Cefas Endeavour survey voyage.

Normally the JNCC blog posts regular updates on the survey work being undertaken by the Ceas Endeavour - but it seems that the current voyage is not one of their making...  

the boat is currently on another southerly transit - a feature of the survey -  from just east of Lands End...

this is the only clue found on Twitter from Peltic Surveys which shows she is surveying the autumnal algal bloom in the Bristol Channel and Western Approaches. They have been posting pics and videos during the survey.

Most of the voyage - which started when she left Swansea on the 28th September has seen her steaming at around 9-10 knots.

There's a great story about the first blue fin tuna tag to be recovered in the UK - from the Scillys - read all about it here.

Live! Starting today - Two day conference on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund

Today, the Estonian Presidency of the EU and the European Commission are jointly hosting a two day conference on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). Stakeholders from all across the EU will convene to discuss how the EMFF is helping to support the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy and Maritime Policy in the current programming period (2014-2020). 

The event will also represent the opportunity to discuss the current and future challenges of coastal communities, as well as potential policy responses.

Thursday 12 October 2017

 08.30 - 9.15   Registration

 09.30 - 10.30  Opening Plenary

    10.30 - 11.00   Coffee break and posters exhibit

 11.00 - 13.00   Plenary session: "The EMFF in support of the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy and EU Maritime Policy"

    13.00 - 14.00  Lunch

 14.30 - 16.00  Parallel Workshops

• Workshop 1:  "Supporting more environmentally sustainable, resource efficient and competitive fisheries"
• Workshop 2:  "Enabling the development of sustainable and competitive aquaculture"
• Workshop 3:  "Marine innovation and skills"
• Workshop 4:  "To focus or not to focus?"

    16.00 - 16.30  Coffee break and posters exhibit

 16.30 - 18.00  Parallel Workshops 

• Workshop 5: "The EMFF and local perspectives"
• Workshop 6: "Strengthening data collection and fisheries control through the EMFF"
• Workshop 7: "Sea Basin Strategies, from words and processes to projects and results"
• Workshop 8: "When are subsidies harmful?"

    19.00 - 21.00  Evening Reception and Dinner

Friday 13 October 2017

 09.00 - 10.30  Parallel Workshops

• Workshop 9: "Small-scale coastal fisheries and fisheries in the outermost regions"
• Workshop 10 "Financial instruments"
• Workshop 11 "The EMFF in support of seafood marketing and processing"
• Workshop 12: "Results-orientation in the EMFF 2014-2020: Programme management, Project Selection, Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation

    10.30 - 11.00  Coffee and poster exhibit

 11.00 - 12.15  Plenary session: "Beyond 2020: Where next?"

 12.15 - 12.30  Closing session

    13.00 - 14.00  Buffet Lunch

 14.00 - 16.30  ROUNDTABLE ON SUPPORTING THE PARTICIPATION OF SMALL-SCALE COASTAL FISHERMEN IN THE ADVISORY AND DECISION MAKING PROCESSES OF THE COMMON FISHERIES POLICY

Wednesday evening in Newlyn.

The market canopy is in the process...

of being removed... 

along with the corrugated roof sections...

from the roof itself...

sailing time for the Asthore...

the Manin is back in berth...

green and black gold coming ashore from the beamer...

several thousand tons, including all kinds of chain, scallop dredges and anything else you can think of have all been lifted today...

steaming for home...

under a heavy evening sky.

Brexit - things are not looking so good for our UK fishing industry.

During #PMQs today the Prime Minister re-affirmed the government's intention to remain in the CFP during any transition period...

which then prompted the question as to what or when exactly is the 'transition period'

with some fearful that this may be the answer!

Fishing news have just posted a more in-depth piece on the matter which includes a robust response from the Fishing for Leave camp:

FFL: ‘Fishing must not be included’

FFL said Theresa May’s proposals amounted to seeing the status quo re-badged for an unspecified ‘transitional’ period. “It leaves Britain wide open to being in the same position in two years as now, trapped in purgatory.”

It said that Mr Barnier had made it ‘crystal clear’ that during any transitional period, the UK would still be in the EU in all but name, and would have to have to abide by the acquis (all EU law).

“By appealing for a transitional agreement that is only in the EU’s power to gift, the government has blown itself wide open, instead of being able to walk away under the premise of ‘no deal is better than a bad deal’, said FFL.

“The EU can now demand blind obedience to anything it wants – including a continuation of the CFP and continued access to Britain’s rich fishing grounds.

“Usually, in a negotiation, you only concede for something in return… we have conceded everything to get more of the same! This speech marks the start of Britain’s fishing and coastal communities being sacrificed again.

“No one voted for a transition period. This is just a way to kick the can down the road till the next election.”

FFL claimed the transition proposal showed that the ‘establishment’ wants to negate Brexit at all costs.

“In having to agree to a continuation of all EU law in order to get a transition, areas like fishing will be thrown to the wolves. This will suit those running the federations who never wanted or campaigned for Brexit and are only advocating keeping the status quo.”

FFL claims UK waters will be partitioned into an exclusive 12-mile zone for an under-10m ‘cottage industry/marine park’, to buy off the smaller vessels, appease the green NGOs and spin ‘Brexit means Brexit’. But outside 12 miles it will be ‘business as usual’ under a never-ending transition deal.

“The EU will keep its shares, and quotas will be kept, with a discard ban enforced. Choke species will force out the majority, and family businesses, and continue consolidation into the few hands running the federations.

“It is now vital that the government disproves the above assertion by categorically stating that fishing will not be part of this transitional arrangement,” said FFL.

FFL called on all fishermen to see the reality of what is happening and join its campaign for a clean break with the CFP.

“Fishing for Leave welcomes them to support our campaign for the implementation of replacement policy for all fishermen to prosper, to ensure an unequivocal clean break.

“The assertion that ‘only worry about getting our waters back and worry about policy later’ is playing right into the government’s hands of keeping the status quo, and will see this wonderful opportunity annihilated along with what’s left of the industry.

“We seriously hope that in time we will not be proved correct, as our predecessor FAL was in the 1990s.”

Full story from the Fishing News here:

Don't treat fishing in isolation.

HOW MICHAEL GOVE’S PROPOSAL COULD GIVE US LESS CONTROL OF FISHERIES, NOT MORE.

Theresa May’s speech on Brexit has created a scramble amongst British politicians and European leaders – that’s the Florence speech, not the coughing conference speech. The proposal of a two-year transitional period to help soften the bumpy ride ahead has been met with mixed reviews, even amongst the Cabinet. Today, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for the environment, has demanded that fisheries is removed from any transition deal, opting for a ‘hard break’ in 2019.

It is unclear at this point how the divisions within the Cabinet will resolve themselves, or even if there will be a transition deal at all. What is clear, however, is that attempting to remove a single issue from the Brexit negotiations is only superficially appealing and is based on a series of misunderstandings about the breadth of fisheries policy and the forces acting upon it.

By attempting to remove fisheries from a transition deal, Michael Gove is taking the stance that fisheries should be managed ‘our way’ at the earliest possible opportunity. This is much too simplistic as for better or worse, the UK is not able to simply step away and fully control the impacts on mobile fish stocks. From a policy perspective, it may even be the case that the UK would have less control through this isolated approach. The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations commented that “The problem is that when we leave the EU we will not be part of the decision-making process that sets annual quotas. It would be a case of ‘get what you’re given’ and that can’t work for fishing.”

Gove’s position is also based on a misunderstanding around how fisheries is likely to be linked to other issues, most notable access to, or membership of, the Single Market. The EU has made it clear in their communications that there will be no separating of access to fishing waters and access to markets for fish products. For the EU, this whole discussion is not a moot point.

The importance of market access cannot be overstated, so the EU position is certainly cause for concern. Currently more UK-caught fish is sold in the EU market than in the UK itself. For the fishing industry, especially the often forgotten processors and wholesalers in the supply chain, fishing must absolutely be a part of these negotiations.

By focusing on removing the UK from the Common Fisheries Policy, Gove is not only ignoring the importance of tariffs to UK fisheries, but a whole host of other issues. Immigration is a significant issue in fisheries, especially in the processing sector, and as a perishable product, decisions made around port inspections could potentially cripple UK fish exports to the EU. Simply put, a single policy area cannot be plucked out and dealt with in isolation, especially not one as complex and integrated as fisheries policy.

It would also be unwise to unravel fisheries policy at the earliest possible opportunity, even if we could. Figuring out how fisheries policy in the UK could or should be governed post-Brexit is still in the early stages. There are also issues with key policy dates when the two-year deadline for Article 50 expires. Many fish stocks are now growing in size and the Common Fisheries Policy has a hard deadline to end overfishing by 2020. Stepping out now, especially with nostalgic motivations for times past of severe overfishing, is dangerous and irresponsible. Similar deadlines are on the horizon for the end of fish ‘discarding’ and the end of the EU subsidy fund.

Cabinet ministers are keen to be seen as securing a good standing for their portfolios in the Brexit negotiations. Attempting to remove an issue from the broader negotiations and deals is not the way forward. In areas of deep and necessary collaboration this is simple a concession of power, not a gain.

Full story courtesy of Griffin Carpenter writing at the New Economics Foundation

Captured on canvas, art, Newlyn and fish make a compelling combination.

With the refurbishment well under way, enter ye all who dare, the western end of the market is now in regular use...

with a mid-week market of mixed fish from the punts, inshore and beam trawl boats sure to make good money as gales hit the north western waters of the ~UK over the next 36 hours...

so premium fish like this 8kg turbot will make well over £100...

and bass, which since the MLS (minimum landing size) has been increased they have seen a substantial price hike......

one cod, one ling staying close...

the stacks of grey boxes tell their own story, two trips of plaice from the beam trawlers...

another fish auction image, the paint is still wet on this canvas tough, local artist Henrietta Graham who has a studio behind Trelawney Fish has just completed this fish auction study - her and partner Tim run Cornwall Painting Holidays between them and specialise in portrait and marine painting for beginners to experts...

mean the the buyers are busy taking down prices as they work through the trips...

some of the bigger plaice...

the inshore boats all made the most of the fine start to the week...

including the new kid on the block...

that's whole lot of plaice you got there Don...

these boots were made for working...

some of the handliners touched on a few mackerel...

and bass...

while the two beam trawlers filled their boots again with cuttles...

Tom snuck in the odd monk tail...

Mark always lets the buyers now when his fish were landed...

a mixed bag...

another piece of seabed scrap is brought ashore for recycling...

a workboat with a seriously big working deck...

today is day 6 of Seafood Week and these guys all catch the recommended fish of the day, Cornish Sardines nee pilchards.

Infographics and more: Pulse Fishing

The makers of the infographic on Pulse Fishing have very kindly pointed out that there is an English version! Many thanks to the guys @MinistiereEZ

this is an excellent insight into the highly controversial method of fishing whiuch has prompted Bloom Associates to file a complaint against the Netherlands!