Photo Galleries Bottom trawling may be good for fish, study suggests

A new study conducted by Dutch scientists in the North Sea suggests there may actually be some unexpected benefits from bottom trawling.

The report, entitled "When does fishing lead to more fish? Community consequences of bottom trawl fisheries in demersal food webs," was commissioned by the Wageningen Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies (IMARES) in the Netherlands. The findings were published Wednesday by the London-based Royal Society.

Plaice and sole were studied

The study focused on flatfish such as plaice and sole, and how those species — and their food — reacted to standard beam trawling. Some of the results were surprising. "What we found is that the indirect effects or side-effects of trawling — namely, the sort of selective removal of certain types of bottom life — sort of makes the system more productive in terms of food for the fish that fishermen target," said Tobias Van Kooten, one of three authors of the report, along with Daniel van Denderen and Adriaan Rijnsdorp.

The focus of the research was to model the effects of bottom trawling on fish species and food sources that are either resistant or susceptible to bottom trawling. The authors found there are indications bottom trawling may actually "increase the availability of food and promote growth, and even yield of target fish species."

Van Kooten said the scientists used a food web model to come to their conclusions. "(We took) a number of assumptions about how scientists think that the interaction between fisheries and fish works, and put them together in a food web model that allows you to evaluate the consequences of those assumptions," Van Kooten explained. "The results you get from the total (food web) can be very different from the individual pieces."

Expected to spur controversy

The study's results will undoubtedly generate discussion, especially given the environmental and habitat-based concerns that have been expressed about bottom trawling over the years. In fact, some have called for the fishing method to be banned altogether in Canadian waters. In Newfoundland and Labrador the issue of bottom trawling has been a controversial one given the high value of fish species harvested that way — like shrimp.

Those who oppose it insist it destroys sensitive marine habitat and negatively affects species like snow crab. Those who support it say the damage is limited and warn that a ban of bottom trawling would be the end of commercial fishing in the Northwest Atlantic. Van Kooten said it is clear there are negative impacts with respect to bottom trawling. But he says those drawbacks should be considered in concert with any potential benefits. If anything, he says the report's findings show how important it is to have the complete ecosystem picture in focus when making fish management decisions. "We definitely realize this will lead to many questions from many people, but we are willing to talk with anyone who is willing to listen," he said. "The assumptions that give rise to these results are fairly accepted mechanisms for how people think trawling affects the ecosystem."

In addition to being published by the Royal Society, the findings were also presented at an ecology conference in London, England in August, and are also going to be featured during an international conference in Iceland later this month.

Latest fishing reform promises a net gain for fisherman

George Eustice, Conservative MP for Camborne and Redruth and Fishing Minister, says new EU fisheries rules could be radical

Later this week I will be visiting fishermen in Newlyn to discuss the problems they have had over the last six weeks as a result of the stormy weather which has severely restricted the number of days they have been able to spend at sea as well as considerable damage to boats and fishing equipment.

While it has undoubtedly been a very difficult start to the year for Cornish fishermen, I think the longer term outlook gives some grounds for optimism because, at the beginning of January, the EU finally put into law a new reform of the Common Fisheries Policy which has the potential to deliver radical change and to become a potential model for further reform in other areas of European policy.

The old CFP epitomised the shortcomings of decision making at a European level. The policy tended to be slow to adapt and reform. Because the marine environment is so complicated, a centralised system of management at a European level has always led to unintended consequences which have been counterproductive to the aims of creating a sustainable fishing industry.

However, we know that some form of policy to manage the marine environment is also essential. A successful fishing industry depends on all countries adhering to fishing practices which mean there will be fish tomorrow and an industry for the next generation to enter. It is neither good for the marine environment nor for our fishing industry if we hammer stocks of declining fish species. We also have to recognise that most fishing takes place in international seas and many nations have historic access rights in one another's waters. So, whether or not there was a Common Fisheries Policy, we would still need to negotiate agreements with many other countries about how to manage shared fisheries. Indeed, at this very moment, we are in the middle of complex negotiations with Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands about how best to allocate fishing opportunities for mackerel in the North Sea.

There were a number of important aspects to the new CFP deal agreed at the end of last year and now in force. Firstly, there is a commitment to ban the discard of good fish. It has always been a disgraceful practice that perfectly healthy fish are thrown dead back into the sea because the fisherman who landed them did not happen to have the right quota. That will now end.

Secondly, to help make the discard ban work in practice, fishermen will receive a quota uplift so they can land more. They will also be granted much greater flexibility so that if they unexpectedly land more of one species for which they have no quota, then they will be allowed to count it against quota for another species instead rather than be forced to throw it dead back into the sea. If they happen to do better than expected at the end of the year, then they will also be allowed to borrow some quota from the following year.

The third key aspect of the new policy is that there is now a legally-binding commitment to fish sustainably or at what scientists call Maximum Sustainable Yield. This means that we have a policy that focuses on the outcome rather than getting too bogged down in process and all member states in the EU have accepted this approach.

Finally, the new CFP has moved away from a centralised model where the entire EU sets out prescriptive policies. In future, small groups of member states which have a shared interest in a fishery will decide on the management measures that will deliver sustainable fishing. Because they all have an interest in the future of the fishery, they are more likely to put thought into getting things right.

Taken together, these reforms have the potential to be a radical reform. I really hope both the industry and all EU governments will roll their sleeves up to make this a success. It combines a common European objective on sustainability with the flexibility to recognise realities and decision making returned to member states, having all the ingredients of a potential new model for European cooperation that could be applied to other areas.

Courtesy of the Western Morning News - Read more:

The Titanic Sails at Midnight

Midnight January 1st 2016 marks the embarkation date for the EU discards ban for our demersal fisheries.

Like the Titanic, it is doomed to collide with some hard realities.

With fatal design flaws and a course that will lead it through treacherous waters, the EU landings obligation is a high-risk gamble that has great potential for catastrophe. Like the Titanic, where the expectations and aspirations of the owners set up time pressures that precluded a much safer course to the destination, the European co-legislators and the Commission have created a dangerous path to the objective of low discard fisheries. At risk are all the gains that have been made over the last 10 years in putting European fisheries on a sound and sustainable footing.

Those design flaws include:

A rushed timetable for implementation; the Norwegian experience suggests that an incremental and adaptive approach is required to resolve the multiple issues associated with the biggest change in the history of the CFP Signs that the clean sweep of all discard generating rules within the CFP, prior to the application of the discard ban will be inadequate and incomplete Imposing an obligation on EU fleets which requires Norway’s agreement on critical elements to make it workable Applying a discard ban before serious data deficiencies have been resolved Embarking without a plan on how to deal with choke species (where the premature exhaustion of one (often bycatch)species prevents uptake of the main economic species Unreasonable and unachievable requirements that crews provide “detailed and precise records” of every last fish discarded, when even “experts” can have problems distinguishing between species on deck Devolving implementation responsibility to the regional level but then imposing unachievable conditions.

Like the Titanic, the discard ban is a grandiose, eye-catching initiative. The great white ship impressed those who knew little or nothing about ship design, navigation or seamanship; similarly, fishermen, scientists, control authorities and fisheries administrators, have all voiced their concerns about the implementation of the new discard legislation. Agreed in a maelstrom of publicity as the centrepiece of the CFP reform, even some environmental NGOs are now backing away from the monster that they have helped to create and set on course towards the ice fields.

Like the Titanic, the owners of the discard ban will be miles away and long gone when tragedy strikes. Commissioner Damanaki, TV celebrities, MEPs and ministers who created the bandwagon will no longer be there to take responsibility. Some ministers, including our own, have already gone, and more MEPs and the Commissioner will leave the stage this year - having milked all the credit possible for the media-inspired policy and leaving the policy to make its fateful rendezvous with the iceberg.

A Change of Course?

A change of course could save the ship even at this late stage, despite its grievous design flaws, by navigating away from the danger zone. Member states have the scope and responsibility to design and shape regional discard plans in ways that could reduce the risks. Altering course through exemptions and quota flexibilities, by applying a pragmatic control regime and by facing down some of the more poorly thought-through aspects of the owners' demands, could save the vessel even at the 11th hour.

There is much to be said for regionalisation of the CFP. It offers a means to at least begin to break away from the over-centralised command and control approach which lies at the heart of so many of the CFP’s failures. But to confront regionally cooperating member states on their first outing with mission impossible - the implementation of the discard ban – could look like a devious plan by the Brussels technocracy to discredit decentralisation; a plot beyond even the most swivel-eyed conspiracy theorist.

But regionally cooperating member states, working with stakeholders in the advisory councils, is all that lies between an industry and policy moving at full-speed towards the iceberg. That is why with our own fisheries department in DEFRA, in the regional advisory councils and in discussions with scientist in ICES and STECF, the NFFO has been working assiduously to secure a post-2016 regime that is consistent with the viability of the industry and which does not squander the hard won gains made in recent years.

Pilots and Preparation

We are also urging a dramatic expansion in funding and quota availability to undertake pilots and trials that will allow us to anticipate the choke species - and develop solutions consistent with the landings obligation.

One of the central issues which will determine the fate of the discard ban, and the fishing industry’s attitude to it, will be the scale and sequence of the quota uplifts to cover fish previously discarded. Given the extent of data uncertainties, this has to be a central worry and we are arguing vigorously for a thoughtful rather than a fingers-crossed and hope for the best approach.

Follow that Ship?

Before the discard ban hits its main target - the mixed demersal fisheries - the landings obligation will be applied to the pelagic fisheries from 1st January 2015. Whether there will be lessons learnt from this experience and whether they will be the right kind of lessons is a moot point. Pelagic fisheries certainly present a lesser challenge than the mixed demersal fisheries but that it not to say that there are no problems. Lessons will surely be learnt but is doubtful that this will provide a helpful overall template for whitefish.

Unnecessary Voyage

One important omission in the extensive and intense media coverage of discards has been that before it hit the headlines, discarded fish was a problem progressively reducing in size. Discards in the English fleet for example had reduced by 50% in the previous decade and there is every reason to believe that this progress would continue. Similar initiatives and trends have taken place in other parts of the UK and in other member states.

Admittedly, the CFP needed a shake up to remove all the legislation that currently helps to generate discards - the catch composition rules and effort control spring to mind - but this could have been approached in a different manner. Even in Norway, where a discard ban has been applied pragmatically and incrementally over 20 years, the evidence is that discarding still takes place at some level, possibly as high as 15%. That is great progress from over 50% but it is not zero. At least with an incremental approach there is a chance to adjust to address the inevitable problems as they arise.

North Sea Realities

It's been a while since there were icebergs in the North Sea but there are certainly plenty of potential complexities and pitfalls in implementing the landings obligation there.

The emerging statistics on the North Sea discard pattern are instructive. 40% of the catch in the North Sea is discarded. Of that 40%, 80% is comprised of two species: plaice and dab. Plaice (depending on a range of factors) is estimated to have a 60% survival rate when returned to the sea. Does it make sense to retain on board and land (dead) plaice in those circumstances, depriving the biomass of that 60%? Is this not a prima facie case for a high survival exemption?

And the reason that dabs are discarded is that there is low market demand for them. This is somewhere that celebrity chefs and their TV programmes could actually do some good.

All this illustrates that the discard ban is going to be anything but straightforward. Even before we get to the problems associated with exemptions there are the issues of inter-species flexibility, choke species and negotiating TAC arrangements for shared stocks with Norway.

Western Waters Complexities - special regard for the waters off Cornwall

If anything, the complexities are even greater in Western Waters, the seas traversed by the Titanic on its fateful voyage. There are certainly more data limited stocks in these fisheries, notwithstanding the close collaborative work undertaken between ICES and the North West Waters RAC. And the fisheries are much more mixed, raising multiple questions about quota uplift and choke stocks. Much work remains to be done.

Disaster Averted?

Despite the parallels with the Titanic there is still time to steer the landings obligation clear of the ice. It will not be easy, constrained as we are by the owners' orders. But if the captain has the courage and skill to set a new course and to challenge, and if necessary defy, his superiors, there is a chance that disaster can be averted.

From the NFFO

The humble haddock - from sea to plate

Sea to Plate from Beard Askew Productions on Vimeo.

The journey of a North Sea Haddock from the sea to our plate needn’t be a complicated one! In fact it shouldn't take more than 24 hours. The Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA) wanted to explain how an MSC certified Scottish Haddock is caught, handled, landed, sold at market, processed, delivered and sold to eat all with in 24 hours. Calum Richardson, owner of The Bay, Stonehaven, believes that shops need to act responsibly and provide customers with not only as much fresh produce as possible, but also educate customers to the provenance of the food we eat.

This is exactly what the people that feature in the series believe. Peter Bruce has been going to sea for more than 30 years. He is the skipper of the Budding Rose, a pair trawler in the North Sea. We spoke to Peter immediately after he landed 400 boxes of MSC sustainable haddock and he explained his part of the process. 

Danny Couper Jr is a second-generation fish merchant. His father Danny Snr started Couper Seafoods and his son Jaime is now working for the business. Danny explains the role of the buyer and processor in the journey of a North Sea haddock. Calum Richardson owns The Bay Fish and Chips, Stonehaven, which is currently the Independent Fish and Chips Shop of the Year 2013! So he knows a thing or two about cooking haddock. He is also a big supporter of sustainable fishing. Calum tells us how important sourcing the best fish possible is, and how vital it is to support our local fishing communities.

Morse code

Looks like the Cefas Endeavour has some survey work to do off to the south of Mount's Bay - despite the weather being less than helpful. Although updates for the Endeavour's blog page appears to be a little thin on the ground so far this year. In the past not only the Cefas site but the JNCC team and others have done stirling work keeping all those interested in ocean research fed with excellent reports straight from the working deck and labs aboard the boat...

 

and found the time to shoot some of those moments that make all those poor weather days fade into the past.

Think big

It might look ugly - but the huge harbour - with its 550 berth yacht marina, fishing port, 2 story fish market and marine conference centre at Saint Quay Portrieux on the Cote d'Armor, Brittany suffered no damage in the recent severe storms - and all that with a tide of 27 feet (Newlyn has 19 feet max )...

Not an empty berth can be seen in the marina.

the original port can be seen bounded by the two inside breakwaters - unlike Penzance Harbour, the Breton planners and town council figured that extending the harbour and creating a new car park was probably a smarter move than filling in part of the existing harbour - with all the recent damage which will cost millions to restore to its previous glory perhaps now is the time to think bigger and better?

Monday morning's market is full of fresh fish and #openforbusiness in Cornwall

Looking very sorry for herself, the Children's Friend heels heavily against the quay on the hard in front of the harbour offices - work will resume today to make her watertight and re-float her...

a busy Monday morning market included a good shot of ray...

Cornish haddock which is in much abundance and the subject of a huge debate over the inability of the quota system to acknowledge changing stock levels - possibly through poor data collection in the first instance...

luuuuuvly lemons...

some thing s move just too fast even at this hour of the morning on the market...

while the bidding process is somewhat more sedentary...

evidence that a seal had visited the Gary M's gear - seals usually just take a huge bite out of the belly or loin of fish thereby rendering that part of the body unsaleable - hence these boxes of tail pieces up for auction...

a mixed box of odds 'n sods...

it's the time of year when fans of fish roe get moist eyes...

making a note of the last bid, auctioneer Ian conducts...

there are still a few tubs of cuttles to tempt the beamers to fill their boxes with black gold though nothing like as abundant as they were two years ago...

yet another damaged pot waits on the quay from the Rowse crabbing fleet - flagship Emma Louise will be joined later this year by a sister ship currently being fitted out 'up country'...

waning moon over Newlyn set off against a sky heavy with cloud.