In the run-up to Christmas

Monday's morning market still has plenty of cuttles to offer......
with conditions relativley chilly but still milder than much of the country, most mornings provide the observer with a range of colourful sunrises......
while some ex-crew members of the CarolH, like all the netters now finished for the year, enjoy a holiday in far-off Thailand.....

after landing this morning, the Shiralee will head back to sea as soon as the decks are cleared way again.

That light for which Newlyn is renowned

To the landlubber this scene with the Achieve in berth looks tranquil enough - but to the fisherman there is something amiss here - a rope that passes under the transom from the trawl gantry and a missing net on the port drum tell a story of grief and aggravation.....

these days the Harvest Reaper has a stern full of gear.....
after a day on the Runnelstone Reef, its time for John Thomas to stow the bass poles......
in the early morning sunshine the harbour lights can still be seen to glow.....
though this promises to be a day of heavy showers in a chilly northerly draft.....
one of the growing population of harbour cormorants has just secured breakfast in the shape, and ugly at that, of a small bullhead.....
as the Evening Star heads for the gaps.....
time for the IRB to shake off the cobwebs.....
ahead of the ChloeT embarking on her last trip of 2008 before making this coming Friday's final festive market.....
after months of work WY160 is in the fish....
despite the weather and with only a few days of the year to go, there are only a handful of boats against the quay.....
weather is also keeping this Admiralty barge crane in Penzance Harbour on a berth outside the wet dock....

the gulls are lined up waiting for the mackerel boats to return and a chance to plunder!

Buccas Four herald in the lights!

The Geordie boys get to land under heavy showers down the end of the new quay.....
while at the fish market, fishermen's grandchildren are wrapped up well with Santa hats and scarves.....
and the tea urns do a busy trade before the lights go on.....
with all hands retired to the cover of the Fish Market the silver band provides more Christmas cheer.....
aglow with their own Christmas lights two cousins, mirror images of Mum and Dad, wait in anticipation of the big switch on....
the anchor lights up the end of the market......
as does the Christmas tree on the iceworks......
down the end of the new quay, David Stevens and crew admire the giant lobster that has suddenly appeared above the Crystal Sea II.

A short video of the firework display at this year's Newlyn Harbour lights switch on. Turn up the volume to hear the voices of the Buccas Four in the fish market.

Ministers soon to sit round the table for the annual fish stock carve-up in Belgium

It's that time of year when a select group of fishing 'representatives' - the Council of Fisheries Ministers - will spend three days in Belgium next week, often working through the night, to hammer out the quota allocations in European waters for the coming year. The annual agony sees all hands wait and pray that cuts will not be applied to their particular fishery - especially when, in the past, these cuts may have been introduced without the backing of scientific evidence. In particular, the South West (ICES Area VII) beamer fleet, along with a few specialist trawlers will be waiting for news of the sole quota. Likewise the gill-netting fleet will be checking for news from Brussels of any cuts in quotas for hake, pollack and cod - seems every year there's even more reason to treat sprouts with distaste - " Look, I don't like them, your mother isn't too keen either but go on, Brussels is good for you!".

Cuttles continue to leave their mark

Outside the market dozens of boxes wait to be washed....inside the market their is evidence of cuttle ink everywhere, from the scales......
to the plastic temperature controlling curtains......
to the market floor.

Back in

As the sun bgins to crack across the Bay the Billy Rowney's gear gets the once over....
yesterday's wet looking sun foretold a damp day today......
though there is hardly a breath as the Trevessa IV slips in through the gaps.....

with what looks like a days work on the gear ahead of the crew.

Sampson gets the slip

There are not too many swing bucket dredgers around these days....
the WSSampson is safely up on the slip after she was discovered to be suffering from an ingress of water on the day she was due to sail after her recently completed refit.....
off in the gloom heads the Dom Bosco.......
the cuttles are still making their presence felt on the market this week.....

back up on the hard is the sardine chasing Lyonesse.