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Sardines and aquaculture in crisis - over 100 years ago.

Here are a selection of extracts from a reserach paper by J Kunstler published over 100 yeqars ago in France. The title of the report is:


The Sardine Question and Aquculture Crisis - a familiar ring to the tone and content despite being translated by machine (Google Translate).

"The economic importance of marine fisheries is enormous. Their performance is all the more precious that so far there was no need to sow to reap, and that, in the words of Franklin, this is an income that gives us all free Nature. This way of life will last indefintiely? The plaintive echoes which, on all sides, we announce a gradual depopulation are likely to make us fear that this will not always be so, though there is no unanimity on this point and that many scientists believe simple movement of fauna under different influences, natural or even due to human action. Anyway, the current crisis seems to give a sardine greater likelihood of the pessimistic assessments.

But, 1888, a new Order withdrew that permission. The progressive course of improvement of instruments capture was stopped by the fact of legal impediments, under the influence of fear special ri va nt of economic ideas of those concerned, and this by the advice of a commission consisting predominantly by fishermen. They have forgotten that prior to use of a remote contingency, it must first live and that therefore it is necessary to follow Example neighbors and develop ways to capture.

Fears that can arise regarding fishing methods too advanced are twofold: economic and theoretical, aimed at a possible depopulation. There can certainly be considered as quite chimerical to fear that overfishing has to result of lowering the current price. But the evil and feared would be more or less overcome by increasing the total production, it might even be more or less avoided some regulatory restrictions. French products sell for a little better than their like strangers. However, the introduction of these the market is nonetheless one. great discomfort by comparison with the time when our Britons had a monopoly Production of sardine cans. Past, poor fisheries were compensated quite natural in raising the price of the commodity sold. Today it do not be the same, because the presence of products. Foreign maintains the variation in prices within narrow limits. From these considerations, it appears that it seems essential our fishermen to upgrade their ptocédés capture both want to fight against foreign competition.

Fishing seasons ollrent changes most diverse, or they have a uniform
remarkable or are confused by their irregularity. Abnormal phenomena can occur during periods of emergence, under the influence of causes still unknown, but which, a priori, seem clearly correspond either to changes in temperature water or weather-General, who start moving waters of the North Atlantic or Finally, a phenomena that alter the water regime Coastal.


Thus England do not send us that 1.5 million kg, and that retransmits only province in about 5 Ojo receipts. Boulogne it is most important to our ports fishing. He sent to Paris in about 7,000,000 kg. Peas::-olls, consisting mainly of mackerel, herring, whiting, conger, mullet, skate, gurnard and quail. There as though in smaller proportions, turbot, sole
and channel catfish. A spirit of bold initiative characterized this port.
Its fleet consists of thirty trawlers steam and double large sailboats, including. Crew is a score of men. These boats will seek mackerel off the coast of Ireland, or herring high in North Sea, from the end of June, for the following tinue to the coasts of France, where he arrived in October and where the fishery for about another two months. Many of these navir'es also engage in fishing trawl year mainly to take flatfish, turbot, sole, rays, dabs, plaice, brill, but also red mullet, hake, etc..


The sailboats, themselves, are equipped with a steam winch to bring on board the trawlers, as well as for hauling nets used for fishing for herring and mackerel nets can reach a length of several kilometers.
Besides the above vessels, the fleet includes Bolognese number of trawlers still more pelites, for practice herring fishing using nets, within sight of land, and that of skate and conger using very long cables trimmed hooks. Last year, two steam trawlers Bolognese went in Icelandic waters and have reported a cargo of about thirty thousand francs of cod.

CONCLUSIONS


Of all the foregoing considerations, we will the following conclusions:

1 It is urgent to consider an overhaul of rational regulations;

2 There would be restricting the right to fish I sardine drift component benches ds breeding. This restriction would be easy to apply, since it does not appear at the same time as the sardine roe;

3 It seems essential to allow, encourage similarly, on the coast of France, the use of sophisticated equipment for catching sardines spawn. A transitional measure useful could be the adoption of the net Guézennec;

4 He ​​also seems rational to consider a substitution plan final vapours, with appropriate regulations to current boats;

5 It would be highly desirable to establish a monitoring effective marine fisheries;

6 should facilitate the creation of a laboratory biological studies of marine animals in order to achieve complete knowledge of their habits and conditions reproduction, and lead to the creation of institution hatchery capable of replacing, as and when, In salt water, as was done for the soft, voids disastrous results from the fishing more intensively.

7 It would be useful to convene a meeting of a Commission International competent, responsible for studying the drawbacks of trawling for shrimp trawling and steaming, 'limit' trawling zones, and regulations develop a rational, potentially, effective supervision, safeguard the heritage of the fishermen in the interest of food and trawlers themselves."

Banquet bound!

 Bigger than a seven stonefish box, this huge turbot would make eyes of many Michelin starred chef water at the thought of preparing a centre-piece dish with this fish.......

 not so the humble skate.........

 keeping out of the rain this morning........

 as the Charisma makes a late, or is it early, landing........

a fresh batch of visitors time their visit well with a good mix of quality fish on the market this morning - wonder how much they would be drawn to make the same trip to a warehouse in darkest Indian Queens on the A30?

Lowestoft - the end of an era - is Newlyn next?

Letter to the Lowestoft Chronicle in response to an article forewarning of the closure of the fish dock in preference to moving sales and processing miles inland.


From Alex Brown:


It is a massive shame that this industry is dying out. How something like this can be allowed to happen is beyond me. The band that I'm in, Crumbs For Comfort, wrote a song called "Lowestoft Bay" that's all about the decline of the industry. Here are the lyrics: 


"Rolling hills mean nothing to us The sea is where we belong It's brine, not blood, that runs through our veins By Lowestoft Bay we were born There's been a port here For hundreds of years And as we leave the harbour We will remember a better time On Autumn waves we sailed out with A fleet of a thousand boats strong For many days we'd go to sea For the "Silver Darlings" we would trawl Then on landing the catch we'd send it all on To the Scotswomen down in the Scores And the Triangle Tavern Is where we spent all of our best times We could see them Leaving this old port Trawlers and drifters are leaving here Coming to Lowestoft Bay no more We could see them Leaving from the shore Trawlers and drifters are leaving here Coming to Lowestoft Bay no more There are rules to obey, when we catch too much We must throw the dead back overboard And as we head for home we will lament A fleet leaving for Holland's shores So come all ye longliners, man your boats And bate those lines once again And for lives that were lost St Margarets is where we remember We could see them Leaving this old port Trawlers and drifters are leaving here Coming to Lowestoft Bay no more We could see them Leaving from the shore Trawlers and drifters are leaving here Coming to Lowestoft Bay no more We will stay here And we'll carry on Getting ready to set sail again Mariners we are forever more We could see them Leaving from the shore Trawlers and drifters are leaving here Coming to Lowestoft Bay no more No more"


Listen to the audio track here:


Substitute Mount's Bay for Lowestoft Bay in the lyrics - Newlyn is some way from joining the likes of Milford and Lowestoft - but there are those who think that selling fish from a centralised warehouse is the future of fishing in Cornwall. Is a faceless transaction miles removed from the fleet's fishrooms something Cornwall's five million visitors travel to see or what generations of artists have been inspired to paint - or will that be the port's legacy - captured forever on canvas by members of the Newlyn School?


A fishing port without a fish market is nothing more than an accountant's transaction point, worth 2.5 pence in the pound; in the space of few minutes a week long trip is consigned, in boxes, whisked ashore to the back of an anonymous white refrigerated truck, untouched, unseen and unknown by all save the crew and driver - not much to inspire, marvel at or talk about - the equivalent of banking via a whole in the wall or telephone recorded voice. 


Preserving fishing as a way of life along with the all advantages of 21st century technology should be the way forward rather than using new technology to reduce interaction within the port.

Fish Sale on a Cornish Beach courtesy of Bernard Evans, Newlyn artist.

While we wouldn't want to revert to this classic scene captured by Stanhope Forbes 100 years ago nor become sentimental it doesn't have to be like this inland facility warehouse at Indian Queens on the A30 in the centre of Cornwall....

on the market with Right Move for £599,950.

Blue is the new green.

Charles Clover's new charity web site, Blue Marine Foundation seeks to build on the back of the initiative started by the End of the Line film that promoted a hard look at the ethics behind commercial fishing in some areas. Working closely with Fish2Fork, a site that champions restaurants who source their fish from ethical supplies and also seeks to damn those who don't. Check out both sites and kep an eye on the news sections in order to stay informed. The latest stories on both sites casts an eye over MPAs or marine reserves - something very close to the fishing industry and all those that fish in or longshore around the South West.

Asthore rises.

Over Falmouth way in Penryn, the Asthore is beginning to take shape while she is fitted out......

with her wheelhouse and foremast.......

the exhaust for the for'ard engine can clearly be seen coming up through the whaleback.

Sparkling Line breaks down and gets towed to Newlyn.

The Newlyn netter, Govenek of Ladram is towing the new Padstow registered netter, Sparkling Line to Newlyn after she developed a problem with a broken fuel pipe.The Sparkling Line is the latest addition to the Plymouth based Waterdance fleet and is currently on her maiden trip.

Sparkling Line enters through the gaps under tow from the harbour 'tug'boat.