A new Fishermen's Forum has been created for fishermen who use Newlyn - the NFF

A new fishermen's association in Newlyn has been established to give boat owners a bigger voice in the community. Named the Newlyn Fisherman's Forum (NFF), the collective has already amassed a membership of around 60 after concerns in the fishing port that boat owners and independent fishermen were not being heard by the Harbour Commission. ​

To find out more or to join the forum, contact the Seafood Cornwall Training office on 01736 743040. ​

'The Business of Fishing'

'The Business of Fishing' aims to improve everyone's understanding of the business aspects of the UK fishing industry by showing some of the day-to-day and strategic challenges that fishing vessel owners face and how they overcome those challenges. The video shows the industry through the eyes of four different vessel owners from different fishing sectors and regions of the UK. The focus is on running a successful business while taking care of the fish stocks and the natural environment.

'The Business of Fishing' was screened for the first time at an event at the Mayfair Hotel in London on Tuesday 12 March 2013. At the screening event, the invited audience of policy makers, environmental NGOs, media and industry representatives each had the opportunity to meet vessel owners involved in the film and discuss some of the issues that it explored. A further launch event was held in Edinburgh the following week and several other screenings around the UK and in Brussels followed as popular demand grew. The film has been shown at a discussion event in the European Parliament and to DG Mare at the European Commission in Brussels, to the House of Commons all party fisheries committee in London.

West country viewers should have no trouble in spotting the familiar face of skipper David Stevns Jnr aboard the family owned Crystal Sea II.

Commissioned by Sea Fish Industry Authority - the Authority on Seafood

Filmed and Edited by Greenroom Films, Edinburgh Executive Producer for Seafish: Hazel Curtis ©Sea Fish Industry Authority 2013

Three Sons - rolling her way in to Brixham

Some time visitor to Newlyn, the Three Sons making her way in to Brixham Harbour in scuffly weather. Unlike Newlyn, boats entering Brixham are afforded the luxury (comfort-wise) of keeping their derricks lowered until,after they have entered the harbour. Entering Newlyn with you derricks down in a southerly - sou-easterly blow would be extremely risky as the harbour entrance is considerably smaller.

The video is one of many featured on the new all-singing all-dancing Brixham Trawler Agents web site.

St Ives registered fishing boat the Huers, old and new

The Huers leaving Newlyn through the gaps around 1980...

same boat around 20 years later...

Photo courtesy of David Warwick

same boat beautifully restored lying to the quay in her new home port of Mevagissey - nice one Andrew!

First Tentative Steps towards Regionalisation of the CP

Even before the ink is dry on the CFP reform, the first tentative steps towards regional management are being taken, in moves welcomed by the NFFO. Fisheries directors from North Sea member states are scheduled to meet in Copenhagen next week to flesh out how regional cooperation in the North Sea will work in practise. And in Dublin a meeting convened by the North West Waters RAC will work on how a regionalised CFP could reinvigorate moves to put cod recovery in the Irish Sea on a more positive footing.

There are a number of aspects of the political agreement reached in Brussels, and announced with great fanfare last week, that remain unclear on the details - so far no consolidated text has appeared. Nevertheless, we know enough to see that permissive powers for regional cooperation between member states, working closely with regional advisory councils, have been agreed, even if the route for implementing regional seas recommendations will tread familiar legislative paths.

Much will depend on the enthusiasm and skill with which member states and RACs approach regional management.

The early engagement by fisheries directors and the RACs in the regionalisation process are therefore positive signs. The NFFO has said for some time that the key to effective management decisions is getting fisheries managers, fisheries scientists and fisheries stakeholders into a room together, working collaboratively. The steps being taken in Copenhagen and Dublin represent in their different ways important aspects of the new approach.

The Dublin meeting, which will be attended by fisheries stakeholders, representatives from the member states and fisheries scientists, will hope to put in place the Irish Sea "Cod Audit", first called for by the industry in 2006. The stock development of cod in the Irish Sea is apparently bucking the positive trends seen widely across the North East Atlantic and the priority must be to identify the reasons why. A review of the science and management measures is therefore the first step in putting things on the road to recovery. At present we don't know whether it is ecosystem changes, something in the fishery, or shortcomings with the assessment that lies at the heart of the problem. The Dublin meeting will hope to kick start the review process and is as significant in its own way as a stakeholder-led process, as the Copenhagen meeting is at government level.

Similar initiatives involving regional cooperation are already underway in the Baltic and it is clear that within the CFP a decisive step away from over-centralised, top-down, micro-management has been taken. The challenge now is to ensure that this momentum continues and that well thought-through regional management plans will soon emerge to replace the one-size-fits-all measures currently in place. Those in the centre - the Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament have a duty to nurture these young shoots, to ensure that regionalisation delivers its full potential.

Top quality inshore fish only on the market this morning

Dark skinned megrim soles from the shallower inshore waters made up a good part of the Harvest Reaper's mid-week landing...

with keen bidding from the buyers having to pay top dollar for the very best in Cornish fish...

just in time to get the latest landing from the Tracey Claire sorted and iced ready for sale...

always a smile on the face of Ray...

line caught cuttles look the biz...

and while the humble mackerel now make mega money - £6+ a kilo - there are precious few of them being caught around the far west of Cornwall - they don't like the cold murky water it seems!...

just two of another big bass haul from king bass himself...

Lionel says it for the printer...

the market enjoys some early morning sun at 6am.

The macks are back!

A great article was posted by Matt on a London Fishmonger's blog - reproduced here in full:

Mackerel is Back on the Menu

The plight of the mackerel was well documented in January when the advice of the Marine stewardship council (MCS) changed from ‘Best Choice’ to a ‘Fish to eat occasionally’ throwing previously written sustainable menus into turmoil. This decision was influenced by the actions of the Icelandic and Faroese fishery councils who implemented a substantial increase of catch volume (+23%) well beyond the previous agreed with Norway and the EU. Initial predicted stock volumes and set Total allowable catches were calculated without consideration of this additional fishing effort which when exceeded the Total Allowable Catch by 200,000 tonnes and beyond the safe Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) of the total stock. Although at the time the decision by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) was heavily criticised by industry and woefully misreported in the press (on many occasions mackerel were suggested to be endangered) I was in total agreement with the precautionary approach as to continue to promote a stock as sustainable whilst being heavily over fished would have been disastrous long term for the stock status. 

A couple of weeks ago it was announced by the MCS that after lengthy consultation a further re grade of the mackerel rating had taken place and was being implemented with immediate effect. Initial press reports, namely by the Daily Telegraph, and then used by numerous agencies and wholesalers, was yet again misleading. First reporting has suggested Mackerel caught from the UK is the only sustainable option. The concise re grade has set a 2(still a good choice, although some aspects of its production or management could be improved) for the Cornish hand line fishery, a 3 (based on available information these species should probably not be considered sustainable at this time. Areas requiring improvement in the current production methods may be significant, or there is significant uncertainty associated with its management or stock status) for the remaining fisheries within the EU which includes all of the Scottish and Norwegian pelagic trawl fisheries and a 4 (should not be considered sustainable, and the fish is likely to have significant environmental issues associated with its production. While it may be from a deteriorating fishery, it may be one that has improved from a 5 rating, and positive actions are being taken. However, MCS would not usually recommend choosing this fish) for Icelandic and Faroes caughtstock. 

So the key question is “even though all these fisheries still pull from the same stock how can they now all be rated differently? Unlike the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) whom certify fisheries sustainable by the status of the stock alone the MCS use a number of weighted factors. Although heavily influenced by spawning stock biomass they also consider management, capture methods and ecological effects. Hand line catch methods result in almost zero impact to the environment and yield minute by catch levels thus the Cornish fishery is now considered ‘Best Choice’. The Cornish hand line fishery quota allocation is currently set at 1750 tonnes per year or 0.83% of the UKquota. However, one must be cautious when purchasing hand line mackerel as this premium priced product will now continue to increase in value. A volume of trawled South West mackerel are landed onto Plymouth and Brixham markets each week and there will undoubtedly be increased volumes finding its way into kitchens sold as a premium line caught fish! Unfortunately there are rogue seafood traders who are happy to trade hand to mouth instead of applying honesty and integrity. 

Conversely, the Scottish and Norwegian pelagic trawl fisheries, although not as selective as hand line, have excellent management systems in place which consider by catch, total allowable catches and closed seasons to coincide with spawning periods resulting in it being the ‘Best Alternative’ option. 

Unfortunately the Icelandic and Faroese fisheries have been shown to produce high levels of herring by catch alongside a disregard of previously set stock quotas by other parties within the fishery and a refusal to enter a long-term international management plan. As mentioned their actions may result in the mackerel stocks potentially be over fished by 200,000 tonnes per year.

So where does this leave us as wholesalers, purchasers and chefs? We would all love to have true Cornish hand line mackerel on our menus throughout the year, but in reality this is impossible. When the initial January ratings were announced one of the UK’s largest seafood wholesalers announced its “fresh Mackerel is predominantly sourced from the Cornish hand line fishery or from the ring net fishery offChesil Beach in Dorset”. If you consider the volume of these fisheries it’s not hard to realise the claim in this statement was simply unachievable. Sadly as chefs drive to hit ever increasing GPs the cost price of Cornish Hand line mackerel may well be moving further out of reach for many. For comparison the wholesale sell price of Scottish mackerel the week of the announcement was around £5.80kg whereas the auction price of Cornish hand line mackerel on Newlyn market hit £6.60kg!! Fortunately the MCS have re classified the vast majority of the mackerel finding its way onto our markets as a yellow 3 rating ‘Best Alternative’ giving license to return them to the menu. 

The unfortunate fall out from this whole fiasco will be convincing diners, who three months ago were being told the species was endangered and should not be eaten. My key piece of advice as always is be sure your supplier is providing you with exactly what you think you are receiving and always advertise it correctly on your menu.