From Cape Verde to Cornwall!

Andrew George MP Calls For Radical Change To Fishing Policy.

Local MP, Andrew George, is calling for a radical EU reform of the Commons Fisheries Policy (CFP) and is campaigning for fishermen to be given greater powers to protect and manage their own fisheries.


He will be meeting with a group of West African fishermen in Newlyn's Fisherman's Mission tomorrow and with local fishermen and industry bodies during the next few weeks to discuss the CFP reform.


Mr George is the Liberal Democrat lead on fishing matters in the House of Commons and works closely with the Fisheries Minister, Richard Benyon MP. They are working jointly as Coalition partners in the lead up to the completion of the CFP review by the end of 2012.


Mr George, who took part in a Parliamentary debate last week (Thursday, 12th May 2011) to discuss the reforms, said: “We must support those coastal communities that are dependent upon fishing and the fishing industry whether they be in Europe or in Africa. In doing that we must develop policy which ends the practice of discards and takes powers away from Brussels and gives fishermen and other stakeholders more say in their own local and regional waters whether in Cornwall or Africa.”


Greenpeace has organised a small delegation of three artisanal fishermen from West Africa to visit the UK as part of the European-wide African Voices Tour. Mr George will meet the fishermen when they visit Seafood Cornwall in Newlyn on Friday (20th May) at 12.30pm.


The fishermen will share their own experiences of the effects of large industrial European vessels operating in their waters under the Common Fisheries Policy.


The group are interested in meeting fellow small scale fishermen in the UK and will spend an informal day in Newlyn this week where they will discuss how their livelihoods and communities are threatened by the large European vessels.


Mr George will also be meeting with local fishermen and industry representatives in the coming weeks to discuss other aspects of the CFP and the challenges faced by many fishing communities around the Cornish coast whose livelihoods are dependent upon successful local fisheries management.

AtSource gets the first Mackerel pin for Penzance from HFW.

AFTER trading for only a month, a new Penzance café, At Source, has been awarded a Mackerel Pin by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's Fish Fight team.

The TV chef's Fish Fight campaign, backed by Channel 4, aims to get more people eating British sustainable fish and includes a big push to have mackerel on the menu.  As part of At Source's policy of only serving local seasonal food, the fish served in the increasingly popular cafe is strictly only landed in Newlyn and includes line-caught mackerel for most of the year.  As well as using mackerel or other seasonal fish for the standard menu fish and chips, the daily Special's board offers fish dishes dependent on what has been landed each day.

In recognition of this sustainable fish policy, At Source has been awarded a pin on the map on the Fish Fight website and signage to promote the café as part of the campaign.  "Sustainability is a large part of what we are about," said cafe owner Niky Keane. "We want to raise awareness of local, seasonal food by making no excuses for only being able to serve and sell what comes from Cornwall at any time of year. Our fish, vegetables and salads change almost daily in line with what local growers and fishermen can bring us."

Story courtesy of The Cornishman (C-DM)

Land's End carries the torch.

A year today, the Olympic torch will leave Land's End, Cornwall, on the morning of Saturday 19 May 2012 - the day after it arrives in the UK from Greece.

During the 70-day torch relay, it will pass through towns and cities including Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool, Belfast, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham, Oxford, Southampton and Dover.

With one year to go until the Flame arrives in the UK, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has launched the 'Moment to Shine' public nomination campaign, which will see 2,012 Torchbearer places on offer. Through the campaign, members of the public can nominate someone living in the UK who has inspired them.


From the start point of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay at Land’s End on 19 May 2012, an average of 110 people a day will take centre stage by carrying the Flame during its 70-day journey towards the Olympic Stadium in London.

Details of this route were announced today, and will see the Olympic Flame come within a one hour journey time of 95 per cent of the population. The majority of the 8,000 Torchbearer places will be made available to the public through LOCOG and the three Presenting Partners: Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung. The Presenting Partners' campaigns will launch in June 2011. Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: ‘Carrying the Olympic Flame is an incredible honour and from today people have the opportunity to reward someone inspirational by nominating them to be part of this historic event. This is a great occasion to give someone you know, who has made a difference and who deserves recognition, their moment to shine.’

Sir Chris Hoy, Olympic Gold Medallist and Lloyds TSB (Bank of Scotland) Ambassador for the London 2012 Games said: ‘It’s great that Lloyds TSB (Bank of Scotland) is bringing the Games closer to local communities and inviting the public to nominate someone to carry the Olympic Flame. I know who I’m nominating and urge everyone to nominate and recognise the people who’ve made a difference to their local community.’

The deadline for making nominations is 11.59pm on Wednesday 29 June 2011.


Find out more about the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay

Home-smoked fish fish cakes.

 Bring a 50/50 mixture of white and smoked white fish fillets covered in milk to the boil and allow to cool - the fuller flavour of smoked fish can be overpowering for some palates........

 having made a dry mashed potato - add finely chopped chives (or, as an alternative, spring onion), chopped parsley, an egg yolk, salt and pepper to season, mix with a fork and add the now drained fish (save the milk) - cover a chopping board with Panko (Japanese) bread crumbs and form a pattie in your hand before flattening the pattie on the breadcrumbs, press flat and coat the top side before frying off a batch......

 add a simple tomato salsa.......

and veg of choice - to the milk used to poach the fish, add two large dollops of Dijon mustard and thicken to make a simple sauce.

Result! Coastguard stations won't be closed!

It is being reported in the national press that the Government has decided to pull plans to close 11 coastguard stations as originally outlined in their proposed cutbacks.


A quiet, but virulent campaign to fight the cuts made full use of online technology like blogs, social networking and a well supported petition all seem to have helped bring about the right result for the nation's marine trades and leisure activities. 


The cruel irony of having Sheryll Murray receive news that her fisherman husband had been found fatally injured at sea while she was in the House of Commons taking part in a debate to cut elements of the Coastguard Service  cannot have been lost on those taking part at the time.


A full transcript of the evidence given before the House taken in April of this year can be read here.


Save the Coastguard - Petition Online

Save Clyde Coastguard

Save Stornaway

Has the Magic gone?

 Is that the sardine King up to his ears in lemons?.......

 well, if that's what it's come too.......

 a concentration of buyers huddle around the megs......

 with their big mouths.........

 don't forget guys, there's no ice on Friday this week...... 

 not what Andrew wants to see down the quay.......

 most of the beamer fleet are in this morning.......

 big drums for big nets........

 probably just as well.........

 a market virgin, Rob from St Ives' fish merchant Matthew Stevens gets his first taste of the morning auction action......

 tagging along with the rest of the staff on their day out in Newlyn........

 a small shot of grey mullet in from the Scillys.......

 and a standing stone has appeared on the beach......

some of the seats on the prom can't take the strain.