Now Falmouth Coastguards needs you - just as Jeanne Socrates needed them!

Below is an extract from the recently published consultation document from the MCA - in a nutshell Falmouth Coastguard will become a day-time only centre - and in the process lose its present centre of excellence status which it enjoys around the world as international coordinator - which was in action but a few days ago when 67 year old solo English yachts-woman Jeanne Socrates was knocked down off Cape Horn. Here is an extract from her web log:

"To cut a long story short, the Chilean Navy and Falmouth CG both got involved - it was lovely to get the friendly, helpful Falmouth phone calls - an English person at the other end of the phone - no language problems!!! Helping with all that was Bob McDavitt initially - deeply appreciated, Bob - and the American Maritime Mobile Net on 14300 kHz - Bill (KI4MMZ) in particular, with Fred (W3ZU) helping with relay. Good for my morale was chatting to the Pacific Seafarers Net also."

If you make use of FCG's services then be sure to read the consultation document in full - especially be mindful of the fact that - despite the importance of Falmouth's current role - at no time was the station visited and staff interviewed by the team of consultants who put this together!

The document can be viewed and then downloaded from here.

How to Respond



The consultation period began on 16 December 2010 and will run until 24 March 2011; please ensure that your response reaches us by 5pm on that date


To ensure all views are accurately and consistently recorded, the consultation response form is the required form of response.


To make the response process as accessible as possible, responses are invited electronically by the completion of the online questionnaire


Alternatively, you can download and complete the consultation response form provided on our web site http://www.mcga.gov.uk and return by e-mail to: Coastguard.consultation@mcga.gov.uk


Written response forms can be sent to:


HM Coastguard Modernisation Consultation
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Spring Place
Bay 2/13
105 Commercial Road
Southampton
SO15 1EG


When responding, please state whether you are doing so as an individual or representing the views of an organisation. If responding on behalf of a larger organisation, please make it clear who is being represented and where applicable, how the views of members were assembled.


To ensure that all those who respond to the consultation are able to do so with the same access to information regarding the proposals, we will not be responding to individual questions. If you have a query, please ensure that you record it on the consultation response form. Answers to frequently raised queries will be posted on our website http://www.mcga.gov.uk for clarification, during the course of the consultation, if necessary.


During the consultation period there will also be a number of public consultation events. Details of dates and locations for these will be published on our website and advertised locally.


If you would like a paper copy of this consultation document, it can be ordered at the address shown above, or by telephoning our message line on 02380 839 587.

All set for tonight's Fish Fight - as Tesco wades in on the positive publicity.

On the eve of the start of Hugh Fearnley-Whittinstall's FishFight campaign Tesco took the timely opportunity to announce that they were moving to source their own brand tuna from 100%pole and line fisheries as reported in this Guardian Online article.  Of course, within the industry, many will recognise that targeting a fishery like tuna is an easy way of gaining green kudos points in comparison to promoting fisheries targeting white fish like cod, whiting and haddock.  The range of sentiments and opinions a story like this engenders is all too evident from the comments at the foot of the online Guardian's article.

Quentin Knights holds a tagged albacore tuna on the market at Newlyn.

Melissa Pritchard from Client Earth who spoke on the Radio Cornwall this morning elaborated on a recently published ClientEarth report citing that retail outlets used terms in the promotional material associated with fish products that where often misleading or unsubstantiated as regards their provenance - similar to the made up Scottish place names supermarkets use to promote smoked salmon and other products - terms that suggest they come from some sort of officially accredited catching methods are alluded to and not backed up with the kind of formal certification that is enjoyed by Cornish Sardines, Line Caught Bass, Pollack or Mackerel.  A spokesperson from the consumer association mentioned the lack of clarity and level of agreement within the industry with regard to the management of certain fish stocks. The story was picked up by the Guardian and some of the reaser's comments at the foot of the page make interesting reading.


Locally, the range and scope of scientific fisheries research is not sufficient to cover the range of species involved.  Thirty years ago there was a substantial mackerel fishery as huge shoals worked their way around the South West during the winter months.  On yesterday's market there was half a box of mackerel in total.  Historically over the years, big changes in the appearance of pelagic fish like mackerel and pilchards have been recorded in Cornish waters.


Round one of the FishFight programmes will be screened on Channel 4 tonight.

Mackerel mission!

Slack fishing for the handline fleet - the one solitary box of mackerel on Newlyn's Monday morning market.

Despite there being a local shortage of mackerel at the present time other areas are looking to promote the humble mackerel. Consigned by many to the bottom of the menu as a second class fish as a scavenger of the seas, the mackerel is these days much lauded as a means of providing essential Omega3 oils so valued by doctors and nutritionsists.

Channel 4 is currently encouraging not only wet fish shops but your local chippy to serve up mackerel as an alternative to cod on their menus.

Just the two trips.

Only two trips on the board this morning......

though the port record looks safe enough......

from the old port record holder, the AA as she is known locally........

still very little action with the mackerel scene, a solitary box on sale......

likely to cause some confusion in the fish shops - lets hope the marker pen doesn't rub off from the pollack tags on these bass!......

a handful of grey mullet from the Seafoam for Turner's auction spot.......

a reminder that the local Penlee lifeboat boys are turning out later this month for another of their fund raising efforts.

BBC1 Inside Out goes potting with Dick Ede.

Last of the country's withy pot fishermen, Dick Ede is the main subject of BBC1's regional Inside Out programme tonight at 7.30pm.

Heavy seas.

 The harbour suffered its first casualty of the year when this pint sank in her pontoon berth......

 bits like the SAAB gearbox and engine might be worth salvaging......

 along with the hull which suffered some damage to the gunnel.......

 skipper Archie's back in town with the Admiral Gordon for a few days......

 as the harbour lights crew get busy taking down the tree outside the Mission.......

 which will be the subject of much debate this year as the RNMDSF look certain to go through with their plans to close the historic building.........

 another casualty of the weather lays on the shingle beach......

 and the prom is not without damage from the ravishes of a heavy overnight swell which swept the Bay.....

 covering the front in stones and weed.......

from a turbulent sea.

Black is gold as Newlyn's port records tumbles three times!

Black turns to gold for the big beamer firm Stevensons as three boats take it in turns to topple the port record in a week - after the previous record held by another of their boats, the Aaltje Adriante or AA as she is known had survived for nearly twenty years.......

on the first market for the new year it was the turn of the Twilight III to trash the current £50,000 port record on Tuesday at £51,500.........

the following day, skipper Don Liddicoat on the Filadelfia filled his boots with black gold for £52,000 and, for a few days only, basked in the glory of being top dog, that was until Friday's auction.........

when the market floor was awash with liquid gold from the boxes of the Cornishman and her landing which saw the record fall for a third time in the week with a grossing of £52,800!