Girls on boats?

 

Emily Kempson grew up in Hastings, home to the largest beach-launched fishing fleet in the U.K. Her friends came from fishing families and for a long time she wanted to become a fisherman. But she never saw any women working down on the boats. She heard mutterings that it was unlucky for a woman to step aboard a boat - the industry is steeped in superstition. Drawing on its rich history and myths she sets out to find the women who have made it into the catching sector.

Out of the 12,000 people going out to sea to fish for their living, just 18 are women. The industry is at a critical point with fuel prices rocketing and people selling up and leaving. It desperately needs to recruit. Emily meets the UK’s youngest-ever apprentice skipper, Isla Gale from the Isle of Man, and follows her as she prepares for a trip north to fish for scallops. She also meets Ashley Mullenger, from Wells-next-the-sea in Norfolk, as she’s nominated for a prestigious fishing news award, and she steps on board Verity Winser’s boat as she describes how sexism and superstition have impacted her life at sea.

Finding and retaining crew generally is a challenge. In the past, entrance into the industry was generational, with opportunities and knowledge passed down from father to son. As fish stock declined in the 90s and wages fell, a career in fishing began to seem less desirable. The average age of a fisherman in England is now 50. The UK must encourage a new generation of entrants. Will those women who are keen to join the sector be welcomed in the years to come?

Produced by Sarah Cuddon A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio Four

Prins Bernhard - Day 11 - "It's a hell of a ship"

 

"It's a hell of a ship. With her, you can feel the sea. She is a full member of the crew.

Each ship has its "personality", which is as much due to its technical characteristics as to its history. A very strong bond unites Prins Bernhard and each of the men who work and live on board. Documentary filmmaker, Thomas was able to perceive the singularity of this team.

Embark. Discover the images of the herring season in the English Channel on our LinkedIn page and on the dedicated page of our website (https://lnkd.in/e8cBt_pS).

The Future of UK Fishing - as the Government see it.

The UK’s seafood sector is an important part of the economy of coastal communities and has a rich cultural heritage from which many of those communities draw a sense of place and identity. The UK’s relationship with the sea is rightly celebrated. All along the coast, from the largest port to the smallest quayside, fishers, fishing communities and the aquaculture1 sector take pride in delivering high-quality, sustainable produce, which contributes to food security. In addition, the UK is recognised for its investment in fisheries science, not just in assessing the health of fish stocks and ecosystems, but also in developing and adapting its fishing methods and using new technologies - something more important than ever given the need to address the challenges of climate change. 

In this time of change, the UK will continue to value the importance of fishing to its many coastal communities, including for recreational uses, and will deliver a prosperous fishing industry for future generations while safeguarding, restoring and enhancing the marine environment on which the industry and wider society depends.

Our fisheries face a range of challenges and opportunities on which all four UK Administrations will need to work together. Continuing to rebuild fish stocks, reducing the environmental effects of fishing, as well as minimising the adverse effects on, and supporting adaptation to, climate change, will be vital to ensuring a vibrant seafood sector which is fit for the future. Promoting the consumption of locally sourced seafood as a healthy, high-protein source and supporting prosperous and resilient UK and international markets is a key part of ensuring food security. Delivering sustainable fisheries and aquaculture is essential to achieving the UK’s vision for ‘clean, healthy, safe, productive, and biologically diverse oceans and seas’.

Sea fish are a public resource and, having left the European Union (EU), the UK Administrations have a responsibility to manage their fisheries so as to ensure their sustainable stewardship in a way that recognises the specific needs of our diverse seafood industry and marine environment.

The Fisheries Act 2020 (the Act) sets out eight fisheries objectives that provide the basis against which the fisheries policy authorities (the Secretary of State, Scottish Ministers, Welsh Ministers and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland) will manage their fisheries. This JFS sets out the policies agreed jointly between the fisheries policy authorities on sea fisheries (catching and processing), recreational sea fishing, and aquaculture management for achieving, or contributing to the achievement of, the fisheries objectives. These policies, together with the fisheries objectives, will be reflected by fisheries policy authorities in their own policy development. Individual fisheries policy authorities may also have existing devolved strategies and policy documents, which already reflect policies within the JFS, and therefore the fisheries objectives.

2 UK Marine Policy Statement  

The fisheries policy authorities have jointly prepared and published this JFS for the purposes of the Act. As national fisheries authorities, they, and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), are obliged to exercise their functions in accordance with the policies in the JFS and applicable FMPs, in line with section 10 of the Act. Importance of fishing to all nations in the UK

The fishing and aquaculture sectors in the UK support a diverse supply chain which includes catching, processing of fish, transportation, loading and unloading of fish or fish products.

In the catching industry, commercial fisheries across the UK range from large pelagic vessels which can catch hundreds of tonnes of fish in a single haul, to small inshore fishing vessels and intertidal hand gatherers of shellfish. The approach to management and specific management measures can vary across the UK and in inshore and offshore waters. Fleet composition varies considerably between each nation, and fishing plays an important role in sustaining some vulnerable coastal communities and their ports and harbours.

Recreational sea fishing is also a popular form of fishing in the UK and, like commercial fishing, provides important economic and social benefits.

As one of the UK’s strategic food production sectors, aquaculture helps to underpin sustainable economic growth, both in rural and coastal communities and in the wider economy. Aquaculture policy is fully devolved within the UK, and, as such, each of the fisheries policy authorities operates under devolved legislation and policies. The seafood processing and export sector is a locally significant employer in the UK. It consists of primary processing (like filleting and freezing) and secondary processing (like portioning, packing, smoking and breading), as well as facilities for exporting unprocessed fish. Seafood processing sites are situated across the UK, ranging from small sites to larger processing businesses with multiple sites, often clustered in key regional hubs. The sector’s output is for both domestic and international markets, varying around the UK. In some parts of the UK fish are also exported as live, unprocessed goods, predominantly to the EU market. Seafood imports, alongside domestically fished species, are also important for the fish processing sector and support economic output.

 

Prins Bernhard - Day 10 - quittez temp.

"Embarking on the Prins Bernhard means agreeing to join a family of fishermen. These few days spent in their company are rich in experiences and learning. The memories are also numerous. These few photographs reflect these moments.

Almost two weeks have passed since the beginning of the tide – the time has come for Thomas Troadec to leave Prins Bernhard and the 29 men who give it life."

Embark. Discover the images of the herring season in the English Channel on our LinkedIn page France Pélagique and on the dedicated page of our website (https://lnkd.in/e8cBt_pS).

Rise of the eight-legger! - a series of reports from the French coast.

In the fishing ports of southern Brittany, the proliferation of octopus worries Octopus seems to have proliferated in southern Brittany since the summer of 2021. Fishermen from Lorient and Quiberon in Morbihan see this every day. Explanations.

Breton fishermen bring up more and more octopus in their traps. A proliferation that worries the profession and scientists.

Southern Brittany has seen more and more octopus in recent months. At the Lorient and Quiberon auctions in Morbihan, these molluscs are increasingly filling the seafood bins. The octopus occasionally offers new outlets to fishermen, but it upsets the local ecosystem and the biomass.

Read also: From Saint-Malo to Cancale: octopus alert on the coasts 

The first affected, the fishermen 

The phenomenon of octopuses or common octopuses ( Octopus vulgaris ) is visible on fishing returns. “It is a species that has appeared massively in recent times. We have seen a lot of them since July 2021 at the Lorient fish auction,” says Yonel Madec, director of the Lorient fish auction.

In Quiberon , same story. On a Friday in November 2021, at the auction, there were 19 tonnes of octopus… out of 23 tonnes of products. Octopus occasionally became the first species at the top of sales in Morbihan auctions.

The French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) in Lorient corroborates this recent proliferation: “In the spring of 2021, we started to see a lot of them. It exploded in the summer.

A fishery that has been able to delight fishermen with large quantities of molluscs (from 6-8 euros per kilo) but which has consequences on the resource.

For Yonel Madec from the Lorient fish auction, we do not yet "know the repercussions on our local ecosystem" but we think that octopus is already harmful:

Octopuses have contributed to endangering certain species such as the scallop shell in Quiberon and the Glénans. This caused the lobsters and crabs to move. 

The octopus is a predator. 

Lionel Pawlowski from Ifremer had the bitter experience of this during a dive:

During a dive in Groix in 2021, I saw more dead shells than live scallops. I came across an octopus that was eating the inside of the shell. The octopus hunts in the rock in “umbrella” mode. It surrounds the rock with its tentacles and captures small crustaceans.

A link with global warming?

The common octopus is present in Breton waters. Could its proliferation be linked to the warming of the water? Fishermen and scientists agree that we have to wait.

“These are populations that fluctuate enormously. We are in a period of high abundance. These are animals that do not live very long: 18 months to 3 years, “ says Ifremer Lorient. “The octopus had almost disappeared in the 1960s after a cold summer. […] Scientific articles show that reproduction is favored when the water is warmer 

Could the last hot summers have stimulated reproduction? asks Lionel Pawlowski. The marine environment specialist recalls that in the Bay of Biscay, “it has been observed that the temperature increases by 0.3°C per decade. » “For now, there is no real answer. To say that there is cause and effect with global warming would be a shortcut”, also tempers Yonel Madec. The phenomenon of octopus proliferation remains closely watched by scientists.

Some French fishermen have adopted the millennia-old method of using ceramic pots to fish for octopus.

Tunisian fishermen use a similar technique

Many fishermen also use lures to catch octopus in the same way they catch squid of cuttlefish.


Public consultation - octopus fishing in Brittany

Draft decree approving the deliberation of the CRPMEM of Brittany setting the conditions for octopus fishing in the territorial waters located off the Brittany region

This consultation, within the framework of the draft deliberation of the Regional Committee for Maritime Fisheries and Marine Farming of Brittany approved by this draft decree, aims to establish a framework for octopus fishing in territorial waters off the coast of the region. Brittany.

The "OCTOPUS FISHING IN BRITTANY" deliberation provides for a framework for the fishing of octopus and edones, Octopus vulgaris and Eledone cirrhosa, in the territorial waters off the Brittany region. To simplify the reading of this note and the draft text, the generic term "Octopus" is retained below.

Currently, octopus fishing is not subject to specific regulations in Breton territorial waters. The only existing measure is set by Regulation 2019/1241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on the conservation of fishery resources and the protection of marine ecosystems by technical measures, and sets the minimum conservation reference weight octopus ( Octopus vulgaris ) at 750 grams.

However, since the year 2021, a phenomenon of massive proliferation of octopuses and edones has been observed in the north of the Bay of Biscay. In 2021, around 3,400 tonnes were recorded in the northern Bay of Biscay by Ifremer, compared to volumes around 200 tonnes in previous years.

Since 2021, prices have remained high and the markets are in demand, generating a strong appeal for the species and a significant targeted fishing effort, particularly in certain areas of southern Brittany.

This phenomenon, coupled with the absence of regulations, has led to a major change in fishing practices in the sectors most affected to date: Belle Ile and Les Glénan. The rapid expansion of the range of these species also raises fears of changes in practices in more northern sectors in the medium term.

Thus, in the first place, a large number of vessels already equipped with shellfish pots or traps have started to target octopus and change their fishing area. At the same time, new ships arrived to target it, in particular by trawl or trap for ships that had not previously practiced this profession. Many ships have also equipped themselves with “octopus boards” (related LTL gear), a new activity in the territorial waters off Brittany.

All of these changes in practices have caused major problems of cohabitation in two specific sectors in 2021, in particular from September, a period when the proliferation phenomenon has increased:

Off southern Finistère, in the Glénan sector. Off Morbihan, in the Belle Ile sector. The strong presence of octopus from the start of 2022 did not make it possible to alleviate these problems and raises fears of an increase in their magnitude from September 2022.

Consequently, the office of the CRPMEM of Brittany asked to initiate work, in connection with the Departmental Committees of Maritime Fisheries and Marine Breeding (CDPMEM), relating to the supervision of the fishery and the acquisition of knowledge (on the species and on the impacts for fishing activities).

At the request of professionals operating in the sectors mainly affected by this phenomenon, the CDPMEMs of Morbihan and Finistère have organized cohabitation meetings in order to find suitable solutions for all ships. These meetings brought out the need to limit the number of devices allowing to target octopus on these two sectors, but also outside these perimeters in order not to create a new postponement of activity.

At the same time, two internships started in April 2022 in order to analyze in detail the number of vessels, the gear used and the sectors concerned (conducting activity surveys according to the Valpena methodology), then to identify the impact of these changes in activity on the fleets of each department.

This draft deliberation of the CRPMEM Bretagne approved by this draft decree therefore has the main objective of setting an initial framework that currently does not exist and then of referring to a sectoral decision-making system a certain number of elements that can be applied locally. The articulation between the deliberation and the sectoral decisions will allow:

To define sectors subject to strong problems of cohabitation locally, and to apply specific rules to them according to the context; To take more restrictive measures than those fixed by deliberation. The construction of the draft text was carried out in order to take into account all the fisheries already established in Brittany and likely to fish octopus, and in such a way as not to call into question the balances already in place on the various trap professions and in particular those of large crustaceans (lobster, lobsters, spiders, cakes).

This draft text was presented and discussed during the “Coastal fishing” working group which was held on Friday June 10, 2022 and which issued a favorable opinion.*

Prins Bernhard - Day 8 - Yann's story.

 

"Yann, he has 29 years of fishing. On deck, more than 20 years of experience. He has the modesty of those who have seen.

On the bridge, perched on its portico some 10 meters high, Yann, the second mate, is the right arm of the 'bosco' (skipper). Manoeuvring the crane during hauling and turning, monitoring winches and warps, operating the fish pump: it is all essential for the smooth running of fishing operations.

Embark. 

Discover the images of the herring season in the English Channel on our LinkedIn page and on the dedicated page of our website (https://lnkd.in/e8cBt_pS).

Creel of Stories - Cliabh an t-Seanachais.

 

Tells the story of fishing in the Ross of Mull and Iona, featuring conversations with local people and original music by Hannah Fisher, Sorren Maclean and Lomond Campbell. It was directed and edited by Alasdair Satchel.

The film has three sections, the first being a look at the practice of Salmon bag netting, the second a series of conversations with creel fishermen and the third an exploration of how the catch is being used locally in the Ross of Mull and Iona today.

Creel of Stories – Cliabh an t-Seanachais was produced by SWMID, South West Mull and Iona Development and Struthach Films through funding from Year of Stories 2022.

If you want to join in a zoom conversation about fishing and our island communities directly after the online premiere on the 25th of November, you can sign up to it on Eventbrite on the link below or finding it on What We Do in the Winter's social media accounts.

Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creel-...

This film has been made possible thanks to the Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund. This fund is being delivered in partnership between VisitScotland and Museums Galleries Scotland with support from National Lottery Heritage Fund thanks to National Lottery players.

Boost for UK fishing industry with funding for new infrastructure projects

Boost for UK fishing industry with funding for new infrastructure projects £20 million awarded to modernise and improve infrastructure across the seafood sector, with a further £30 million available from today.

Funding to expand processing facilities for popular British fish like Scottish salmon, mackerel and herring are some of the projects which will modernise infrastructure across the UK seafood sector following a £20 million Government investment.

Part of the £100 million UK Seafood Fund, the announcement comes as a further £30 million is being made available today (25 November 2022) for infrastructure projects as the latest round of funding opens for bidding.

The UK Seafood Fund is a landmark government investment supporting the long-term future and sustainability of the UK fishing and seafood industry, with the infrastructure strand of the Fund helping to pay for upgrades to ports, processing and aquaculture facilities so they can meet future demand whilst also boosting jobs and economic growth.

The infrastructure scheme also supports businesses to become more environmentally sustainable, with successful bidders in Round 1 investing in greener technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to more reusable materials.

Successful bidders from the first round of infrastructure funding include:

Denholm Seafoods who with almost £3 million funding will install new equipment to increase production of mackerel and herring landed at Peterhead.

In the West Highlands, Mowi Scotland - an aquaculture processing facility for salmon - has been awarded £2 million funding to invest in new, modern equipment that will vastly speed up both the processing and despatch of their products.

Fisheries Minister Mark Spencer said:

"Fishing communities are an important part of the UK’s heritage and they make a valuable contribution to our economy so we are backing them with funds to boost growth and opportunities across the industry.

This funding will ensure seafood businesses throughout the supply chain are well-equipped to keep pace with increasing demand at home and abroad, boosting production and sustainability and building a resilient sector for the future."

UK Government Minister for Scotland John Lamont said:

"It’s fantastic to see Scottish expertise securing a share of this multi-million pound UK Government funding. From substantially increasing the production of mackerel and herring in Peterhead, to speeding up the processing and sale of salmon from the West Highlands, the investment will boost innovation and sustainability.

Scotland’s seafood, aquaculture and science sectors are world renowned. I look forward to continuing to work closely with them to ensure that this funding – and future allocations – helps deliver a sustainable and profitable future."

Allan Stephen, Director at Denholm Seafoods, said:

"We are delighted with the support we have received from Defra, which from the outset has been highly productive. Securing the Defra grant will enable Denholm Seafoods to invest in our new freezing and production facilities which will maintain our high quality product."

Scott Nolan, Mowi Scotland Operations Director Processing & Sales (UK and Ireland), said:

"The upgrade to our salmon processing plant in Fort William, Scotland, is vital to ensuring the UK remains competitive in a very global seafood market. The UK Seafood Fund Infrastructure Scheme comes at an important time, helping to safeguard and grow our domestic food supply as well as securing local jobs in rural communities."

The UK has a thriving seafood sector with exports of salmon – one of the UK’s most important exports – worth around £600 million annually and other abundant fish stocks such as Cornish sardines in demand on the continent for their quality.

For the second round of the UK Seafood Fund infrastructure scheme, which is worth £30 million and opens today, businesses will have until March 2025 to deliver their transformational projects meaning a wider range of organisations will be able to apply.

Defra will also shortly announce successful applicants from the Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships (FISP) scheme, part of the UK Seafood Fund, which funds data collection and research to support sustainable fisheries management. The final FISP round will launch in December 2022.

More information on the UK Seafood Fund can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-seafood-fund

The list of successful Round 1 projects will be available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-seafood-fund-infrastructure-scheme-projects

You can find more information on the FISP scheme here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-seafood-fund-fisheries-industry-science-partnerships-scheme

Cornish Crawfish Investigations - MAFF leaflet published 1971.

Cornish Crawfish Investigations - MAFF leaflet published 1971.

 

Fascinating leaflet published in 1971 by the, 'Min of Ag and Fish' as it was then known (Defra today).  Bu 1977 the crawfish fishery was all but over. What the netters didn't catch the divers - who only picked up the best - did. The last few years have seen crawfish landing in ever-increasing numbers from all round the Cornish coast - including fish originally tagged off Brittany. Currently, discussions are underway to regulate the fishery.

Prins Bernhard - Day 7 - Herring with mustard.

 

"By dint of fishing herring, we said to ourselves that we had to eat it. The chef prepared some for us in his own way.

On board, the herring is not only cooked in the ovens of the factory floor: tasting the catch of the day is one of the privileges of the crew. Especially when it is Louis, the cook of Prins Bernhard, who is in the kitchen, and simmers in the oven a dish of herring with old-fashioned mustard.

Embark. 

Discover the images of the herring season in the English Channel on our LinkedIn page and on the dedicated page of our website (https://lnkd.in/e8cBt_pS).

#FishyFriday and it is sardine time!

 

Ian Richards, crew on the the netter Govenek of Ladram posted this video just to show what the guys have been working in over the last few days, a tad uncomfortable...

Meanwhile, spotting a lull in the weather, the sardine boats all sailed early this morning...

both the Mayflower...

and the Vesta filled their tanks...

with over 20 tons of fish each...

the tanks were full...

on both boats...

once the fish are unloaded into the insulated tubs...

ice is added...

the sun soon disappeared...

as the boats were lading...

as a heavy shower passed overhead...

work has started placing the artificial reef concrete blocks where the Combe river enters the sea - there are some interesting patterns on the blocks...

the landing process begins again.

Newlyn fish of the Week 3 - the Brill.

 

Brill don't come much bigger than this example from the inshore trawler Guardian, skipper Tom McClure...

like most flatfish they have a top and bottom side, with both eyes on the upper, dark side.  The minimum landing size, which all commercial vessels adhere to vigorously, is 30cm - overall length. Brill produce great meaty pure white fillets, a little more refined than turbot - many years ago British Airways sourced brill for their Concorde transatlantic flights from Heathrow to the USA from fish merchant Nick Howell. The fillets were considered the perfect portion for an in-flight meal aboard their fleet of 747s. For those special occasions, whole brill look superb when cooked on the bone and served at the table.

Today's recipe comes courtesy of Mitch Tonks...

from his Fish Easy book - loads of quick and easy recipes using every ind of fish and shellfish.

Prins Bernhard - Day 6 - environmental impact of industrial fishing

 

What are the environmental impacts of pelagic fishing as it is practiced on board our vessels? Selectivity, carbon footprint, degradation of the seabed: so many subjects on which France Pelagic is at the forefront.

Listen to Niels Hintzen, Director of Research at Wageningen University, stock valuation expert and member of the ICES Advisory Board, tell us about it, here and on the dedicated page of our website (https://lnkd.in/e8cBt_pS).

International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) 

Wageningen University & Research

For fishing boats with foreign crews: Labour and Skills Shortages

This is a transcript of the Labour and Skills Shortages HoC debate. 

To save time, the easy way to find fishing related references is to use a keyboard shortcut for 'find'.

Eg, On a PC Ctrl + F, on a Mac Command + F and 'fishing'

Devon & Severn Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority (D&S IFCA) use of enhanced Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) equipment

The REM Project was presented to Members of the Authority and to the Inshore Potting Agreement Committee on 19th October 2022.

The owners and crew of a scallop dredging vessel assisted in the trial work which involved the installation and testing of a system of cameras and sensors to capture images and data when fishing gear was deployed and recovered from the sea. Similar systems are already widely used in the haulage sector and Marine Scotland will require all scallop dredging vessels operating in Scottish waters to have similar REM technologies on board by the end of 2022.

(Photo showing wheelhouse mounted camera)

What were the aims of the project?

• To evaluate how technologies and can improve management through enhanced monitoring of fishing activities.
• To demonstrate how technologies can improve access to fisheries by changing management measures.
• To demonstrate how much data can be generated from on board technologies.
• To demonstrate the cost and monitoring effectiveness of technologies compared to the current approach.
• To demonstrate opportunities for vessel owners when their vessels are at sea.

How does the system work?

Two high-definition on-board cameras work in combination with sensors fixed to the fishing gear and linked to the vessel monitoring system (VMS). The VMS continuously records the vessel’s position, course, and speed; and sensors detect when fishing gear (scallop dredges were the gear type used in the trial) have been deployed. When the sensors detect the use of the fishing gear, three-minute videos of the activity on deck are uploaded from the cameras. 

(Photo right show sensors mounted to the towing plates on the scallop gear)

The videos are only uploaded if the vessel triggers an alert. In the case of the trial, the alerts, were either when the vessel was operating in an area simulating a Marine Protected Area or when it was operating in D&S IFCA’s District with towing bars that exceed the maximum permitted length of 5.18m metres under D&S IFCA’s Mobile Fishing Permit Byelaw (Category One Permit Conditions).

(Image below shows the VMS track of vessel, the speed profile of the vessel and information from the sensor on deck and the sensor in the water) 

(Photo below shows a still image - taken from a video - which demonstrates compliance with six dredges per side)

What about data protection and privacy?

Users can have different access permissions, so the owners of the fishing vessels can see everything that they want to and can add up to six additional cameras (engine room, full deck etc), but D&S IFCA would be restricted to only accessing the uploaded videos from the two cameras focussed on the fishing gear.

The uploaded data is stored securely by the company providing the cameras.  The camera company maintains an access log which records each time D&S IFCA accesses the video footage.  Under Data Protection Regulations, fishers (data subject) can request a copy of what information has been viewed by D&S IFCA.

The advantages of REM

There are significant benefits for vessel owners, masters, and regulators such as D&S IFCA.

The introduction of technologies can change the way regulators approach fisheries management providing benefits to the fishing sectors as demonstrated in the trial.

Vessel Owners can install additional cameras to improve the safety of the crew and vessels and use the data to improve traceability of their catches.

Currently less than half of D&S IFCA’s investigations into MPA incursions meet the evidential standard required to prosecute.  The REM technologies will strengthen the evidence available to both regulators and fishers and improve the regulators’ intelligence led approach to enforcement.  

REM is likely to increase compliance and reduce the likelihood of challenges to the regulators’ evidence.  The additional evidence will lead to improved reputation of the regulators and improve relationships with the fishing sector.

REM can be used to increase the effective protection of MPAs and will potentially reduce the financial losses incurred by the static gear fleet when illegal activity results in their pots and nets being towed away or damaged.

How much does the system cost and who is going to pay?

Each REM system will cost around £3,000 to purchase and install and will cost approximately £650 a year to maintain the equipment (under warranty) and support the automated monitoring of the onboard systems.

D&S IFCA is looking to secure funding to cover the cost of the purchase and installation of the REM technologies.  In addition, D&S IFCA is looking at how it can support the cost of maintaining the REM systems post installation and remove the cost burden on the vessel owners.  The cost of monitoring and maintaining REM on the current 57 scallop vessels active in the Authority’s District is comparable to the cost to the Authority of employing one enforcement officer.

Next steps

D&S IFCA intends to extend the REM project to continue to assess the reliability of the technologies.  If you would like to participate in the extended trial, then please get in touch.

More information about D&S IFCA

Our website includes a range of display pages and an interactive publication scheme (Resource Library). Contact Us or find out more About Us and Our Work.

Newlyn Fish Festival 2023?

After three years without a Fish Festival moves are afoot to reinstate one of Cornwall's most anticipated events. To that end, there will be a meeting at 5pm, December the 5th at the Argoe Restaurant, Newlyn Harbour. Anyone with an interest in seeing the festival up and running again is welcome. The agenda will include what sort of festival and who should benefit from any proceeds created - this will be a community led event.

1,000s of visitors

The festival, first opened to the public in1991, regularly attracted up to 20,000 visitors and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity, namely the Fishermen's Mission. In the early days, the event hosted a trade show for the fishing industry - the fish market was full of companies keen to showcase their products and services to a rapidly changing fleet. By 2019 circumstances, including a major transformation of the fish market and the Covid lockdowns, forced the festival to be abandoned.

Much has changed since the early days. Like many large public gatherings, the impact of health and safety and insurance cover have restricted certain features and for many, the increasing presence of non-fishing contributors detracted from what should be a celebration of all things fish and fishing. With all that in mind, it is hoped that a new committee will be formed to once again put on a festival which truly reflects Newlyn's position as the fishing port that lands a greater variety of fish from the widest variety of fishing vessels in the UK.

Passionate about fish - fish-filleting maestro, Duncan Lucas tells all

For many, the very epitome of the fish festival was the huge fish display - for many years put together by Sue and Duncan Lucas.  Logistically, this was always a challenge as the display relied entirely on fish donated by boats in the days running up to the Bank Holiday Monday - and the weather did not always play ball often keeping many of the inshore fleet tied up beforehand! 

Top fish chefs like Paul Ainsworth demonstrated their fish cookery skills

Whatever final format the team develops, a new festival will have fish at the very heart of the event in order to celebrate every aspect of an industry that has existed since the Old Harbour was built as safe haven for fishing boats way back in the 15th century. Nowadays, the harbour plays host to a modern fleet of beam trawlers, trawlers, scallopers, netters, potters and hand-line fishermen who between them regularly land over 50 species of fish to a fish auction that supplies a good percentage of its fish to European markets - though that percentage continues to fall from the 90% it once was.

Today's feature rich wheelhouse - almost needs a degree in electronics!

One thing is for sure, Newlyn is at the very heart of a modern, sustainable fish industry - many innovative ideas to conserve or protect fish and other species have been thought of, trialled and developed with the direct involvement of Newlyn fishermen. Harbour based Seafood Cornwall Training play a key role in training, advising and developing local skippers and crews and now run the new Fishing Apprenticeship - and a quick scan of the job description reveals just how demanding the work really is. Crucially, the industry now needs to attract young people to protect the future of the industry rather than rely so heavily on overseas crews as it does at present. Celebrating the wide range of career options in fishing - one that can, and does, provide an income well above the average in Cornwall - should be a key feature of any new festival.  For example, Hunting the Catch, the most recent fishing BBC TV series focussed on the the thoughts and decision taken by skippers of crabbers, trawlers, beam trawlers and a pelagic boat - the qualifications needed just to take a boat to sea - irrespective of the knowledge, skills and experience they have to manage a boat and crew and find enough fish to make it pay - are actually at degree and post-graduate level. Fishing is not the brawn, bravado and a few beers back in the harbour-side bar as so often depicted in the media.

Dick Ede - and the art of pot making - by Nick Henshaw.

The attraction and reasons for visiting a real life working fishing port are many - the chance to see up close work still seen as a way of life rather than a 'job',  the sights, sounds and smells around the harbour, demonstrations of skills like pot and net-making that date back thousands of years, well before even the building of Newlyn's Old Harbour, chefs, fishmongers and merchants with fish fresh from the sea on display, being prepared and cooked in a myriad of ways for the table, boats, some well over 100 years old and new, to go aboard and see first hand - the list is endless. 

Pete Goss re-created the incredible Mystery voyage.

In addition to all that the fleet has has to offer, the harbour and town of Newlyn have seen history made and recorded for centuries - from the Mayflower stopping off to top up on fresh water on its way to the Americas, the start of the amazing world's first trans-oceanic sailing boat voyage in 1854 by the lugger Mystery, the Newlyn Riots, hosting Belgian and Breton fishermen during WWII and the almost impossible to calculate significance that the Tidal Observatory has played in creating every nautical chart in use by shipping the world over - the list is endless. Newlyn is also unique for having seen the creation of its own School of Art to rival French Impressionism - a tradition still very much alive today given the number of thriving artists studios and galleries in and around the harbour.

Ultimately, and at the very heart of this unique community, is fish. It is to fish we should turn for the inspiration to make a new festival happen. So, last but not least, listen to what TV chef Angela Hartnett in conversation with fish buyers and chefs like Nathan Outlaw and Mitch Tonks has to say on just how important it is to promote the eating of fish!

So, whatever your interest, skill or just plain curiosity, here is an opportunity to see that we celebrate fish and fishing in a new way as the harbour faces its fishing future.

Fish Festival Meeting

Where? Argoe Restaurant, Newlyn Harbour

When? 5pm Monday 5th December 2022.

Refreshment drinks will be available

If you cannot make the meeting but have any thoughts, ideas and suggestions, please email them here.

Directions: 

Prins Bernhard - Day 6 - herring on board.

 

"Don't be idle. Fish should be frozen as soon as possible. For quality, this is essential.

The herring has just arrived in the chilled water tanks: kick-off for the factory. Production can begin. Sorting, calibrating, freezing, freezing: the rate of the 6 sailors stationed on the production line is adjusted to that of the freezers. The same gestures are repeated, assured, precise, as long as there is fish coming from the deck. As long as it lasts, it put a smile back on the faces of the whole crew.

Embark. 

Discover the images of the Prins Bernhard factory on our LinkedIn page and on the dedicated page of our website (https://lnkd.in/e8cBt_pS).

EU fishing news: Fly-shooting ban lifted and news on access inside 12 miles.

 

Dutch claim victory in EU Parliament over flyshooting ban in the Channel.

The European Parliament has voted not to ban flyshooting from the English Channel in a vote today, Tuesday 22 November 2022.

The vote ended with 608 in favour of retaining the fishing method, nine against it, and 13 in abstentions. Supporters of the fishing method believe that this win sends a strong message to those opposing it, that flyshooting is here to stay in EU waters, at least.

French environmental NGOs, BLOOM and Association Pleine Mer, along with inshore fishermen on the French side of the English Channel have been severely critical of the method they say are wiping out traditional French fishing grounds. Artisanal fishermen say they have been hit hardest as whole areas takes weeks to recover after it has been visited by a flyshooter.

the fishing daily advertise with us At the end of September, the controversial method of fishing, also known as demersal seine-netting survived a trialogue between the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the European Parliament.

After an intense debate the outcome of the trialogue was announced by the EU Parliament who said:

“Parliament and Commission take note of the situation of fisheries in the Channel, where local and regional stakeholders and fishers raised concerns about bottom trawl fishing methods used by numerous vessels. They therefore invite EU governments to come up with joint recommendations in this regard, which the Commission could use to propose practical measures. The Commission will ensure that funding for related scientific research is available.”

The news was welcomed by Dutch fishing but eNGO, BLOOM called it a “Black Friday for coastal fishermen”. BLOOM had carried out a survey amongst French coastal fishermen with 98% polling against the industrial fishing technique.

Earlier in July, the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries (PECH) voted in favour of banning the fishing method altogether.

In England, a consultation was undertaken by the UK Government regarding the future of flyshooting on the British side of the Channel. The consultation which closed on 17 November last included the following proposals:

Introducing an ‘entitlement’ which would restrict the number of vessels with flyshooting gear (0-200 nautical mile zone); and/or

Restricting engine power for demersal seine gears to 221kW or 600kw in 0-12 nm zone; and/or

Removing an exemption that currently allows a 40mm mesh size in a directed squid fishery (0-200nm); and/or

Restricting vessels’ rope diameter used in flyseine gear to 30-40mm (0-200nm); and/or

Restricting vessels’ rope length used in flyseine gear to 1500m if in 0-12nm and/or 3000-3200m if in 12-200nm.



Reacting to the decision of the European Parliament today, Dutch MEP and member of the PECH Committee Bert-Jan Ruissen who is an advocate of the fishing method said, “The French attempt to keep Dutch fishermen out of the Channel using fly-shoot technology has been definitively averted. Our agreement received almost unanimous support from the European Parliament on Tuesday: 608 in favour, 9 against and 13 abstentions. Strong decision!”

Also in he European Parliament today = a plenary on Extension of EU rules on access to coastal waters - 12 mile limit news!

Prins Bernhard - Day 5 - it's all about the science and the seasons

Prins Bernhard's AIS track for the last 24 hours courtesy of Vessel Tracker...

 fishing for herring in the English Channel.

 

Niels Hintzen, Director of Research at Wageningen University gives his view of the fishery.

Our vessels fish for herring in winter in the English Channel, but also in summer in the North Sea. What do we know about this seasonal migration?

"Herring spawn in 4 different areas: one in the English Channel, and the other 3 along the English coast, as far as Scotland (...) In summer, herring migrate from these 4 areas to the central part of the North Sea, to feed and fatten."

Find the scientific perspective of Niels Hintzen, Director of Research at Wageningen University, expert in stock assessment, member of the ICES Advisory Board, here and on the dedicated page of our website (https://lnkd.in/e8cBt_pS).

 

The fleets' vessels catch five different pelagic species (herring, mackerel, horse mackerel, blue whiting, sardines) throughout the year, between the west of Ireland, the north of the Shetlands and the North Sea, on the high seas most of the time.

The fishing area is determined by the season and the target species. The herring season in the English Channel lasts a few weeks each year, between November and December.

Get on board: for a month, infographics to discover and understand the herring fishery in the Channel, here and on the dedicated page of our website (https://lnkd.in/e8cBt_pS).