For any fisherman still having issues with opening and completing the MCA medical exemption.

For any fisherman still having issues with opening and completing the MCA medical exemption. Here is a copy in PDF form which can be printed out, completed and sent via post.

Post to: 

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), 

Bay 2/17, 

(Attention: Seafarer Safety and Health Team, Bay 2/17,) 

105 Commercial Road, 

Southampton 

SO15 1EG

Closure of fishing in the Bay of Biscay: the response of Breton professionals is being organized

Fishing News from Brittany:

Around fifty fishermen gathered in Concarneau (Finistère), Wednesday January 10 at the end of the day, to express their anger at the month-long closure of fishing to certain types of vessels in the Bay of Biscay in order to protect dolphins. and other small cetaceans. They plan to demonstrate soon in Paris.

Around fifty fishermen gathered in Concarneau want to organise themselves for the largest possible movement.

Coming from the ports of Concarneau, Lorient, Audierne, Lesconil, owners of gillnetters, in particular, gathered in Concarneau to organise themselves in the face of the decision of the Council of State at the end of December to suspend the exemptions from the decree of October 24 on the protection of small cetaceans in the Bay of Biscay, which would have allowed fishing vessels of more than eight meters using risky nets (trammel net, set gillnet, pelagic otter trawl, pelagic beef trawl and bottom beef trawl ) to continue fishing during the prohibition period, from January 22 to February 20.

They hope to quickly mobilize their ranks to organise a demonstration in Paris, or even in Brussels, headquarters of the European Commission. Professionals as well as a small handful of fishmongers and fishmongers came together at the initiative of Lorient resident David Le Quintrec, boss of the filleter Izel Vor II .

“Fishing is abandoned”

If the decision of the Council of State to immobilize some 450 gillnetters from the Bay of Biscay at the quayside is at the origin of the movement, the anger of the fishermen has more numerous reasons. The feeling, says one of them on condition of anonymity, that fishing is abandoned, that it is no longer defended by anyone […]. Everyone is having fun .

Diesel crisis, individualized support plan (PAI), Brexit, quotas… The list of obstacles facing the profession is long and seems endless. Present in the gallery alongside David Le Quintrec, Thomas Le Gall, president of the Pêche Avenir Cap Sizun association bringing together fishermen from Audierne, warns that it is entirely possible that the NGOs, galvanised by the decisions of the Council of State, seek in the future to drive home the point by demanding new periods of fishing closures. They can very well aim for there to be two months tomorrow, then three months of stopping fishing in winter and one month in summer , he maintains.

So what to do? In the room, voices are expressed to defy the ban on fishing. David Le Quintrec says he thought about it. But after gaining some height , he felt that the risk was too great that the insurance would not work in the event of a work accident or the slightest damage to the boat. Burning pallets no longer serves any purpose, we must strike harder, go and make ourselves heard in the streets, in Paris, if necessary with farmers by highlighting the defense of food sovereignty , we hear in the room.

A survival committee?

But with French fish representing only 20% of seafood consumption, French food sovereignty is already largely undermined. We must highlight the desire for survival of maritime communities who want to find levers to defend themselves, defends Thomas Le Gall. Public opinion is not favorable to us because we have not defended fishing properly. It's true that we are not helped by the way our bodies operate too vertically. We must therefore manage to change the law and structure ourselves.

The idea of ​​a survival committee was raised several times in the room. In the meantime, a representative fisherman was appointed for each port during the meeting. It is he who will relay the information locally to amplify the movement.

New! The Fisheries and Seafood Scheme updates

 

The Fisheries and Seafood Scheme is expected to re-open in February, providing valuable grants to match-fund projects over the next year.

Since opening in 2021, the scheme has been incredibly successful with £27 million invested in over 1,300 projects supporting England’s catching, aquaculture and processing sectors, as well as projects that are improving the marine environment.

The fund is due to re-open in the coming weeks to deliver its final year allocation and will continue to support projects in a variety of areas, including health and safety, processing and production, partnerships, research and diversification. Port and harbour infrastructure projects should now apply to schemes under the national UK Seafood Fund.

The scheme, administered by MMO on behalf of Defra, delivers investments to safeguard the long-term sustainability, resilience and prosperity of the seafood sector across England.

Through the scheme, MMO has invested in:

More than 800 health and safety related projects providing equipment, PPE, vessel modifications and training courses.

Business diversification and strategic business development plans

Commissioning research.


Aims of the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme

The Fisheries and Seafood Scheme provides financial assistance for projects that support the development of the catching, processing and aquaculture sectors, and for projects that enhance the marine environment. The scheme is available to applicants whose organisation and/or vessels are registered in England.

The scheme will provide funding for a range of projects that deliver the following high-level outcomes:

• Creating a more sustainable and resilient sector;

• Boosting the demand for English seafood and accessing new markets;

• Improving participation through co-design and co-management;

• Achieving good environmental status through the conservation and restoration of the marine environment;

• Supporting net zero through reducing emissions within the industry 

New areas of the scheme will be opened for applications for a defined period of time through funding rounds. The dates of these funding rounds will be announced in due course.

Who can apply for funding?

To be eligible for this scheme you must be one of the following:

• An individual or business engaged within commercial or sea fishing, aquaculture or processing or an organisation or business engaged within recreational sea fishing; A public body or local authority in a local community that has a focus on fishing, aquaculture or processing activities (including trust ports and local authority ports, and public bodies, using funds for environmental improvements or the management of fisheries);

• A university or research institute;

• A new entrant to the industry or unemployed individual that could benefit from knowledge or skills in fishing, aquaculture or processing activities. 

You will be required to declare if you have received funding from other Government financial support schemes and, if so, what for. This is to prevent any duplication of funding and to ensure rules around maximum thresholds of support are complied with. If you are an applicant engaged in recreational sea fishing it is suggested that you contact the MMO Grants Team before making your application so that we can best advise you on how to complete your application form whilst additional IT development takes place.

If you are a business, you will need to declare which of the following categories you fall under definitions can be found in the general guidance document

• micro-entity

• small business

• medium-sized business

• larger enterprise.

You will be required to provide a level of match funding for your project. Please refer to guidance documents to see the latest rates that apply.

Full details and link here.

Pollack crisis - NFFO call for action.

 

The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO) has called for a two-stage response to the crisis engulfing the inshore fleets, following the decision to cut the total allowable catch to an unmanageable 832 tonnes, with a risible UK quota of 203 tonnes for 2023.

Draconian Cuts following Benchmarks

This draconian cut to the pollack quota has followed a radical change in perception of the stock by ICES scientists, following one of their periodic benchmark meetings; but there are sound reasons to question whether this opinion will be sustained when the assessment is revisited in the future. ICES benchmark exercises are important as they allow the science to evolve. By questioning the models used, and the data employed, weaknesses can be weeded out.

But when benchmark exercises result in extreme volatility in stock perception, followed by radical changes in recommended TACs, a mechanism is needed to moderate these swings. Scientists don’t make the right call 100% of the time. There are already several examples of scientific opinions reverting to the original view further down the road, but by then the damage is done. So long as the biomass is projected to increase in the following year, a management mechanism is required to reduce the volatility and filter out radical swings – either way, up or down. It makes no sense to inflict serious socio-economic damage on the fleets – only to follow a revised opinion later.

Most ICES assessments are uncontroversial but a pattern is emerging where benchmarks are followed by extreme swings in advice. That is what has happened with pollack.

TAC Constraints

TAC constraints – minimising the extent of TAC swings to, say 15%, have been employed effectively in the past but seem to have dropped out of fashion. Applying a TAC constraint would have moderated the TAC reduction for pollack in 2023, but would have still seen the biomass increase by the end of 2024. As it is, the year-end quota negotiations have left us with an unmanageable fishery for the coming year. This is a chaotic way to manage fisheries and we need to move beyond it as a matter of urgency. A mid-year review of the TAC decision is required to retrospectively apply some kind of TAC constraint. The UK should initiate discussions with the EU immediately to rescue this situation.

Longer Term

In the longer term, ICES should examine whether the form in which it provides advice is as useful to fisheries managers as it might be. In recent years there has been some attempt to supplement zero TAC advice with options to deal with unavoidable bycatch – but this doesn’t help where, like pollack, a substantial part of the catch is targeted. Limiting extreme swings in the advice, especially when there might be doubts about the safety of those opinions, would help to avoid catastrophic mistakes with serious real-world consequences.

In the meantime, however, an urgent intervention is required by fisheries managers (and in this context this means the UK and the EU) to call off the dogs.

Knock-on Effects

Our immediate concern has to be for the fleets targeting pollack – many of them small inshore vessels – with few if any alternative opportunities to sustain them during 2023. There are, however, already signs of diversion of effort with potentially destabilising consequences in adjacent fisheries. We fear that the progress in rebuilding the biomass of the bass stock will be impeded if faced with increased effort. Likewise, redirection into non-quota fisheries like crab, lobster and crawfish could do untold harm to stocks and conservation strategies. In a word, the TAC decision on pollack could set us back years in a range of other fisheries.

Pragmatism

What is required at this juncture is a healthy dose of pragmatism. Client Earth’s attempt to use the European Court to tie the EU to rigid formulaic rules in setting TACs is now likely to be defeated, following the ECJ’s recently released provisional judgement. We are reasonably confident that Blue Marine’s legal manoeuvring will meet the same fate, not least because the UK’s Fisheries Act provides explicit flexibilities to meet complex situations of this kind.

What is required is a pragmatic and urgent intervention by the management authorities to avert the immediate crisis, followed by a longer-term evaluation of how to avoid getting into this situation again. This would allow time also to develop a suite of measures to rebuild and sustain the pollack stock through more intelligent management measures, applied with the support and involvement of the fishing industry. Better data, more targeted measures, real-time information from the fishery (including from the significant recreational fishery) could all be in the mix.

The priority for now, however, is to revisit the TAC decision immediately.

Ful story courtesy of the NFFO website.

Where Did All The Fishermen Go? - A Very Cornish Theme Park

 

This video seeks to document the social and demographic change in a Cornish village after the demise of the fishing industry and the proliferation of holiday and second homes. It uses archive stills and video set against re-photography to show the de-population of a village.

Thursday evening in to #FishyFriday morning and it's -2˚ in Newlyn!

Heading for the gaps in only her second week of fishing, Inter-Nos, the latest boat to join the Cornish sardine fleet...

though she had to wait for the Billy Rowney to be nudged out of the gaps...

with the outside temperature lower than the inside of the market the fish were looking pristine on this morning's market, though only a few boxes of cuttles with the Enterprise which was the only major landing of the morning...

with a good selection of ray wings...

name this fish...

a smattering of handy cod...

and monk tails...

while the slack box of squid next to the cuttles is a reminder of how the larger mesh size used by the local trawling fleet has impacted on squid landings - most simply pass through the mesh of the trawl and cod end these days...

unlike this lucky conger...

a sign of the times, the auction is going green...

bit it will be a while before the red boxes bevome a part of Newlyn history, by which time there will probably be souvenir example gracing everybody's garden...

inshore fish like these sardines came courtesy of the Pelagic Marksman...

along with a few mackerel...

and bass from other inshore boats...

plenty of fish is just what makes these guys smile and be the happy chappies they are...

and what's not to smile about when the day starts like this?

 

Cornwall, the UK's favourite and biggest fish destination

 

Boats landed over £40 million pounds worth of fish into Newlyn in 2023.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (CIoS) seafood industry is comprehensive, covering all stages of the supply chain, including businesses supplying and involved in primary production, via fishing and aquaculture, processing, whole- sale and distribution, retail, and foodservice via restaurants, cafés and other outlets. 

Across the entire local seafood sector and upstream supply chain, there were around 7,800 jobs in 2021. The seafood sector is around four times more important to CIoS, than seafood is to the UK as a whole. This is true for most key economic indicators, including jobs. 2.9% of jobs in CIoS depend on seafood, compared to around 0.7% of UK jobs. The key driver behind this significant over-representation in seafood locally is the presence of the marine fishing sector, which in turn relies on sustainably-managed fish and shellfish stocks. For every job in the CIoS catching sector, there are 15 more jobs across Cornwall and Isles of Scilly in other seafood sub-sectors. 

Fishing contributes relatively higher added value per worker than other sub-sectors within the overall CIoS seafood industry. There is a mutually beneficial relationship between tourism and seafood in CIoS. Five of the additional 15 jobs located across CIoS in other seafood sub-sectors rely on tourism as well as on seafood.

Read the full report below:

Quota Leasing Scheme

There is anticipated to be excess quota in the non-sector pools. In order to make the best use of this quota and to ensure opportunities are available to as many vessels as possible. Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is taking the following action for English vessels.

 

Details Offer of additional quota to vessels in the non-sector with under 10 metre capped licences and over 10 metre: Category B, C and no-quota annex licences.

The MMO is opening a window for vessels in the non-sector with under 10 metre capped licences and over 10 metre: Category B, C and no-quota annex licences to apply for access to additional quota. We are opening up additional access to a limited number of stocks earlier this year than in previous years to allow vessels to make the most of this opportunity. Vessels with these licences have a limited number of quota stocks for which they can fish. Under this scheme, these vessels can apply for access to more opportunities for the remainder of 2024. At this stage only stocks where the MMO are confident there is excess within the non-sector pools will be released.

The offer means that a small amount of the quota that England receives from the Trade and Cooperation Agreement will be distributed via the MMO to these vessels upon application and depending on availability. It will enable vessels with restricted non-sector licences to fish above their current limits for the leased quota stocks up to and including 31 December 2024.

The stocks covered by this initiative are:

Anglerfish - Area 7 Plaice – North Sea

Cod - North Sea Nephrops – North Sea

Haddock - Areas 7b-k Sole - North Sea

Herring - Areas 4ab Skates & Rays – North Sea

Horse mackerel - North Sea (Areas 4b,4c,7d) Sprats – North Sea

Mackerel - Western Sprats – 7de

Megrim - Area VII Whiting – North Sea

Applications for access to this additional quota should be emailed to: fmc@marinemanagement.org.uk by 08:00 on Monday 22 January 2024.

Applications made after this date may still be considered but quota availability after this date may be reduced. Applications must include vessel details (name, PLN and licence number), a basic fishing plan and quantities of individual stocks required. Where there are competing proposals for stocks the MMO may assess applications against economic, environmental and social criteria.

Modernising EU fishing vessels with digital tools.

The European Council has recently adopted the revision of the EU’s Fisheries Control Regulation, which aims to ensure that EU fisheries control and monitoring systems stay up to date with the latest developments in the technological field and enhance the way we manage fishing activities.

In light of this latest development, Fish-X is hosting a webinar on 26 January 2024 at 10 am CET, diving into the integration of digital tools into small-scale fisheries (SSF) vessels.

Join experts from maritime authorities, the SSF sector, research, and academia as we explore the transformative impact of modern technology on efficiency, sustainability, and resource management.

Don’t miss this chance to be part of reshaping the future of fishing fleets! 

💡 Register now for the Fish-X webinar: https://lnkd.in/eDQ2Ni63

Government to support small-scale fishing industry across the UK in latest medical consultation

The government launches a consultation on medical exemptions for fishers working on vessels 10 metres and under in length.

It is worth noting that "The Secretary of State for Transport is considering providing an exemption under regulation 14 of The Merchant Shipping (Work in Fishing Convention) (Medical Certification) Regulations 2018 so that existing fishers working in fishing vessels of 10 metres and under (registered length as defined by the Fishing Vessels (Codes of Practice) Regulations 2017) in length are exempt from regulations 4 and 5."

Therefore, take advantage of this chance to have your say!

There are 3,385 Under10m vessels in the UK as of January 2024
They make up over 80% of the workforce and many fish singlehanded.

 
Government gives industry a chance to have its say on concessions that would benefit fishers on vessels of 10 metres and under. Safety of fishers is paramount and today will make sure that remains the case while ensuring fishers can continue their important work Government continues to listen to the views from across the fishing industry An industry-wide consultation starts today to see how small-scale fishers can fish as safely as possible.

In November 2023, regulations came into effect requiring fishers working on small UK flagged vessels to have a certificate of medical fitness. The government has worked to support those who can still fish but would otherwise be unduly forced ashore. Some grandfather rights have been extended for eyesight, BMI, diabetes and most recently seasonal fishers.

Unlike larger fishing operations, those who operate vessels of 10 metres and under are usually independent and require more support, which is why today the Department for Transport is seeing how to best deliver medical exemptions safely so hard-working, small-scale fishers aren’t unduly forced ashore.

The potential concession is being considered by the Secretary of State for Transport after listening to the concerns of those in the fishing industry as well as MPs representing coastal communities.

Industry is being urged to have its say on the proposals, which are being published by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).

The blanket exemption from holding a valid medical certificate would only apply to those who have already been working on vessels of 10 metres and under for at least 4 weeks between 30 November 2022 and 30 November 2023.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

The safety of those who are working in our fishing industry is paramount and it’s vital that any medical requirements work for them. That’s why we have actively listened to views from the fishing industry and MPs representing coastal communities, already granting concessions for factors such as eyesight, diabetes and BMI.

This consultation shows that we are open to proper solutions that uphold the highest standards of safety.

See the MCA’s GOV.UK pages to read and take part in the Medical exemption - existing fishers on vessels of 10 metres or under consultation.

Cornwall is THE seafood centre of the UK

A remarkable new research report proves the importance of Cornwall’s seafood sector Seafood jobs are four times more important to Cornwall’s economy than to the UK’s Cornwall’s seafood sector and contributes £174 million to the county’s total GVA.

For every fisherman at sea there are 15 more jobs in Cornwall 

New figures have revealed Cornwall is home to more seafood restaurants than anywhere else in the country outside of London. According to an independent research report, 16% of Cornwall’s table-service restaurants (not including fish and chip shops) specialise in seafood. That's the highest concentration in the UK outside the capital. The report was commissioned by the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation to determine the true value of seafood to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Overall, the sector contributes £174 million to the county’s total gross value added. Chris Ranford, CEO of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation, said: 

“The results of this report are outstanding. We always knew the importance of fishing to Cornwall, but this provides the socio-economic evidence to back it up, inform decision-making and attract strategic investment into the industry. “The symbiotic relationship between fishing, hospitality and tourism is completely unique to Cornwall. It’s something we can all be proud of and make sure we’re protecting and enhancing for future generations.” 

Around 8 thousand people in Cornwall work in seafood, according to the report. That means for every Cornish fisherman at sea there are fifteen more jobs on shore – five of those are also linked to tourism. Malcolm Bell, Visit Cornwall, said: 

“Seafood is a key part of the Cornish brand. When you think of Cornwall, you think of the food as much as the destination. “Holidaying in Cornwall and eating Cornish seafood are one and the same so it’s vital we protect the fishing and seafood industry; without them Cornwall’s tourism economy wouldn’t perform as well.” 

Restaurants and cafes rely on Cornish seafood and its provenance, combined with the fishing industry, it establishes Cornwall as the UK hotspot for seafood. Ben Tunnicliffe, Head Chef at The Tolcarne Inn said: 

“Without fishing I wouldn’t have a business. Cornish fish has a lovely reputation around the country and abroad but we’re lucky, being able to use it direct as it comes off the boat and that’s what the visitors coming to Cornwall expect to see.” “Fishing, along with tourism and hospitality, is one of the few industries we have left in Cornwall, and it brings a lot of financial benefits to the county so it’s of paramount importance we work together to strengthen and protect its bright future.” 

The research was commissioned by the CFPO following the publication of their Cornish Fishing Strategy in 2021. Its aim was to refocus the strategic vision for the Cornish seafood industry post Brexit. Four key areas of action were highlighted; science & sustainability, ports infrastructure, recruitment & retention and communications & marketing. It’s expected the findings from the ‘Value of Seafood to Cornwall’ research will better inform regional and national decision-making and help drive strategic investment into Cornwall’s seafood sector.

Milder Monday morning in Newlyn.

Despite the ultra-cool blue skies things have warmed up a little in Newlyn this morning and, although there was only the one big boat trip landed, there were plenty of inshore fish to keep the buyers' fingers busy on their keyboards bidding online when the auction started at 6am...

name the fish...

with the lack of wind and the water like gin, bass landings continue apace...

the Cornishman picked up a few red mullet to add the her trip...

and the crew took the trouble to take out the livers on the bigger fish too...

the fine weather over the weekend giving rise to three good shots from the inshore trawlers...

though young Roger's Dory count on the Martha Mae was on par for this time of year...

while Tom had good pickings of ray with the Guardian...

and this fine looking conger...

head-on monk of all sizes from skipper Jimmy...

to go with the rest of the prime flatfish that beam trawlers do best at catching...

still more inshore bass...

and some specimen red mullet...

along with plentiful supplies of seasonal sardines...

and mackerel...

these boxes tell a story, it seems the times they are a-changing...

as the sun fights its way through a clouded sky.

More pollack background.

 

Through the ongoing Pollack FISP, scientists from the universities of York and Plymouth are working with the industry to better understand the stock of this commercially important – but data-poor – species

Whether it is the sleek olive-green fresh run of fish of late spring, or the gnarled old warriors seen in the winter spawning season, pollack have been an integral part of my life for nearly 40 years, whether as a commercial fisherman, as an angler or now, as a fisheries scientist.

After 1969, the availability of the Mk 21 Decca Navigator allowed wrecks far out of sight of land to be revisited, and the hitherto untapped hordes of pollack that congregated around these structures became a viable target for the commercial fleet and angling boats. Such was the impact of the system on fishing that some of us ‘old ’uns’ still think in Decca LOPs. As for many others, this (somewhat unreliable) system opened the doors for some truly exceptional landings of pollack, ling and cod.

MMO records show that 26,113t of pollack were landed into UK ports between 2008 and 2019, worth over £57m to the commercial fleet. The largest landings of pollack have been concentrated around ports in the South West of the UK, with Newlyn consistently recording the highest, although in recent years, Peterhead has surpassed Newlyn, mostly due to declines in landings at the latter port.

For many of the under-10m rod and line commercial fleet in the South West, these fish are a mainstay of fishermen’s catches, especially those without a bass entitlement.

The pollack Fisheries Industry Science Partnership (FISP) project was born from concerns among industry about perceived reductions in numbers and size of pollack in the South West.

Although official statistics suggested a decline in landings of pollack, it was clear that the scientific data for the species, especially in VIIe and VIId, was limited, with even the basic biology and ecology of pollack poorly understood. The lack of such data has implications for stock assessments for the species, and landings figures don’t account for the vagaries of market forces or movements and, crucially, lack an effort component.

The FISP fund, run by Defra, provided the perfect mechanism to finance this work. The project is split into two interlinked parts.

1. Acoustic tagging of pollack to obtain information on movements and site fidelity, led by Dr Emma Sheehan’s group at the University of Plymouth.

2. Interpol, led by Dr Bryce Stewart and myself at the University of York. We gather basic biological data crucial to future stock assessments such as age, growth, size at maturity, sex, stomach content and information on the spawning status and health of the fish. We also derive catch per unit effort (CPUE) from catch data from 13 charter boats across VIIe, and then model these data to ensure that the final index is representative of the whole of VIIe.

Live weights (tonnes) of pollack landed into four South West ports from 2002 to 2019.

Both projects rely heavily on the experience of the skippers belonging to the Professional Boatman’s Association, and the team at the Angling Trust, led by Hannah Rudd.

To age fish, we extract the otoliths or ear bones from the edge of the pollack brain and then prepare them in the laboratory. Otoliths form annual rings, much like those in a tree trunk. By counting these growth rings, we can accurately find the age of the fish. Age at size is an important parameter in many stock assessments, as these basic growth parameters are integral to the method used. These data are currently lacking for pollack in VIIe.

So how have we done? So far, the skippers have recorded and measured over 9,000 pollack from 492 trips. I have collected otoliths from 104 fish, sexed 462 fish (we have found an almost 2:1 ratio of male to female fish), and examined the stomach contents of many of these fish.

Liveweight landings of pollack from three major ports in the UK, 2008 to 2019.

By the end of the project, we will have sampled fish from two full spawning seasons, and have recorded CPUE for almost three years. In addition, we are collecting logbooks and records of trophy fish caught by anglers to produce a historical time-series of pollack sizes to expand our knowledge of what, if any, changes have occurred to the stock.

It is too early in the project to provide conclusions, but by the end, both elements of our research should provide a clearer picture of the state of the pollack stock in VIIe.

Simon Thomas extracting an otolith (ear bone) from the head of a pollack. These are used to age the fish.

Owen Malia, skipper of Outlaw, based in Dartmouth, who has over 40 years of experience fishing for pollack both commercially and as a charter skipper, said: “Since my involvement in the leisure sector, I have witnessed a fairly rapid decline in not only our catch rates, but also the seasonal sizes of pollack being caught/recorded by my anglers over the last eight to 10 years.” He added: “It has been no hardship to provide valued data for the project.”

To try to better understand any changes in pollack stocks, we will also look at the effects of environmental changes, such as water temperature and the increased presence of predators such as tuna.

Crucially, we will present these data to the fishing community at public meetings. This will ensure that those whose livelihoods are affected by management decisions have the chance to give their perceptions of our data, and for their views to feed into our final report.

Our model of fisheries science relies on close interactions between ourselves and those who spend their lives at sea – the experts by experience on the fish they target. This model can be extended to any data-limited species that has recreational value, or extended to incorporate commercial skippers. As true partners, the skippers are rewarded for their time and expertise.

The recent ICES advice for a zero TAC for pollack was based on landings and groundfish trawl surveys. Our data and project did not feed into that assessment at all. However, we very much hope that our research will improve the evidence base for future pollack stock assessments. As both a scientist and someone who has been involved in both the recreational and the commercial fishing industry, I know how important it is for management decisions to be based on the best available science when livelihoods are involved.

By Dr Simon Thomas, University of York

Dr Simon Thomas is a marine scientist who is theme leader for the data collection part of the pollack FISP. He is employed by the University of York, but is based in Plymouth. He has a PhD in marine ecology from Queens University (Belfast), and is also involved with ongoing projects on data collection on shark captures from the UK, using data supplied by charter skippers and anglers. He has been involved in fishing for most of his life. For more information on the pollack FISP project, especially if you would like to share your views on the fishery, please contact Simon at: simon.f.thomas@york.ac.uk

Fine #FishyFriday in Newlyn.

The lights are on but no one is in - try the door later at Newlyn Gallery...

Tom, still keeping an eye on the harbour...

and the market with just the one beam trawl trip to finish off a better week of weather...

there are some fishlike this turbot, with distinctly alien features...

while scallops look as good as they taste...

just the one netter, plenty of hake from the Ocean Pride...

along with some cracking tub gurnard...

with a limited by-catch available, sightings of pollack are likely diminish as the end of each month approaches...

while lemons seem to be high up on the landings list this week...

name this alien-like fish...

these mackerel can't get to your plate fast enough...

just the one big bluefin landed overnight...

a shot of grey mullet topped off the inshore line landings...

while the sardine boat Pelagic Marksman put ashore enough fish to keep local restaurants happy...

un-seasonal spider claws...

as daylight approaches it can be seen that most of the netting fleet are tied up over the big spring tide.