Newlyn - when life next to a living working port providing employment and prosperity for thousands of people is too much.

Does Newlyn have a future? Well one 'local' hopes not it would seem.

Around 5.30am this morning an irate Newlyn resident strode down to the end of the New Quay and complained to a shocked skipper about the noise from the boats engaged in landing their trips of fish. It would seem that, despite moving to the area 8 years ago, the reality of living on top of what is essentially an industrial site has just made itself apparent and deprived them of their senses. Do you buy a house next to the M1 and complain about the noise from passing traffic, do you live opposite a school and become indignant at the sound of excited children at home time, do you live on the Lizard next to Culdrose and demand that the Navy desist from flying noisy air-sea rescue helicopters? We think not.

Hats off to the skipper of that beam trawler for remaining calm and polite when affronted by such irrationality - let's face it, after a full trip at sea (including several very poor weather days) most fishermen would be in no mood to engage in such a futile argument - 600Hp diesel main and auxillary engines, turning winch gear and landing hooks make noise - end of.

The harbourmaster will undoubtedly be taking a call from Ms Indignant later in the day - he has our sympathy.

Some boats are now finished for the year

On the market, the cuttles are still leaving their mark.....
a glimpse of an age-old ceremony caught on film for the first time - Ian and Ryan in the traditional, 'handing over the book' move....
crab fishermen aboard the Dom Bosco are literally scraping the barrel for bait these days, just about anything will do it seems.......
not often seen these days, an 18 box shot of line-caught conger.....ugly they may be but they make great fish cakes....
headline damage - always able to come up with a shot for the blog, Colin from the Valhalla is discussing his latest foray into the unknown with Steven Nowell from the Nellie, strangley it was the last haul.......
a stack of Cornish Sardines from the Lyonesses waits under the morning moonlight for FalFish.....
hoping for a quick turnaround before setting off on their final trips - there will be, for the first time in months, a market this Saturday morning.....

at the end of the quay the Nowell fleet wait to shift round to Penzance dock for the Christmas break. A few of the netters have gone to shoot over the back of the big tide just to catch the final market of 2008 planned for next Monday.

Where there's light, there's fish on the table

Newlyn Harbour Lights 2008 - to see all of the lights around the harbour, view this gallery of harbour lights images.

Newlyn Seafood Cafe is open for visitors needing some sustenance when doing the 'lights'....
lets hope 2009 brings local Estate Agent, Phil Wilkins alittle more cheers than the later half of the current year!......
over in Penzance Dock, the wraps are off the Plymouth Explorer revealing her new paint job and deck kit.....
even the anchors have had the fresh paint treatment.....
work still progresses on the old ice-breaker which is slowly morphing into a luxury yacht.....
and much of the work is carried out Russel and Co at Penwith Marine Services

As Council of Fisheries ministers sit round the negotiating table in Bruxelles to decide the EU quotas for next year, fishing communities the length and breadth of the UK wait for the results. South West beam trawler fishermen will be waiting for sole news - and here's another view of the proceedings from our cousins North of the border, also with much to lose - the prawn trawlermen on the West Coast of Scotland.

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!".