The way we manage UK fisheries is changing.

 

A bright new dawn?

Since leaving the European Union and the Common Fisheries Policy, the UK government has been developing a new framework for managing fish and shellfish stocks, known as Fisheries Management Plans or FMPs). 

There are 43 FMPs in development, each focusing on one or more species, with 6 frontrunners due to be published this year. The intention of these FMPs is to take an evidence-based approach to making management decisions that ensure stocks are fished at sustainable levels. 

The Future of Our Inshore Fisheries (FOIF), a joint project delivered by Seafish, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) released a newsletter in August providing an overview of how these FMPs are being developed, what they do and how to have your say on the development of them.

CFPO newsletter - great news, five young fishermen have completed their Class 2 Skippers training!

Fine #FishyFriday finish to September in Newlyn.

A quiet end to the week of fish landed...

which enabled harbour staff to get to grips pressure-washing the fish market and grader...

one seine net, bundled and ready to go...

despite the lack of wind, the sky has that watery look this this morning...

but for now, all is well with the Enterprise as she heads away from the gaps...

though the same cannot be said for the sardine boats Mayflower...

and the Vesta...

as they head straight back to their respective berths after a long and unsuccessful hunt for sardines...

one out, two in.

 

Fishing industry 2022 statistics

 

Fishing industry in 2022 statistics published The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has published its annual UK Sea Fisheries Statistics 2022.

The UK fishing fleet Its activity at sea Landings – how much fish they catch and land Effort – how long they spend at sea Trade

Key statistics include: 

Fleet

In 2022 there were 5,541 UK registered fishing vessels. This represents a 14% reduction in the last ten years, however Gross Tonnage (GT) has remained similar at 203 thousand tonnes. Approximately 21% of the UK fleet is represented by vessels over 10 metres in length, of which 44% are administered in Scotland. There are around 10,000 fishers working on UK registered vessels. This is a reduction of 2,100 fishers in the last ten years. Landings

In 2022, UK vessels landed 640 thousand tonnes of sea fish with a value of £1.04 billion. Compared to 2021, this is a decrease of 2% in quantity, however an increase in value of 13%. The increase in value is mainly driven by higher fish prices. Landings into the UK by foreign vessels in 2022 was 19 thousand tonnes, which compared to 2021 represents a 4% reduction. Landings abroad by UK vessels also decreased to 245 thousand tonnes, a reduction of 5%.

Effort Since 2004, fishing effort (kW days at sea) by the over 10m fleet has decreased by around 40%. Most of the reduction in effort is driven by a 1% decline in effort in the demersal trawl and seine segment. Fishing effort by the over 10m fleet decreased by 3% between 2021 and 2022.

Trade The UK is a net importer of fish. The UK’s crude trade gap in 2022 for sea fish is 316,000 tonnes. This is lower than 2021, where the gap was 322,000 tonnes. In 2022 the UK imported 647,000 tonnes of sea fish, with a value of £3.7 billion. It exported 330,000 tonnes, with a value of £1.7 billion.

The full set of statistics can be seen here.

Lifeboat tow ahead of Storm Agnes

The netter Britannia V was brought into Newlyn just before 11pm by the Penlee lifeboat...

after a 12 hour tow 120 miles from Newlyn west of the Scillys, first being picked up by the St Marys boat who then handed the tow of to the Penlee boat, all hands safely back ashore...

to land a good trip of hake,,,

on a busy mid-week market...

with plenty of fish from the beam trawler Billy Rowney...

like these monk...

turbot...

scampi tails...

and plaice...

the Britannia V also landed a few boxes of dogs which still seem to get everywhere...

while the sardine boats filled their boots with top quality MSC Certified sardines...

and a 195kg bluefin tuna...

it seems the cuttle season is underway for the lcal boats...

and those big Mediterranean octopus are still very much in evidence no matter where you fish...

the harbour was busy this morning with boats on the move...

the lifeboat ready to take on board fuel...

having also escorted the Padstow crabber Isabella in through the gaps last night...

well, there's a decade or three of experience twixt the deck and wheelhouse on the Enterprise this morning, even the biggest boat in the port is taking shelter ahead of storm Agnes' arrival!

Monday morning in Newlyn

It's a Robert Jones sort of sky this morning gracing Mounts Bay...

with most of the fleet at sea...

though there was still one strange looking vessel floating in the harbour...

Monday morning's market was full of MSC certified hake from the netter Ygraine

and the Silver Dawn...

along with a few spurdogs...

cod...

and haddock...

young Roger managed to track down a couple of good John Dory hauls over the weekend...

while the netters added plenty of big whitefish

 like pollack and coley to their hauls...

these guys must be thick on the ground if they ended up being caught in a gill net...

some of the inshore boats picked up some top quality red mullet...

bass...

and mackerel...

time to take bait for the Girl Pamela...

evidence a few sardines came ashore last night...

nice little yacht for a project for someone has come up for grabs...

almost there...

another classic autumn morning sky in Newlyn.

 

What a night!

At this time of year, St Ives the most popular tourist destination in the west of Cornwall plays host to the St Ives September festival, a celebration of the arts in all its wonderful shapes and forms and for which St Ives reserves its own special status - for a tiny town is boasts its own Tate gallery. But it isn't just the creative arts for which people meander upalong and downalong throughout the cobbled streets - it's music too. In the street, on the quay and in various pubs and bars an eclectic mix of musicians make the journey to the far west, for some its almost an annual pilgrimage. Last Friday night you could have caught the man whose song, The Gael' became the theme music for the film, Last of the Mohicans - for that you would have needed to get to the online box office pretty sharpish because the tickets for the tickets to see Dougie McClean were hotter than a Pengenna Pasty - on the other hand, though the tickets were also straight out of the oven, you could have opted to get an earful of St Ives Fishermen's Shanty Shout - hosted in the truly unique setting that is Porthmeor Net loft, below Porthmeor Studios.

Here's what you missed, recorded in full by adopted Frenchman Alban Roinard. The net loft was packed with an expectant crowd enjoying local beers and buzzing with conversation until Cadgwith fisherman Martin Ellis, star of the film Bait and his own Cadgwith taxi service took to the makeshift stage and gave a particularly heartfelt performance of The Cornish Fisherman song to a hushed crowd - and there were plenty more singers and songs to follow. Enjoy!

Mid-week storm

With fifty knot gusts and plenty of rain sweep across the harbour this morning there's a whole host of visiting boats, mostly scallopers sheltering in Newlyn this morning...

the Morning Star and Sylvia Bowers...

Albion...

Belgian beam trawler Artevelde...

and outside the Cornishman and Billy Rowney the Lass O'Doune...

despite the weather there were slim pickings for the buyers with only a handful of boxes of most species like these line caught mackerel...

while megrims...

ray...

and monk were in short supply...

though there were a good few line caught bass snapped up...

some having to be patient before picking up their fish...

meanwhile, with more weather to come, assistant harbourmaster Jedna was busy telling skipper Will Gillespie where to go...

so that Lionel could supervise the berthing arrangements in order to accommodate...

the arrival of the Enterprise closely followed...

by the Spanish stern trawler...

Udra who, as a flagged vessel,..

is in to make one of her obligatory UK landings...

four big scallopers in the port...

all working 17 dredges a side and drawing well over 4m of water present a logistical challenge to have the boats berthed and landed...

making their way to the gaps, the Enterprise followed by the Udra.