Despite some pretty atrocious weather to travel in, many of the non-fishing folks die to attend the MSC awards later in the day braved the heavy overcast skies and pouring rain over Plymouth's Sutton Harbour...
and assembled on the quay to be welcomed by Intrafish's Adam Pillar...
and Hugh Grant look-alike, Lewis Colam who had arranged for their Parkol built Admiral Gordon...
to be alongside so that the skipper and crew...
could demonstrate net mending...
cod end closing...
fish identification...
then the gigantic tinned BBQ was already fired up...
and serving grilled sardines...
sited directly opposite the old fish market on the Barbican...
the MSC UK awards were held in The Box museum, gallery and archive with its stunning collection of restored figureheads...
some of which hung over the stage...
hosting the event at The Box was down to Tudor Owen from Plymouth City Council, who are hugely proud and supportive of the industry in Plymouth...
The forward-thinking initiative of a Jersey lobster fisherman and a collaborative group of Cornish sardine fishers have been rewarded with wins in two of the most prestigious categories at the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) UK annual awards.
Ian Syvret, Skipper of The Shilling, part of the 190-strong Normandy and Jersey Lobster Fishery, was named Fishing Hero of the Year for his efforts to ensure the commercial success of MSC certified lobsters, while the Ocean Leadership award went to the Cornish Sardine Management Association (CSMA) for the initiative they showed with a new scheme to safeguard plentiful, sustainable catches for many years.
Both winners received their awards at a ceremony hosted by comedian and environmental economist Dr Matt Winning.
Determined to build on the achievement of the Normandy and Jersey Lobster Fishery becoming the first European MSC-certified lobster fishery in 2011, Ian, in close collaboration with the MSC and local merchants, developed an elastic claw band that meets Consumer Ready Tamper Proof Packaging criteria. This innovation enabled Ian to sell his sustainably caught lobster live with the blue MSC ecolabel in Jersey and abroad, and has paved the way for other Jersey fishers to follow suit.
After receiving the award, Ian said:
“I am very pleased to have won this award. It’s recognition that I have been putting in a lot of effort to try and highlight that we have a sustainable Jersey MSC lobster. I’m very proud of Jersey having this accreditation and I was fed up with people coming to the island and not realising we had something special. So, I thought I am going to do something about this. I decided if chain of custody is a problem we had to circumnavigate the tamper proof problem. It took a year of thinking about it and being stubborn and not taking no for an answer and then two years developing it.”
Ian fought off stiff opposition for this award from Mike Bailey of the Poole Harbour clam and cockle fishery who was nominated for always going above and beyond to promote the fishery and its sustainability, including taking several documentary film companies in his boat to show them “how it is done”.
This year’s MSC award was handmade by eco homeware company Rawr, using crushed cockle shells from the MSC certified Thames Cockle fishery and mussel and scallop shells from Shetland’s MSC certified fisheries.
Lisa Bennett, MSC UK & Ireland Senior Fisheries Outreach Manager, said:
“These two winners exemplify innovation and a future focussed approach, and we are thrilled that we can highlight these achievements through the MSC UK Awards. Ian Syvret overcame a significant obstacle to ensure he can sell his catch to sustainable seafood lovers far and wide.Meanwhile, the Cornish Sardine Management Association have shown fishers everywhere how to take control of their own destiny with their own data. I hope both winners will inspire their colleagues around the British coast.”
Other notable winners on the night included:
Sainsbury’s – awarded Gold in the Supermarket of the Year category for offering the greatest range of MSC certified seafood
Lussmanns, a group of six independent restaurants with a menu loaded with sustainable seafood dishes that change with the seasons - named Foodservice Champion of the Year
Birds Eye and Iceland rewarded for their perfect fish finger sandwich formula marketing campaign
The MSC and ASC 2024 UK Awards, sponsored by Seafood Scotland, Plymouth Gin and Plymouth, Britain’s Ocean City, are a celebration of the commitment to sustainable seafood across the whole supply chain from ocean to plate. A complete list of award winners can be seen here.
Gus Caslake was summoned to the stage to collect the award for Ocean Leadership on behalf of the Cornish Sardine Management Association.
In 2023, the association initiated a self-sampling scheme which sees skippers submit detailed weekly catch data. This is shared with scientists at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, providing them with key insights on stocks, size and age distribution as well as mortality rates and migration patterns. Armed with this data they can make well-informed decisions on catch limits, helping to prevent overfishing and secure the long-term future of the Cornish sardine population.
Gus Caslake of CSMA said:
“It’s all about collaboration between our skippers and processors as a closely linked up organisation from sea to plate. The award is a testament to the work the guys do on the ground catching the fish and processing the highest quality Cornish sardines you can get. The award will help us to demonstrate that we’re catching and handling the fish in a sustainable manner.”
Then, it was the turn of Queterie NG from to accept the award MSC Product of the Year none on behalf of Tesco who scooped the Product of the Year award for its Finest Cornish Sardines in Tomato Sauce. This was voted on in a public vote..,
Tom Pascoe, skipper in the Cornish sardine fleet took time away from fishing aboard the Charlotte Clare to attend the awards and was on stage to talk about how this season has been and his faith in the future of the fishery...
the morning after provided a bracing walk to Plymouth Hoe and the recently commissioned statue in honour of merchant seamen and fishermen.