The Barnacle and the crab - an intimate relationship.

Local artist and graphic designer Paul Betowski recently partnered up with writer Fiona Thompson to create the Cornish crab poster, for 26 Flavours of Cornwall. The 26 Flavours of Cornwall exhibition is at Trebah Garden, near Falmouth and runs from the 1st to the 26th July 2011.

CFP reforms published today - what will the fishing industry think?

Local Newlyn fisherman Mike Mahon was never one to pull any punches when it came to criticising what he saw as Brussels' failur to deal with the discards - he even tried to make a case that it was illegel under maritime law, which prevents the intentional dumping of anything at sea!



For many years, haddock shots of this size were never a feature of the fish market at Newlyn - such trips were the result of a relatively recent shift in fish movement, somthing the quota system - largely based on historical records - could never adequately respond to fairly it seems.

 Long-awaited proposals to reform the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) will be unveiled on Wednesday.  Measures to cut overfishing, reduce the number of vessels, and banning fish discards at sea are set to be out by Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki.  In 2009, the European Commission said the CFP had failed to sustainably manage fish stocks and had to change.


Environmental groups have long voiced concerns that CFP was allowing too many vessels catch depleted fish stocks.

Read the rest of the article on the BBC's Science and Environment pages here:

There's also a video article on the call to change EU fishing rules.

Coastguard cuts cut.

Gwennap Head was an early casualty in the last round of big cuts to the Coastguard servics back in the 1980s - many of these stations, like Gwennap Head at Land's End, are now manned by volunteers for the National Coastwatch Institutiion.

Plans to close coastguard stations around Britain will be scaled back by ministers this week after warnings that the cuts could put lives at risk - so goes this article from the Sunday Telegraph - congratulations to all those who campaigned tirelesly to cut the cuts - a big victory for commen sense, local Cornish MP Sheryll Murray must be pleased.

Inshore in trouble.

Inshore fishermen in Devon and Cornwall are warning that plans to introduce quotas could force them out of business.  Owners of boats under 10m (33ft) said they were worried the new system would be too restrictive. The quotas will be based on records of what each boat has caught annually between 2007 and 2010.

See the full story here on the BBC - local MP Andrew George will be taking the plight of the inshore fleet straight to Westminster.

Quiet market with most of the fleet at sea.

Long hours and late finishes, Cap'n Cod weighs a weekend's worth of top quality line caught bass........

one Cornish Sardine keeping an eye on things.......

enjoy a meal of local crab, a beer and check out the latest exhibition at Newlyn's Tolcarne Inn.......

sure I've seen this in the Tate Modern........

and this.........

an early Mondrian maybe........

the National Trust have arranged a series of nature workshops in the area throughout the summer, every Wednesday off Battery Rocks - see the nature workshops web site for more details and keep those kids amused......

sailing solo and heading for Land's End with little wind in the Bay this morning.......

more than a day's work on this footrope to set it on the bobbins........

it's always the wife that gets to stow the ropes it seems......

beam wheel from the ChloeT.........

the Ripple's annual bottom scrub.

Ben Loyal tuna video.

Looking for a better start to the season, first trip of the year for the Ben Loyal sees her steam home in a gale of wind with around 500 top quality albacore tuna.

This is the current postion of the Spanish albacore tuna fleet - off the edge of the 'Shelf'!

Sunday morning.

Charter boats make their way to the steps on the quay in Penzance.......

as the early angling brigade muster at the Cafe........

not taking coals to Newcastle but stone to the Scillies........

under a blue morning sky......

with the propellor and guard showing her ice-breaker heritage.........

Bag-O-Rags has a new line in themed pirate flags.........

with the sea warming up to all of 15º the Jubilee Pool becomes even more tempting........

a pait of dredgers, with the Mannin due to go in the Dry Dock on Monday........

scumble glaze used to give a wood grain finish gives the Ocean Warden a classy look.........

more paint in evident on the titivated net drums waiting to goa aboard the St Adrianne..........

the artist's palette, time to call in Nick Praed methinks.......

or if your media is acrylics then how about a short course with another local artist, Glyn Macey..........

last day of the annual Penwith College students'.......... 

show at the PZ Gallery..........

looks like a good read.........

one microlight spotted over Penzance.