Naughty 90s - Netting for tuna and swordfish 1994 style.

Re-live the tuna wars day back in the mid 1990s - when Greenpeace activists blockade Newlyn Harbour intent on stopping the boats from leaving the port to go fishing with gill nets.  Legally, as Newlyn is a designated port of refuge, there were legal implications. In the event, the fleet sailed as intended but not before the actions had caught the attention of the global media.

The Wendy Pulfrey and others fished on despite the attentions of the press and Greenpeace. Soon, Brussels and the Min of Ag and Fish (now Defra) - were instrumental in seeing a ban on the use of gill nets, later heralding in a new era of pole and line fishing as championed by Cornish Tuna. 

Plenty of bass with the bass champs!

Boxes of best bass laid out for auction.....

along with squid and cuttle's in the ratio of 14-1 from the inshore trawler Imogen III......

waste not want not, waste oil going to a good home......

missing from the scrapped Emma Louise, one wheelhouse.......

bathed in one small light, the Lousia alongside the quay.......

while the Sparkling Line is still missing this tide.......

one mirror-like morning........

under a waning moon.......

watched by the boating pool family of swans.

Thai hake curry - put in an order for when the netters land at the end of this week.

Quick and simple: Thai hake curry.

Stir-fry your  favourite veg

Poach the hake fillets in half a can of seasoned coconut milk with a few chopped spring onions/shallots - hake just won't fall apart - top fish for curries!

Before poaching, fry off a teaspoon of Mae Ploy Green Thai Curry Paste in the fry pan then add the coconut milk- you can't beat Mae Ploy - 100% natural ingredients - no additives .

Cook rice.

Serve in a bowl, rice first, veg next, fish next and pour over coconut poaching liquid.

WRITTEN MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON MARINE CONSERVATION ZONES

Environment Minister Richard Benyon today made the following Written Ministerial Statement: 


 As part of the Government’s commitment to implementing in full the provisions of the Marine and Coastal Access Act, we are creating a network of national protected areas in British seas to ensure our underwater wildlife flourishes in years to come. We are clear that looking after the wildlife and habitat in our seas is just as important as looking after those on land. 


 The Government’s first step to identifying new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) in English waters was taken forward through four regional MCZ projects managed by the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies, who are Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. The regional projects provided their recommendations for proposed sites for MCZs on 8 September. These have been reviewed by the independent Science Advisory Panel (SAP) and their advice to the SNCBs and Defra is beingpublished today on Defra’s website. 


 The Marine and Coastal Access Act requires the establishment of a network of conservation sites in the UK marine area. In English waters the network will comprise European Marine Sites, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, sites designated under the Ramsar Convention and Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). The Act requires that the network must conserve or improve the UK marine environment and protect a range of representative features. The regional MCZ projects have done excellent work in bringing stakeholders together and making site recommendations, but it is clear from the SAP’s advice that there are a number of gaps and limitations in the scientific evidence base supporting the MCZ recommendations. 


It is important that we get this right. It is vital that we have an adequate evidence base for every site if we are to create successful well-managed MCZs. An adequately robust evidence base will be essential when we come to implement management measures. 


 Defra will therefore be commissioning significant additional work to support MCZ designation including an in depth review of the evidence base for all the regional projects’ site recommendations and committing additional resources to carrying out seabed and habitat monitoring. 


Protecting our marine environment is essential and the Government remains fully committed to establishing MCZs to contribute to an ecologically coherent UK network. However, the need to strengthen the evidence base for the MCZ recommendations means this is going to take longer than the ambitious target first put forward. 


 We are likely to be able to designate some MCZs fairly quickly where the supporting evidence is adequate. However, for others we anticipate that more investigation will be needed before they can progress towards designation. 


 Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee will provide the MCZ impact assessment and their formal advice in July 2012. This is six months later than previously planned and this revised timetable will enable them to address the recommendations from the Independent Review of the Evidence Process for Selecting Marine Special Areas of Conservation (published July 2011) and take account of any further evidence obtained from the work that Defra is now commissioning. We will give careful consideration to all the advice received before undertaking formal public consultation on MCZs by the end of 2012. This consultation will include all sites recommended by the Regional Projects with clarity on how and when work on them will be taken forward. It is envisaged that the first MCZ designations will take place in 2013. 


 Defra and delivery partners will work together ensuring that early management measures are put in place to provide effective levels of protection for designated sites and continuing to build the evidence base for future designations. Defra will also take the opportunity, working with stakeholders and SNCBs, to look at other marine features which may benefit from spatial protection. This phased approach to designation will also allow more scope to shape the English network taking account of sites being considered by the devolved administrations and neighbouring Member States.

Common Fisheries Policy is 'broken'

The Common Fisheries Policy has "failed in its objectives" of creating a sustainable European fishery, with the deterioration of fish stocks and the fishing fleet, Labour MP Frank Doran says.

Brussels and the EU have repeatedly failed to address the issue of discards.

The MP for Aberdeen North told the House of Commons the system was "broken in several places" with "short term" decision-making in Brussels resorting to a "one size fits all culture". Fish discards, he said, was an issue high on the agenda, with strong opposition to the principle of good, saleable fish being thrown back into the sea. He said: "It's offensive to most of us, it's wasteful, it affects the viability and sustainability of fish stocks and it distorts the science and scientific advice. It also deeply affects our fishermen who are forced to throw perfectly good fish back in the sea to rot."

The current CFP review by the European Commission, he said, gave Britain an opportunity to argue for a much more radical change, one that "recognises the past failures of a system and puts in place a CFP which is fit for purpose in the 21st century". The backbench motion urges the Government to ensure a revised CFP makes provision for a move away from a centralised management system to a system of regional management of fisheries. It also calls for a manageable and practical scheme to eliminate the problem of discarded fish and the replacement of the current system of annual quotas with a multi-annual system of management focused on conserving fish stocks within a sustainable fishing industry.

Chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee Anne McIntosh said the current "direction of travel" of the European negotiations was "very positive indeed", but it was important to ensure both northern and southern member states supported proposals.

Labour Eurosceptic Kelvin Hopkins, MP for Luton North, said the UK should threaten to withdraw from the CFP. He said: "The only effective solution is actually to seek the abolition of the CFP and return fisheries to member states. All talk of reform at this stage is mere tinkering at the margins."

Lerwick - to the far North.

Spotted at her home port of Lerwick in the Shetlands, the pelagic ship Research.........

with the initials of the owners clearly visible on the bow.

A grey start to the week with an easterly draft.

 A run of good quality plaice, monk amd megrims on the market this morning.....

 along with a smattering of line caught gold and silver......

 and these bass with koi-like markings........

 neap tides mean it's sailing time for for the netter Ajax......... 

 and the Golden Harvest as she takes ice......

 on watch over Vince and others.......

on a grey morning just after high water - with the wind in the east - Mevagissey men would say an easterly wind provides a fair wind home.