The #fishmishbash - Mullion Cove Hotel does its bit for the hard-hit fishermen of Cornwall

Newlyn's fishermen were hard hit over the winter. The #fishmishbash aims to raise money for them. The interview with Fiona promises to be fun and informative. Come along and find out more on Monday at 7pm 

On Friday 4th April Mullion Cove Hotel and Head Chef Fiona Were are hosting the first #fishmishbash to raise much needed funds for the Fishermen’s Mission.

Gina Moore SW Fundraising Manager for the Fishermen’s Mission says “Fishermen around the coast of the UK are struggling to make ends meet. The severe weather has meant that many fishermen haven’t been able to fish since December added to which, much of their valuable and essential fishing gear has been lost or badly damaged in the storms.

The evening will feature a signature five course sushi inspired dinner, sea shanty singers, fundraising raffles and an auction with an amazing array of prizes which have been generously donated by many local businesses. If you would like to donate any prices or items for auction, they would be gratefully received. All proceeds will go to the Fishermen’s Mission. Tickets cost £45 per person including drinks at the table. £25 per ticket sale will be donated direct to the charity.

Reservations are being taken now. To reserve your place and support this event please call the hotel reception 01326 240328

Discards ban – next steps for English fishermen #eatmorefish

New plans have been set out today to help English fishermen adapt to the discards ban and put an end to the wasteful practice of throwing perfectly good fish back into the sea.

The proposals have been set out by the Fisheries Minister, George Eustice in one of three consultations on the implementation of the EU’s reformed Common Fisheries Policy.

Defra has proposed how the new system of managing quota can be used to help fishermen adapt to the discards ban, and benefit from the extra catch they land.

Fisheries Minister, George Eustice said;

The discard ban is one of the most important changes to fisheries management in the last decade.

We fought hard to put an end to the wasteful practice of throwing fish overboard. Now we must focus on implementing the discards ban in a way that will work well for English fishermen and help them to profit from the extra catch that they land.

A second consultation has been launched on the European Maritime Fisheries Fund, which is used to fund projects aimed at helping fishermen to fish more sustainably, aid adaptation to new fisheries regulations and contribute to economic growth. The third consultation will look for views on the best way to introduce mandatory labelling of fish with information about its species, origins, and the processing or handling the product has undergone from the moment it was landed to the point at which it reaches our plates.

The discard ban will apply to ‘pelagic’ fish such as mackerel and herring from 2015, and be rolled out to other species in 2016. 

The three consultations covering the discards ban, the European Maritime Fisheries Fund and marketing standards and labeling requirements for fishery and aquaculture products.

All three consultations close on 12 May.

The consultations are derived from Reforming and managing marine fisheries for a prosperous fishing industry and a healthy marine environment headed up by fisheries minister, George Eustice.

Life aboard The Supreme

Leo McGirr is a prawn fisherman in Ardglass, County Down. Government and EU regulations, rising fuel costs and the low market price of his catch are threatening his livelihood.

Hake dilemma in the North Sea

Another example of how the discards ban spells real trouble for a mixed fishery! - further explained in this paper on 'choke' species which is what hake will fast become.

DEEP-sea trawlermen have voiced concern that the increasing numbers of North Sea hake could threaten their livelihoods.

The danger, they say, is that the population explosion of the fish will monopolise catches and thus preclude the fishing of other important and lucrative species.

The problem lies in EU rules, which disallow trawlermen to discard fish for which they do not have a quota. Not only is the hake quota limited but because hake are now so abundant, trawlers cannot help but get them along with other species.

According to research carried out by the school of biological sciences at Aberdeen University, the issue will be heightened in the summer, when the North Sea has 34 per cent of the European hake stock but only 7 per cent of the total allowable catch (TAC).

In a paper published in Fish and Fisheries, Alan Baudron from Aberdeen University warns that ‘if the increased levels of northern hake biomass...persist, European hake is likely to be the choke species which affects a premature closure of the entire demersal mixed-fishery in the North Sea.’

The concern has been echoed by Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF), who also fears that the discards ban may well signal the end of the Scottish fleet as we know it.

Revisions to the Common Fisheries Policy will mean that fishermen will have to land all fish caught, an attempt to prevent the present extensive discarding of fish: estimated at around 500,000 tonnes a year.

Story courtesy of FishUpdate

Living it up at night - what do langoustine get up to?

Perhaps some prawn fishermen - are you about @buchanjimmy ? - might want to comment on the observations on langoustine activity made below - latest post from the Cefas Endeavour as she ends her latest JNCC research trip in the North Sea.

Farewell Fladen

The last phase of the survey up at the Fladen Grounds has been focussed on collecting evidence for Scottish Government to better understand feature condition across a surface abrasion pressure gradient, particularly looking at seapen and burrowing megafaunal communities.  One element of this burrowing megafaunal community is the Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) or langoustine as you may be more familiar with. Nephrops are typically nocturnal, so the night shift have had more luck spotting them then the day shift, as they emerge from the burrows to hunt and scavenge. They feed on other crustaceans, worms or even fish. Their main predator is the cod (Gadus morhua).

 A Nephrops caught in the 'headlights' of the camera sledge (JNCC/Cefas)

A Nephrops emerging from its burrow (JNCC/Cefas)

Extract from the JNCC Offshore Survey blog.

Could be the opening day of the Trevose Box!

A fleet of fishing boats is gathered of the north coast of Cornwall - looks like the Trevose Box is open this year...

as a host of beam trawlers get their chance hopeing to fill up with Dover Sole!

More climate change evidence? - first landing this year of unusual sardine

Landed during the early hours of this morning at the fish market in Newlyn...

just over three tonnes of a rare sardine normally found in the Mediterranean...

It's thought the fish swim using their lateral line to navigate

known as Sardina Caecus or Blind Sardine - skipper Dan thinks this is the first time they have been caught in any quantity in Cornish waters. He said, "catching the fish was made difficult as they were swimming so slow I nearly overshot the mark and missed them!".