Thursday 11 July 2013

Eat well for less #eatmorefish

After spending a long day on a fishing boat, Gregg Wallace sees the cod he caught with his own two hands go for a tidy sum at Brixham Fish Market.

#Greenpeace #iceclimb the Shard in London

All change in the Curriculum again

Posted by Jo Dunlop, Marketing Manager on 09 July 2013

It's in the news again - the way we teach our children is going to change. In Scotland we have had Curriculum for Excellence for a couple of years and now the review of the English curriculum is underway. Mr Gove is hopeful that this will be implemented in September 2014 which feels rather quick - the draft framework is out for Consultation at the moment until the start of August this year with the completed framework due to be announced when the schools return in Autumn 2013. All rather quick one could say!

The good news is that the new framework includes compulsory food and nutrition education for all children 5-14 years. As has been in the past this will sit within the broad ranging "Design and Technology". That said, it is likely that the published curriculum will be limited to only a couple of sentences stating what children should be taught over a 3-4 year period!!! We are expecting there to be a renewed focus on food, farming, cooking and healthy eating and we will be working to ensure that our seafood resources help teachers deliver to this requirement.

That's good news then. However, it's not so simple - alongside this renewed focus, we are not expecting any formal or statutory support to implement these changes and this means no guidance for interpretation. Perhaps not so good then. As with many of these things, some teachers and educators will embrace this change but others may struggle with it. Free schools and Academies will not required to follow the National Curriculum, so they may need some guidance and support too.

What are we doing about it?

We are supporting the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) on their Food Curriculum Fund, Food a Fact of Life and Healthy Eating Week projects which will provide teachers with curriculum compliant support, accurate and consistent messages and appropriate teaching resources. We need to make sure that fish and seafood are not forgotten about in cooking and healthy eating lessons. Our own project areas will dovetail into this. We have researched teachers and learnt that there while is a willingness to teach, a lack of confidence and resources often limits this.

During Spring 2013 we ran a pilot in North East Lincolnshire which gave us some great learning and our new curriculum resources will ensure we build on this. We will be developing age specific resources for 5-8 year olds to take them on a journey with fish. We will let them explore what fish they eat now, find out what their friends eat and then ensure they get to taste new species and learning to cook from their peers. This will be a pack of materials with teaching plans, games, and importantly messages to take back to mum and our successful Fish is the Dish website.

Our plan is to have these ready for the middle of the Autumn term 2013 to take advantage of the lesson planning done by teachers before Christmas. This will be the first curriculum resources developed by Seafish in over ten years. Once we get the younger age groups established, we will look to take this through each age group making sure that we adapt and develop as the requirements of the curriculum and teachers do.

We have opened the registration process for these 5-8yr packs with 2,000 available to primary schools in England and they will be allocated on a first come, first served basis click here to register. We will be adapting these for Northern Ireland and Wales to ensure we dovetail with their curriculums too. If you'd like to find out more about the project, please contact Jo Dunlop or Kirsty Champ on education@seafish.co.uk

To feedback on the draft consultation please visit this link https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/national-curriculum-review-new-programmes-of-study-and-attainment-targets-from-september-2014#download

Jo Dunlop, Marketing Manager

French fishing industry wrongly cited as being subsidised to the tune of 100% - so it's not just here!

Many thanks to Yan Giron for proving this more accurate analysis of the French fishing industry and EU financial intervention.

BLUE LOBBY TRANSPARENCY reacts to mis-interpretations of the interim report of the French Court of Auditors regarding subsidies to the French fishing industry. These stated that over 100% of the French fishing industry were subsidised. Our contribution shows, using the same public data the report of the Court of Auditors used, that these interpretations are wrong. The State and European aid includes TECHNICAL subsidies (currently under negociations in EMFF) AND SOCIAL State subsidies (which are the 2/3rd of the State and European subsidies in 2008). For social aid, as a value per worker, the fishing industry is equivalent to agriculture or the French Railroad company SNCF. An excessive interpretation of these social aids could question the French Social Model - one of the special social schemes for demographically unbalanced schemes.

See the article on BLUE LOBBY TRANSPARENCYhttp://blog.bluelobby.eu/2013/07/100-de-la-peche-francaise-subventionnee.html

Same article downloadable as a pdf with an English summary [also added to this email) https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxjGrIi-a8FZUEhqbVBndzkxZmM/edit?usp=sharing

Wednesday 10 July 2013

NFFO responds to High Court ruling on quota reallocation

"The NFFO represents all sizes of vessel and regrets that the issue of quota distribution ended up in the courts. Indeed the Federation made a number of attempts to mediate between the parties to achieve an amicable out-of- court solution.

"We remain of the view that now the CFP reform is out of the way, the industry should sit down with Government to agree a system of use-rights that provide the stability that the industry looks for, whilst recognising that fish are a national resource and that ministers have the authority to make changes to the UK quota management arrangements.

"We doubt whether this judgement heralds a radical redistribution of quota, as suggested by some of the more hysterical commentators and note Richard Benyon's commendation at the NFFO's recent AGM for our collaborative approach to resolving the quota shortages facing some under-10 metre vessels.

"Producer organisations are voluntary groups of fishermen who manage their fishing rights cooperatively. As such they represent a valuable model for the industry and are to be encouraged. The NFFO has been working recently to extend the advantages of professional quota management (such as quota swaps and transfers) to groups of under-10m fishermen."

Barrie Deas, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations (NFFO)

Then a comment from the SFF

SFF comment on court quota decision

10 July 2013

Commenting on the High Court decision today on the reallocation of fish quotas, Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen' Federation said:

"We need to examine the ruling closely so as to see the reasoning behind the decision, but it should be pointed out that fishermen have been adhering to a quota system created by government and have followed it in good faith.

"It remains to be seen what the impact will be in Scotland because the make-up of the fleet and the species caught is different compared with south of the border.

"However, it is important to make the point that small-scale inshore boats simply don't have the capacity to catch large amounts of quota and are also not able to operate in offshore areas. Similarly, larger boat operators have no desire to see the demise of the inshore fleet, and vice versa. To ensure the continuing supply of an incredibly important food resource, a sensible balance needs to be maintained. If there are any reallocations to be made eventually as a consequence of the High Court decision, consultation with all parts of the industry and great care will be needed."

Fishing quota: Big producers lose reallocation battle

The High Court has ruled in favour of redistributing some fishing rights from big producers to small-scale fishermen.

The UK Association of Fish Producer Organisations had challenged a decision to reallocate unused quota, essentially a licence to fish, worth more than £1m.

It argued the move was unlawful under both EU and domestic law, but the judge ruled there was no discrimination.

Jerry Percy, who represents some of the small-scale producers, said the decision had "historic implications".

Fishing quotas, allocated by the EU, provide a permit for those making a living from the seas. Without them, it is not possible to legally catch and sell fish.

'Stranglehold'

Members of the UK Association of Fish Producer Organisations (UKAFPO), mainly large-scale fishermen, currently control more than 90% of the overall fishing quota for England and Wales.

While we are three-quarters of the commercial fleet in the UK, we have access to only 4% of the quota”

Jerry PercyNew Under Ten Fishermen's Association Ltd (Nutfa)

Small-scale inshore fishing around the UK's traditional ports has suffered because crews have been unable to negotiate control of enough of the quota to stay in business.

But large fleets have left about 800 tonnes of their quota untouched for years, so the government decided to confiscate that amount of the quota to share out among small operators.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) wants to redistribute "fixed quota allocations" from those who own vessels greater than 33ft (10m) to boats that are 33ft or under.

Mr Percy, chief executive of the New Under Ten Fishermen's Association Ltd (Nutfa), told the BBC the decision was good news for the long-term survival of small-scale fishermen, who could now catch more fish.

The redistribution would involve "constantly unused quota", he said.

Analysis

Roger HarrabinEnvironment analyst

The court victory for small fishermen will have an economic and cultural impact on the UK's coastal towns.

The chances of being able to go to the seaside on holiday and eat locally caught fish just increased.

In many places the number of boats has halved since small fishermen got caught in the quota system in 2006.

They're hugely resentful because they often don't have enough quota to make a reasonable living.

They said it wasn't fair that the UK government had granted fishing rights to big boat owners in perpetuity.

The judge's ruling that the government may re-allocate some of the quotas - even a small amount - gives them hope for further re-allocation in future. This is why the big boat owners are resisting so strongly.

It comes in a momentous year which has seen radical reform of Europe's Common Fisheries Policy, with a phasing out of fish discards and a commitment that fishermen should only take from the sea what the sea can replace.

Follow Roger on Twitter

"We have had an ongoing imbalance in quota allocation for decades which has resulted in the fact that while we are three-quarters of the commercial fleet in the UK, we have access to only 4% of the quota," he added.

Nutfa and environmental campaign group Greenpeace have argued that fish stocks are not "a private commodity but a public resource, held by the Crown for the benefit of the public".

'Romanticised fishermen'

Jim Portus, UKAFPO chairman, said his organisation was very disappointed by the decision, but said he was pleased the judge had recognised the fixed quota allocations held by each boat were "possessions" as far as the Human Rights Act was concerned.

He added: "We have considered an appeal and we may be returning to the High Court in the autumn."

Tom de la Mare QC, for UKAFPO, told the court the entire fishing industry had operated for more than 13 years on the strength of government assurances that were now being broken, stressing that it was not for Defra to cancel certain fixed quota allocations and not others.

One assurance had been that there would be no adverse consequences for any producer who under-fished a yearly quota, he said.

Mr de la Mare added that the under-10m owners had almost been "romanticised as a community of fishermen - Peter Grimes-type operators".

But on the evidence, well over half of the boats were "souped-up vessels adjusted to come in just under the 10-metre limit", he said.

Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon said the court had "vindicated" his decision to reallocate underused quota, and said "putting fishermen at the heart of the decision is good news".

He added: "I will continue to take action to maximise the value of the UK's fishing quotas and I look forward to working with all parts of the industry to determine the best way we can do this."

Full story courtesy of the BBC.

Skate and ships and sardines

Time for the health and safety barricade to come down that surrounds the new Wherry Town skate park...

as a couple of early risers from the working party...

give the ramps the once over

and disturb the gulls feeding off the stream...

just the one boat left this morning...

with her bow down in the water, the latest big boat to join the fleet, the Joy of Ladram waits for the transport to arrive and take her fish to France...