Irish prawn trawler arrested on the Smalls and escorted to Newlyn

MARIA MAGDALENA, the Irish prawn trawler from Galway arrested and escorted to Newlyn, Cornwall for alleged fishing offences....

the boats was fishing for prawns (langoustine) on the Smalls ground using 120mm mesh (the legal minimum size is 110)...

she is an ex-French trawler from Guilvenec....

Skipper David O'Neill, leans on the rail of his boat.

The Smalls grounds for langoustine.

View Well known fishing grounds in the Western Approaches in a larger map

How Catch Share Programs Benefit Small Scale Fishermen

It surprises many that local, small scale and artisanal fishing communities thrive under a well-designed system of secure and equitably distributed access privileges. Yet these are the very fishermen for whom catch shares first evolved. ‘Modern’ programs have roots in traditions of coastal communities who found practical ways to reduce conflict and waste while fairly allocating and valuing finite resources. Political economists and anthropologists like the late Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom have documented their spontaneous emergence in diverse fisheries. Each is unique; all share certain patterns. These include clearly defined boundaries, known rules, recognized tenure, self-imposed sanctions, customary laws, internal exchanges.

Fiji’s fishing groups formed goligoi, self-organized and self-enforced tenure system still active today. Japan’s ainu organize native fisheries in ways that date to the feudal era. Spatial, territorial and place-based catch share systems evolved globally for the benefit of small scale fishermen from Chile to the Gulf of Maine to the lakeshores of Eastern Africa to the seashores of India.

These deep and wide examples of ancient practice ensure catch shares can build on a secure foundation of tradition. They provide a better opportunity than top-down regulatory systems for equitable distribution of access to fishery resources. Instead of rewarding those few blessed with capital, catch shares hold opportunity for most stakeholders without. Indeed, smart and participatory catch share design can – and already does – ensure equity for all by protecting and promoting certain small scale constituents as part of the overriding program goal, right from the start.

Legitimate concerns about ‘fair’ allocation tend to be a legacy from the old broken regulatory system, in which equity was lacking, and where small-scale local fishermen had to keep racing for a dwindling slice, of a shrinking supply base, against larger and faster vessels from a distant port. Under open access, Cape Cod’s hook and line fishermen were failing to compete with better equipped trawlers, but a secure and scientifically accountable quota created a sector cooperative: one that leveled the playing field.

Catch shares are more democratic. Collective management allocates privileges of, by, for, and within communities as a way to redress past inequality. Hence under catch share programs, native Maori now hold tenure over half of New Zealand’s fish ; remote Native Americans along the coast of our largest State hold a fifth of all fish under catch shares in Alaska’s Community Development Quota. Even quota trading rules often benefit small scale fishermen. Alaskans designed their catch share exchanges for halibut and sablefish so that smaller-boat fishermen can purchase or lease shares from exiting larger vessels at a fair price – but not vice versa. Other catch shares set aside quota for the community, holding back shares as a social safety net for certain at risk fishermen as a buffer to build local resilience to external climatic and market forces.

Rather than break with the past, catch shares embrace proven traditions, restoring what for centuries has worked to benefit the indigenous experience of local fishermen with an equitable stake in the long term value of their fishery. As with fish, so with the small scale families who fish them: what robust health the rise of big, industrial global forces nearly eradicated, catch shares put firmly back into place.

Article courtesy of EDF.

French trawler off Castletownbeare aground

French trawler off Castletownbeare waits to be refloated tonight at high water.

She didn't make it between the new port and starboard channel nav lights and went aground beside Came point hotel should re-float ok

3x navy vessels standing by 2 assist French vessel aground in Castletownbere, no immediate risk to life and plan to refloat at 1am with tide

Photo courtesy of:

Niall Duffy

@WestCorkPhoto

http://www.westcorkphoto.com Press & PR Photographer based in West Cork.South West Correspondent for Irish Skipper. Mob:086-8937916

Sylvia Earle's TED Prize wish to protect our oceans

Legendary ocean researcher Sylvia Earle shares astonishing images of the ocean -- and shocking stats about its rapid decline -- as she makes her TED Prize wish: that we will join her in protecting the vital blue heart of the planet.

Sylvia Earle has been at the frontier of deep ocean exploration for four decades. She's led more than 50 undersea expeditions, and she's been an equally tireless advocate for our oceans and the creatures who live in them.

The Discard Action Group (DAG)

Putting the coming discard debate in ton context.

Seafish established the Discard Action Group as an 'issue forum' to discuss and help resolve industry-wide problems.

Mike Park, Scottish White Fish Producers Association and a Seafish Board member, chairs this group which is representative of the whole seafood supply chain. The group meets three to four times a year.

The DAG was set up im May 2011 with this set of terms of reference:

• The Group acts as an ‘issue forum’ playing a pivotal role in mediating a common 

approach to discard issues affecting the whole seafood supply chain. It is the 

only cross-industry group solely addressing the issue of discards. 

• The aim of the DAG is to improve understanding of the phenomenon of 

discarding; to explore the means by which discarding can be reduced to the 

minimum level practicable; to develop action plans to accelerate developments in 

specified areas; and to act as a hub to provide factual information that is both 

accessible and understandable.  

• The Discard Action Group (DAG) is autonomous, however its activities are 

reported to the Seafish-facilitated Common Language Group. Seafish provides 

the secretariat for the DAG. All information produced by the group should be 

placed in the public domain. 

• The DAG will typically meet three to four times per year to share information and 

monitor progress of activities. The participants will determine how often the group 

should meet based on current need and will also monitor the continuing role and 

effectiveness of the activities of the group. 

• Participants at DAG meetings should be representative of all relevant interests 

across the UK seafood supply chain: 

-  the catching sector 

-  the whole UK seafood supply chain 

-  non-governmental organisations 

-  legislators 

-  regulators 

-  technologists and scientists 

-  other bodies pursuing this goal 

and, where appropriate, the media. 

• The DAG should help each sector to understand the perspectives of others and 

build consensus on issues relating to discarding. 

• The DAG should define and promote best practice in discard reduction.  

• The DAG should look for novel ways of incentivising the adoption of best 

practice. 

• The DAG should inform its participants and the wider community of new 

developments on an international, as well as national basis, acknowledging the 

fact we can learn from best practice from around the world. 

• The DAG should maintain a webpage, making current information on the topic 

and all the meeting minutes available. 

Ireland offshore oilfield has over 1bn barrels, says drilling company

Interesting story appeared in the Guardian earlier this year of great relevance to the exploitation of outr waters and the huge influence that the oil industry has.

• Henry McDonald, Ireland correspondent
• The Guardian, Wednesday 25 July 2012 17.48 BST

The Arctic III rig used for drilling at Barryroe. Providence Resources says Ireland's offshore field may contain up to 1.6bn barrels of oil. Photograph: Finbarr O'Rourke/Providence Reso/PA

Ireland's first offshore oilfield contains more than 1bn barrels of oil, an exploration company drilling off the County Cork coast has announced.
Providence Resources said Wednesday's results, which show that there could be up to 1.6bn barrels in the oilfield at Barryroe, far exceeded their previous projections.
The company said oil rigs could be operational off the southern Irish coastline within three years.
Tony O'Reilly, its chief executive, said the volume found in the Irish Sea could become as important to Ireland as the North Sea has been for the UK economy.
At present Ireland imports 100% of its oil – a quarter of which is refined not far from Barryroe.
The new results come after the successful drilling and testing of the Barryroe well back in March this year. Over the last few months data from the site has been taken to measure the volume of oil in the field.
Following Wednesday's results O'Reilly described Barryroe as "the well that just keeps giving".
He told the Guardian: "What really makes this special is that while we knew we had this big discovery, it has come in a lot bigger than we first expected. We think it is a hugely important moment in time for Ireland and its territorial waters.
"This well in Ballyroe is bigger than a lot of fields in the North Sea. The next question is – what will be the recovery rate? In the North Sea it's 38%. This is a very big tank of oil at Barryroe. Now we have to look how to develop this. The industry is beginning to speculate in London and they would have higher recovery rates than previously they thought possible from our field."
O'Reilly claimed the Barryroe results and the potential of other exploratory oilfields in five other locations off the Irish coast had huge implications for the country's economy.
"Ireland consumes about 140,000 barrels of imported oil every day so imagine if the country started producing its own. In terms of security of supply, the jobs created and the revenue to the taxpayer this is very good news for the entire island at a time of recession."
He added that it was fortunate that the oil had been located off the County Cork coast as it already contained industrial infrastructure that could help in the construction of future oil wells.
"You have the biggest oil refinery in the country that takes in about 25% of all oil Ireland consumes. Alongside that you also have the Kinsale gas field off Cork. So in terms of infrastructure we are perfectly positioned to get that oil out."
The next step for Providence is to negotiate with big international oil companies operating in the North Sea and the Gulf to form a partnership to extract the oil.

Mouthwatering food photography

Fish never looked so succulent - photographer David Griffen shoots food for a living - wonder if he gets to eat his subjects?