Monday, 7 January 2013

The river bank near Penryn, Falmouth

Looking up river towards Penryn and the old 'Penryn Mission' quay, these days there are dozens of live-aboards lining the banks...

the dredger Sand Chime, once a familiar sight in Penzance dock has seen better days...

as has the grab crane used to dredge silt with.

NGOs and EU fishing - be aware

NGO Briefings for Members of the European Parliament

The focus of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy is clearly on the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), and in particular the members of the Fisheries Committee, who in the coming weeks are going to be taking some crucial votes. On this page, you will find a series of briefings and letters by OCEAN2012 and our NGO partners in supporting MEPs in taking these important decisions.

Other documents:

Letter from German NGOs to German MEPs on the CFP reform (Deutsch) / Debunking Myths About Fisheries Subsidies, Modernisation and Fleet Renewal (English) /Joint NGO Letter on Fleet Renewal (English) /NGOs Urge Improvements to Fisheries Committee Draft Report on the EMFF (English)/ Assessment of Amendments in PECH to the CFP Regulation (English) /NGOs Urge Change of Funding Priorities in the Proposed EMFF (English) /EU Aid for Those who Comply with the Rules of the CFP (English) /Call on MEPs to Reject Irresponsible Council Approach on fisheries reform (English) /Valoración de las Enmiendas en la Comisión de Pesca al Reglamento de la PPC (Español)/NGO Preliminary Response to the Draft Report on the Common Fisheries Policy (English)/ Des Financements Publics pour des Pêcheries Durables (Français) /Ayuda Publica Para La Industria Pesquera Sostenible (Español) /Public Aid for Sustainable Fisheries (English) /No aid for engine modernisation or replacement under the EMFF (English) /Kryteria dostępu do praw połowowych - nagradzanie odpowiedzialnego rybołówstwa (Polski)/Un accès préférentiel à la ressource pour récompenser la pêche responsable (Français)/ Criterios de Accesso para Recompensar la Pesca Responsable (Español) /Zugangskriterien Sollen Verantwortungsvolle Fischerei Belohnen (Deutsch) /Access Criteria to Reward Responsible Fishing (English) /Preliminary Reaction to the Commission Proposal on the EMFF (English) /Fleet overcapacity is driving overfishing (English) /Tackling Discards in EU Fisheries (English) /To MSY and beyond: achieving healthy stocks to achieve healthy seas (English)

Contact: Cathrine Schirmer cschirmer@pewtrusts.org +32 2 2741627

Recession? new world record price for a single fish!

On Saturday morning around 5 a.m., a 222-kilogram bluefin tuna was sold at Tokyo’s Tsukiji market for an all-time high of 155.4 million yen, or 1.8 million dollars, at the annual new year auction, Japan’s national broadcaster NHK reported. That equals $8,000 per kilo of tuna, making the marbled, richly-flavoured tuna roughly eight times more expensive than silver.

“The price was a bit high,” the winning bidder Kiyoshi Kimura told the Kyodo News Agency. “But I hope we can encourage Japan by providing good tuna.” He operates the Sushi Zanmai restaurant chain, which claims to be Japan’s first 24-hour, 365-days-a-year sushi bar.

Kimura said he planned to offer the fish to his customers on Saturday evening. Tiny sushi slices of the prized fish can sell for up to $24, according to the Associated Press. Japanese consume up to 80% of the world’s declining tuna stock. Ever higher prices cause alarm among environmentalists fearing further depletion.
This year’s price dwarves last year’s record price of $646,000

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/01/07/japan-worlds-most-expensive-fish-sold-for-1-8-million/#ixzz2HIdQL5y7

Words of appreciation

"many thanks to fishermans mission for memorible year for looking after us all seagoing and retired thank you and your staff for your wellcoming manor us retired fishermen with faces wrinkled by sun.rain .freezing wind. knarled hands ,bits missing lungs shot memories leaving us but a twinkle in everyones eyes tales to tell to those that would .now in our twilight years we can still laugh and joke in away only we auld fishermen can understand thank you for clean toilets clean showers and galley shipshape for all the washing and care of fishermans gear well done mission."

To all those at the Missionb in North Shields.

Monday's mixed fish market makes money!

The Twilight was one of several beam trawlers to land on Mondays market, fish like Dover sole were making fantastic prices - £28 per kilo!!!...

and there was a good run of fish from the inshore trawlers and net boats...

which meant hundreds of boxes to got through the washer...

piles of pollack...

even an Alice Shad....

and boxes of those elusive mackerel made good money...

just the best of the buyers were left for the final sole shoot out...

pristine plaice...

redder than red mullet...

lotte or magnifique monk...

luscious lemons...

and bountiful bass...

even the Sea Spray has started working monk gear...

and of course at this time of year its in the black...

Tom keeps an eye on the boats as they come and go...

as the sun created a fantastic sunrise over the Bay.

Turkey Rhubarb Band Visit to Newlyn 2013

Spotted in Newlyn this week - the Turkey Rhubarb Band, the country's premier exponents of Guise dancing were strutting their stuff on Twelth Night.

From Wikipedia: There has been a rise of interest in Guise Dancing in Cornwall in recent years with new groups adopting the practice throughout Cornwall. The most notable being the Turkey Rhubarb band in Penzance, The St Ives Guisers and Pyba. The Turkey Rhubarb band and Pyba both regularly appear with 'Obby 'Osses, Penglaz and Pengyn respectively, both of which are the "Skull and pole" variety. Penglaz of course being most famous for its appearances at the Golowan festival in late June accompanied by the Golowan band

Saturday, 5 January 2013

Saturday morning in Newlyn

The North Quay is devoid of boats, a good sign after the Xmas break...

though for the Rowse crabber, Emma Louise its just another day...

and a few scrubbing jobs to be done...

head of ship maintenance and ex-skipper, Bobby Sowden contemplates...

the huge amount of work still to be done aboard the Corin's new beam trawler...

the Wayfinder lays against the quay at half water...

heading back to a berth on the pontoons...

the old and the new...

with the derricks almost ready for a final coat of paint...

the new Hosking netter sports the biggest net hauler in the port...

a big step for Tom, chief engineer as he heads aboard the huge scalloper, Jacoba...

where Saturday Kitchen is compulsory viewing...

pointing out the benefits of just one of the myriad of software app that are common on fishing vessels these days, this part of ChartLog and Australian E-Logbook programme...