning the country from the Cornish coast to the Orkney Islands, stories featuring in the latest issue are:

• A Fisheries REAFitalisation – Details of a project to regenerate East Anglian fisheries which could potentially provide a blueprint for other coastal communities.
• Waste Not, Want Not – Most end-of-life fishing gear ends up in landfill, with fishermen picking up the bill through their harbour dues, but is there a more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly solution? 
• Natural Selection – How selectivity trials in Orkney could help shellfish fishermen comply with minimum landing sizes and save time sorting their catch.
• Carbon-Free Future? – What part can the fishing industry play in helping the UK to meet its decarbonisation goals?
• Taking Action Now – Practical ways to improve fishing vessel fuel efficiency.
• The Unsung Army – Exploring the vital yet often invisible role that women play in the catching sector
• One Man and His Boat – Meet Dunbar fishermen Barry Brunton who has found an online audience for his latest business venture.
• Beyond the Big 5 – A look at how one Plymouth business is finding markets for locally caught but less popular species.

Quay Issues is informed by Seafish’s annual survey of the UK fishing fleet with the latest edition’s stories coming from the summer 2019 survey. Normally conducted by field researchers visiting hundreds of ports across the country, Seafish is currently exploring options as to how this year’s survey can take place safely and effectively. 

Kirsten Milliken, Quay Issues Editor and Economics Project Manager at Seafish said: “We could never have predicted the current circumstances of a pandemic while we were putting together this edition of the magazine. We know how difficult things are for fishermen at the moment but we hope that the stories in the latest Quay Issues will be a heartening reminder of the fishing industry’s spirit in finding new ways to thrive. 

“Right now it’s more important than ever that we can give a full picture of the UK fishing fleet and the economic and social circumstances of those working within it. We are looking at alternative methods of data collection for this year’s fleet survey to ensure that we can continue to collate this essential information to inform both industry and government.”

Read our latest edition of Quay Issues

Printed copies will be available as soon as distribution channels allow.

To request a printed copy, email quayissues@seafish.co.uk

21 May 2020  |  Insight & Research

UK Government Publishes Draft Fisheries Framework Agreement.

The UK Government has published its Draft Fisheries Framework Agreement paper that it presented to the EU negotiators last week.

The paper was presented to EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier and his team by his UK colleague, David Frost.

The Draft Fisheries Framework Agreement Agreement outlines the future relationship the UK would like to see implemented between the two blocs.

Last week the UK Chief Negotiator said that there had been a good discussion between the two talks teams on the fisheries paper but yet they remain at odds over an agreement as the UK refuses to discuss fisheries as part of any Trade agreement between the two blocs.

Having a summary look at the Fisheries Framework Agreement Paper the main points of the discussion are as follows.

Article 2 of the Draft Negotiating Document calls for Annual Negotiations on Fishing Opportunities and Access.

On this issue, the EU where they would like to have a set agreement in place rather than coming back every year to negotiate total allowable catches and access to their fleet.

The UK believe that as an Independent Coastal State the EU must annually renew: (a) fishing opportunities, taking into account the best scientific evidence available to the Parties, the ICES-recommended TAC, the interdependence of stocks, the work of appropriate international organisations, socio-economic aspects and other relevant factors; (b) the amount of fishing opportunities mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) above that will be available to each Party, based on the principle of zonal attachment; and (c) any access for each Party’s vessels to relevant waters of the other Party for fishing.

Article 3 – Authorisations, Compliance and Enforcement would require all vessels including EU fishing vessels that are granted licences to fish in UK waters to comply with the rules and regulations as outlined by the UK.

Articles 4 – Fisheries Management would implement the policy that each bloc (the UK and the EU) would manage its own fisheries independently and notify the other party of any significant new fisheries management measures or changes to existing measures that would affect the other bloc’s fishing vessels.

This would mean the EU would have no interference in the decisions the UK takes in managing fish stocks, TAC’s and the number of fishing vessels allowed in their water. The same would work the other way for the UK having a say in EU marine matters.

Article 5 – Co-operation The Draft Negotiating Document allows for the setting-up and running of a Fisheries Co-operation Forum for discussion and co-operation in relation to sustainable fisheries management, including monitoring, control and enforcement.

Article 6 – Data Sharing The Parties would have to agree to share vessel monitoring systems data relating to their respective vessels and information to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (“IUU”) fishing.

In addition to the listed above, it will be data shared, for the purposes of: (a) monitoring, controlling and enforcing compliance with applicable rules and regulations (including licence conditions); (b) monitoring the use of fishing opportunities; (c) managing sea fisheries sustainably; (d) developing marine and fisheries policies; (e) preventing, deterring and eliminating IUU fishing; and (f) any other purpose related to the implementation of this Agreement or any access arrangements made under it.

Article 7 – Designation of ports The Parties will each have to ensure that, by 1 January 2021, the ports listed as designated ports to this Agreement have been designated in accordance with: (a) Article 21 of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission’s Scheme of Control and Enforcement; and (b) any provision of UK or EU law relating to the prevention, deterrence or elimination of IUU fishing.

The Parties shall consult each other in advance if they wish to designate additional ports, have additional ports designated, or remove the designation of a port listed.

Article 8 – Consultation and Dispute Resolution The Parties agree to consult on questions relating to the implementation and proper functioning of this Agreement, or in the event of a dispute concerning the interpretation or application thereof.

Article 9 – Suspension allows for the suspension of the agreement on the initiative of either of the Parties in the event of: (a) a dispute arising between the Parties over the interpretation or application of this Agreement or its implementation; or (b) failure by either of the Parties to comply with the provisions of this Agreement.

The suspension of the Agreement shall be notified in writing by the Party concerned and the suspension will take effect three months after receipt of the notification.

The Parties shall consult each other from the moment of notification of suspension with a view to finding an amicable settlement to their dispute within three months. Where such settlement is reached, implementation of this Agreement shall resume.

Article 10 – Amendments Either party may request from the other party for an amendment to the Agreement. This will be carried out by the exchange of diplomatic notes

Article 11 – Law of the Sea states that the law of the sea will not be affected by this agreement.

Article 12 – Entry into Force, Application and Termination states that each Party shall notify the other Party in writing through diplomatic channels of the completion of its domestic requirements for entry into force of this Agreement. This Agreement will enter into force on a date to be mutually agreed and specified in these notifications.

Click here to read the full text of the Draft Fisheries Framework Agreement.

NFFO – COVID-19 Safe Fishing: Adapting to the New Conditions

Social distancing at sea....

The NFFO examines the issues for the fishing industry post COVID-19 lockdown

The National Federation Of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) examines adapting to the new conditions facing the UK fishing industry as boats get back to work post COVID-19 lockdown.

One of the concerns facing skippers and fishers alike is social-distancing onboard fishing vessels which can be a complex affair depending on the size of the vessel and what type of fishing is being undertaken.

In one aspect, a fishing boat is a secure space away from the public but it has also been witnessed that a fishing vessel can be a space where COVID-19 can spread quickly, especially on vessels that are working long-distance trips.

The NFFO explores the future of fisheries management in the post COVID-19 lockdown and writes:

Some parts of the UK fleet have been able to fish on through the coronavirus emergency, bringing food to tables during a time when the crisis was at its worst. Other vessels have seen their markets disappear completely and have had no option but to tie up. Whatever their current situation, vessels going back to sea or continuing to fish, will face a new set of challenges relating to how they might operate in a world in which a second surge in the pandemic is an ongoing threat.

In terms of managing risk, fishing has some advantages – in particular, low levels of contact with the public. In some respects, fishing vessels can be considered as sealed workplaces. But fishing also presents some challenges – physical distancing in the confined spaces on fishing vessels being uppermost.

The wide variety of sizes, shapes and operations of fishing vessels do not lend themselves to one-size-fits-all guidance. The present government guidance contains useful practical suggestions and broad principles but is set at a very general level. Boats and ships aren’t mentioned specifically and outdoor working and working from vehicles provide the closest parallels.

At the same time, we know that parts of the industry have developed their own guidance on how to operate safely, within the context of continuing risk from the Covid virus and have ideas about how this guidance could be further developed to make it relevant and practical. Fishermen know their vessels and operations better than anyone so capturing and sharing that knowledge is an urgent priority. For that reason, the NFFO has instigated a telephone and online survey to quickly collect ideas from our members on good practice already in place or being developed. This will then be shared across the industry and will be used to inform government guidance through a Defra working group that has been established for that purpose.

The key to operating safely will be the risk assessment that each skipper/owner must undertake to ensure that his vessel is operating safely.

Risk assessments are already well established but taking Covid-related risks into account is the new factor. What works for one vessel, won’t necessarily be the answer in another but the aim is to provide each skipper/owner with the options to find his own course.

Our hope is that by asking fishermen for their views we, collectively, will be able to produce a useful check-list that will help to inform each vessel operator what works in terms of providing Covid security for his vessel.

The telephone survey will of necessity be quick and will depend on sampling each vessel category. If you have any novel ideas on how a vessel can operate Covid safely please share that knowledge by emailing nffo@nffo.org.uk

Source: NFFO

For all those fishermen selling fish directly to consumers - Seafish advice:

Coronavirus is having a major impact on UK seafood supply chains so we have worked with Mindfully Wired Communications to produce guides and promotional materials to help fishermen sell directly to consumers.

Guides on direct selling for fishermen

Fishermen can sell certain types of seafood to directly to consumers for their own personal consumption. This means where it is going to be eaten by a customer and their family and not sold on to anyone else. We’ve created guides to explain what you need to do to meet the regulations. They also highlight the food safety requirements that apply. Guides for England and Scotland are available to download below. Further guidance for Northern Ireland and Wales will be added here shortly.

Download quayside sales guide for England
Download quayside sales guide for Scotland

Social media workshops

We’re partnering with Mindfully Wired Communications to host free social media workshops for UK seafood businesses. Open to fishermen, merchants, fishmongers, marketing teams, business owners, and supportive family members, the two events aim to help enhance direct sales of UK seafood through professional social media use.

For those new to social media, the Social Media for Beginners: Getting Started with Online Marketing workshop on Friday 22 May will offer training on setting up and using accounts, creating professional content, connecting with customers and building followers.

Anyone who already has a good grasp of the basics, or who attended the previous session, is welcome to join the Social Media Marketing: Tools to Boost your Online Impact workshop on Thursday 28 May. This will provide more detailed training, including how to schedule posts and broaden your online presence.

Each workshop will last 45 minutes and be followed by an interactive question and answer session during which attendees may address any specific queries they have in a clinic-style format. Spaces are limited to 25 per workshop and those wishing to attend are asked to sign up in advance. A waiting list will be available, with the possibility that events will be repeated if interest is strong. 

Materials to promote direct selling

Posters
We’ve created posters which can be used to promote direct sales from the quayside. The artwork files for the posters are available to download from the links below. For each design there is a pdf version that’s suitable for printing and a png version that’s suitable for online use.

Download the posters from Dropbox

The posters have a space where you can add your contact details. If you’re printing them out you can do this with a maker pen. If you’d like to use them online you can add text with an adobe pdf editor. If you need help with this email seafish@seafish.co.uk with a note of your contact details and which poster you’d like and we’ll send you a personalised artwork file. We can also provide artwork which is branded with an organisation’s logo on request. Please note we will manage requests for this as quickly as possible within normal working hours.

Social media graphics
We’ve also created some graphics that you can use on your own social media platforms. These are available to download from the folder here:

Download the social media graphics from Dropbox

Guide for fish vans

The guide below provides advice to mobile fishmongers (also known as fish vans) on the steps you should take to make sure you meet all the requirements that apply to food businesses. It is relevant if you are buying seafood products from auctions, merchants, or directly from vessels on the quayside and then selling the product to customers. It covers what you need to do to register as a new business; to ensure you meet food safety requirements around food hygiene, product storage, labelling; and to adhere to waste management requirements. Guidance on additional measures relating to COVID-19 is also provided.

Download the mobile fishmongers guide

Fish is the Dish listings for online suppliers

On our Fish is the Dish website we share details of specialists suppliers who can deliver seafood with consumers. You can view the listings on the Buying Online webpage – if you would like to be added as a supplier contact our Fish is the Dish team.

Newlyn awash with quality flats this morning!

Prices on the fish auction at Newlyn are beginning to return to more normal levels for the time of year - due partly to the time of year and the boats staggering their landings carefully so as to to overload the buyers with fish they cannot sell on...

the netter Silver Dawn and...

Ocean Pride made good landings which included these superb turbot...

while the Trevessa IV put ashore plenty of megrim, lemon, and Dover soles to go with her brill, turbot and monk.

Common Language Group - The Power of Collaboration

Following the cancellation of the face-to-face meetings on 26 March and 16 July we are developing a series of shorter online CLG sessions.

Date and time: Tuesday 19 May 2020. 2.00pm - 3.30pm. BST
Group: CLG Online

Theme: The Power of Collaboration. Exploring how working together, advocacy and shared learning, is driving improvements in sustainability and traceability in seafood supply chains.

Topics and Speakers: 

• The Global Tuna Alliance - an independent group of retailers and supply-chain companies, working to ensure that tuna ultimately meets the highest standards of environmental performance and social responsibility. Speaker: Tom Pickerell.

• The North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group wants an agreement on total allowable catches for North East Atlantic Pelagic Fisheries in line with scientific advice, and for a long-term science-based management agreement. Speaker: Tom Pickerell.

• North Sea cod fisheries management - adapting to change. Speaker: Mike Park, Scottish White Fish Producers Association.

Register for CLG Online: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/common-language-group-webinar-the-power-of-collaboration-registration-104967729304

For further information contact Karen Green: 

T: 01480 431500. M: 07515 993499 E: Karen.green@seafish.co.uk

New Dutch fly-shooter to replace pulse beam-trawler.

STELLENDAM - Sjaak Brinkman expanded his fishing business from one to two cutters last spring. In addition to the boxer SL 42, he now also has the fly-shooter SL 45 in service. The complete crew of the SL 42 with the skippers Jaap Sperling and Piet Tanis has boarded the SL 45 this month.

Photo: Ronnie Hameeteman

“During the anti-pulse lobby, we took over the channel license from IJM 8 through sales broker Cees de Jong, so that we could change the course if necessary. At the end of last year, De Jong's question passed by whether we wanted to leave that permit on the shelf for longer, or whether we were interested in buying the UK 151. That is how we got into a conversation with Quotter and made the decision. It allegedly comes your way. For us it is a whole new step with fly-shoot fishing. Also for the crew. In the coming months, there is still a lot of trying to get everything under control, hopefully we can come along in the new Channel season after the summer,'' says Brinkman.

On Monday 4 May, the SL 45 Stellar from the first trip in Scheveningen was on the market. Last Thursday, the flyshooter entered Ostend again due to winch problems.

VesselTracker AIS of SL45 Stellar's first shakedown trips.

Robbie van Belzen has been sailing on the beam trawler SL 42 since the beginning of this year, who brought his own crew. Since the pulse permit was withdrawn last year, fishing has mainly taken place in the north. Two of the eight crew members are at home every week.

Google translation.

Brexit negotiations - why aren't the MSM all over this?!

I think many fishermen are still waiting for some information on exactly what the government is really thinking. The spin is that the UK government is still fighting to deliver on it's promise to to back control of UK waters; the fact is, there is nothing to fight over in that respect, since the UK has become an independent coastal state by matter of law with all the rights and obligations. 

Ian Kinsey, ex fisherman, independent consultant, pragmatic bridge-builder ponders the current situation:

"The matter that needs discussing is a renegotiation of CS shares - what the UK chooses to do with any additional quota over the present RS shares is up to the government both in amount and duration. Win-win deals are negotiated not by fear and procrastination, but by creating appeal and some form of certainty. 

The mainstream media continually reiterates the UK governments aspiration for a Norwegian style fisheries arrangement with the EU; where quota levels and access are agreed annually: I participated in the annual EU-NOR fisheries negotiations 2003 -7, as part of the Norwegian delegation; quotas were discussed and agreed, but only the total allowable catches or TACs for stocks shared by the EU and Norway. What share of each stock the EU and Norway would receive, had already been agreed in 1979 by way of discussions solely for the purpose of agreeing on coastal state shares; the discussions were limited at that time to 6 main species: cod, saithe, haddock, whiting, herring, and mackerel. This was an agreement that was negotiated and agreed from a position of Norway being a third country, without any previous ties linking fishing to trade with the EU. Norway agreed a deal and became a member of the EETA in 1992, with the membership coming into effect on 1 January 1994.

The annual EU - Nor negotiations cover TAC levels in relation to scientific advice from ICES, management plans, technical regulations, quota swaps, terms of reciprocal access, and any other business AoB.
I am bewildered at the lack of interest/scrutiny from the UK media as to the details of the proposals put forward by David Frost and his team as to what the future fisheries relationship would look like in to Zonal attachment, and the course of action/timeframe needed to achieve an agreement on it. 

What responsible government would sacrifice the greater good of the country, for the sake of an industry where the symbolic value (although important for some coastal communities) far outweighs its contribution to the national GDP. Fisheries appear to be a "pothole" in the "easiest trade deal ever" road to Brexit, where the government appears to prefer digging up the whole road, rather than filling in the pothole. 

There seems to be little or no coverage in the UK media concerning the fact that the EU fully recognises the UK as an independent coastal state that has full control of its waters; and that the EU is not seeking to impose the CFP on a third country. The message coming over in the media is spun in a way that gives the impression that the EU wants to keep the UK shackled to the CFP. The EU mandate clearly states what the member states want from a future relationship on fisheries in terms of quota and access - whereas the UK hasn't been willing to put figures on the table in relation to what it deems to be a "fairer share" of the EU-UK shared "fishcake".
Fisheries will need a fisheries specific extended transition/plan for ascertaining the UK's preferred Zonal attachment as the means of defining a fairer quota share for the UK; a timeline for quota repatriation/divestment etc. All of this needs to be based on a comprehensive coherent plan."

Thoughts and comments welcome!

#FishyFriday in Newlyn - let's hear it for hake!

Just one significant landing on the market at Newlyn this morning...

80 boxes...

of MSC Certified Cornish hake - let's hope more and more Fish and Chip shops in the UK are asking for hake fro out local merchants after the National Federation of Fish Fryers put out a shout to its members to take up the challenge and buy UK caught hake for their fryers!

Legal ‘warning shot’ on Catch App prosecutions

Two fishing industry groups have fired a legal broadside at DEFRA and the MMO over the controversial under-10m Catch App, reports Tim Oliver.

Plymouth Trawler Agents (PTA) and Felixstowe and Harwich Fishermen’s Association (FHFA) instructed Hull-based marine solicitor Andrew Oliver to write to DEFRA secretary of state George Eustice and the MMO warning that they will contest in court any prosecutions of fishermen that rely on evidence from the controversial under-10m Catch App.

Under-10 fishermen have complained that the Catch App is not fit for purpose since it was introduced last year. Now the two organisations and Andrew Oliver have translated the complaints into action.

The letter to DEFRA and the MMO, which was also copied to the Government Digital Service, which supervised the delivery of the app, says that the solicitors and their clients have ‘considerable concerns regarding the app, its operation, its testing, its approval for use and its evidential value in terms of any legal proceedings, and ultimately any conviction based on any alleged breach of its use’.

It says that they are concerned that a prosecution or any other regulatory action based on evidence from the app ‘could potentially be unfair and illegal’ and that ‘any enforcement action would be based on a flawed system’.

The complainants say that they understand that the testing and procurement processes of the app have not been completed, and ask for ‘written confirmation that should it be the case that MMO officers believe that an infringement has occurred, no steps will be taken towards enforcement’.

They say that taking into account the state of the app’s development, any enforcement action would not pass the legal tests needed for evidence to be presented in court.

In the event of a prosecution, they would therefore seek ‘full disclosure… of all matters relating to the procurement and testing of the app including its approval process’.

They say it would not be in the public interest to bring proceedings based on the app, ‘which has been shown to be flawed, inaccurate, and incapable of being complied with, or incapable of producing accurate evidence’.

They conclude by urging the MMO ‘to make it clear to the fishing industry that no regulatory enforcement action will be taken based on the operation of the app’.

Andrew Oliver told Fishing News that the law on using evidence from an electronic device in court was changed recently. Formerly, a prosecutor such as the MMO only had to bring evidence to the court to show that the device was working properly and accurate.

But now it is down to the courts to decide on evidence presented to them as to whether an electronic source is working properly and can be relied upon.

“The letter is a warning shot across the bows of the MMO, because we know the Catch App has been a nightmare for the MMO to commission, test and implement,” said Andrew Oliver.

He said that they are telling the MMO that if it decides to prosecute on the basis of the Catch App, they will require it to produce full documented disclosure in court as to how the app was put together and tested.

“All its glitches, all its pitfalls will come out in the wash. We hope this will be enough to, one, prevent them bringing any proceedings, or two, scrap it altogether – although, of course, this is a £2.4m investment.

“We know the app is flawed, and we are saying that if you decide to prosecute, we are going to move heaven and earth to make you disclose all of your evidence to show that it does work.”

FHFA spokesman James White said that the action was a last resort, as the last thing they wanted to do was spend money on a legal action, but the authorities seemed ‘hellbent’ on persisting with the app.

“We’re at the end of the road, there’s nowhere else to go,” he said. “Our members feel the app is unjust, immoral and is going to put people in a position where they could be prosecuted for human error.”

NUTFA: ‘Admit you got it wrong’
Under-10m spokesman Jerry Percy said that NUTFA congratulated PTA and the FHFA for committing the resources and having the courage to take a stand against the ill-thought-out Catch App.

“NUTFA has long campaigned for a complete rethink on the system, which puts yet more regulatory burdens on already over-pressed inshore fishermen, and which sought only to needlessly gold-plate existing reporting requirements,” he said.
“What has become clear over the months of our campaign is that the MMO, having spent £1.8m on developing the system and having promoted it widely – with legal backing – remains clearly reluctant to admit that it is anything other than fit for purpose.
“We understand this – it is human nature – but someone in the hierarchy of the MMO, which created this debacle, should have the balls to stand up and admit that they got it wrong.”

He noted that the Catch App happened before new MMO chief executive Tom McCormack took over, and that he had had ‘the decency to apologise on behalf of those who made such scurrilous comments about fishermen in a recent paper on the system’.

MMO: ‘App there to help support under-10s’

An MMO spokesman said that the under-10m Catch App had been introduced to better understand and support the under-10 sector, which includes over 2,000 boats. The information recorded would help to improve the sustainable management of stocks, he said, which is in everyone’s interest.

“After a period of live-testing, the Catch App was gradually introduced throughout the fleet at the end of 2019, and so far, more than 1,700 boats have registered to use the app, with over 15,000 catches recorded to date,” said the spokesman. “Catch records continue to increase every day.
“While it would not be appropriate for the MMO to comment on any individual concerns and/or challenges received, we continue to work with our fishing sector, listen and learn from feedback, and continue to make further improvements to the systems.”