Black and white #FishyFriday

Combination sweeps ready for the harvest Reaper...

one of the new blowers for the ice works, the ice will be so dry that it is blown down a tube to the boat...

just some of the turbot landed by the Govenek of Ladram...

buying power in action...

Cornish cod iced and ready to go...

boxes by bulk...

the Millennia got sole...

the Trevessa IV got red mullet...

the Britannia V got hake...

and ling...

and cod...

just some of the net fish on sale...

"me, and my shadow"...

security high life...

fly past...

inshore trawler power...

major transformation still in progress on what will be the next ring netter for Newlyn...

get a slice of medical mayhem at the Swordfish tonight...

plenty of airborne traffic over Mount's bay this morning.

Labour scorns delay to funding for flood-hit farmers and fishermen in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset

Just a fraction of much-trumpeted Government funding for flood-hit farmers and fishermen has been handed out six months after storms battered the country.

Storm damaged pots on the quay in Newlyn

MPs today heard how a Government grant scheme to replace storm-damaged equipment including lobster nets and crab pots had handed out just £2,320. And a separate £10 million pot to restore agricultural land has only paid out £530,000.

Labour claimed the figures, which were revealed in Parliament, show that David Cameron's "money is no object" pledge at the height of the winter floods rings hollow. Somerset, Devon and Cornwall were the worst hit areas earlier this year, with many of the region's farmers and fishermen facing ruin.

Environment Minister Dan Rogerson argued "many applications are currently being processed", suggesting significantly more money would be paid in the coming months.

But Labour countered this misses the point – arguing thousands of pounds remain tied up in Government bureaucracy.

Maria Eagle, Labour's Shadow Environment Secretary, said: "The Tory-led Government's response to the floods was slow and chaotic. Despite David Cameron's declaration that 'money is no object' the Government failed to respond effectively to the floods.

ADVERTISEMENT "It is inexcusable that it took so long to get the pumps, boats and sandbags to our communities and only a fraction of the funding the Government allege is available has actually been paid out.

"These latest figures show that this much-needed government support is not actually getting into the hands of the people who need it."

During Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Questions, Labour MP Barry Gardiner said: "In February, the Prime Minister promised that 'money is no object' in the Government's response to the winter floods.

"Four months on, only £530,000 has been paid to farmers out of the supposed £10 million available in the farming recovery fund, and only £2,320 has been paid to fishermen out of the supposed £74,000 approved under the support for fishermen fund. Why is that much-needed support not getting to the people it is supposed to be helping?"

In response, Mr Rogerson, also Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, said: "There is nothing 'supposed' about those totals, and the money is there for people to bid for – the key question is encouraging people to do so.

"People should apply for that money, and we have simplified the system.

"Many applications are currently being processed, and I encourage all people eligible for those funds – whether farming, fishing or the other funds I have set out – to apply and make use of that money."

A written parliamentary answer published this week shows the fisherman's fund has received 110 applications totalling £349,218.

Of these, 33 projects have been approved worth £74,047.

A Defra spokesman said the £10 million scheme has been made more simple for farmers, including cutting back the amount of evidence need to prove claims and scrapping the need to have three quotes to justify a hand-out.

A Defra spokesman said: “Farmers can apply for up to £35,000 of funding until the 27 June to get their land back into production. They then have until January 2015 to undertake the work.

"We’ve simplified how farmers can apply, among the improvements we’ve removed the need for three quotes by introducing standard costs for commonly requested items such as fencing and grass seed.

"If anyone needs help with the process or has any questions can call our dedicated Farming Recovery Fund helpline on 0300 060 2700.”

She added: “Storm damage claims are a top priority for Marine Management Organisation in order to get this much needed support out to fisherman as quickly as possible. Some 113 applications worth £365,000 have been received so far and we will send out money to these fisherman once they have purchased new pots. We expect the volume of applications to continue to increase in the coming weeks.”

Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Labour-scorns-delay-funding-flood-hit-farmers/story-21227376-detail/story.html#ixzz34Ve7Xby5

Scallops - sustainable and profitable fishing

Fishing News International's excellent coverage of the Channel Scallops conference held earlier this year organised and chaired by the GAP2 project.

A follow up to yesterday's post on small boat fishermen and the work of NGOs supporting their cause

The article yesterday from Yan Giron gained some robust feedback, in particular from Jerry Percy in Wales. The previous post today relates the moves by Defra to garner comments and ideas from small scale fishermen in the UK with regard to the proposed unilateral driftnet ban planned for 2015 championed by ex-EU Fisheries boss Maria Damanaki, the subject of these recent posts by Yan and others.

The internet, through social media like Twitter and Facebook and blogs such as this is accessible to all - and better than that, provides a dialogue in real time between all those wishing to comment and add their say in fair and open debate - posts like this are made to encourage such comment and further inform readers wherever possible of a wider range of views and experiences.

Here Yan explains the thinking behind his comments in more detail.

"I would like to explain myself about it. First, I spoke about NUTFA, but in fact I refered about all European small scales fishermen groups which benefited from support of Greenpeace and also WWF and behind PEW.

This type of support was identified in our november 2012 Blue Charity Business report as a potential [control & command] strategy of PEW Charitable Trusts to be implemented in Europe.

In USA, PEW and other charitable trusts implemented what they call "Sustainable Fishery Trusts" to gain control on fisheries through the management issue. In USA, they managed to lobby to make compulsory privatised fishing rights to be implemented (they call it "smart management tools" or "catch-shares"). PEW, Walton and Moore gave money to some fishermen groups, like the Cape Cod commercial hook fishermen association, big amount of money to payback fishing rights from other fishermen. Then they pooled the fishing rights into a financial trust (http://capecodfishermen.org/fisheries-trust) which aims to lease this fishing rights to the fishermen, under new rules, apart from the fishing regulations, with strong environmental conditions. The overall privatisation of the fishing rights impacted strongly the US fishing industry in Maine and many fishing boats were destroyed. In the same time, PEW's friends used the regionalisation of the fishing management to lobby to implement a strong conservation-leaded spatial management to maintain remaining fishermen into smaller fishing grounds and under their rules. The main implementer of this strategy in USA was (and still is) EDF. EDF still receives several tens of millions of US$ per year to fund all this strategy of getting power over the fishery management.

In Europe, the strategy is a bit different. First Charitable trusts tried to make compulsory privatisation of fishing rights to everybody. Oak foundation (funding partner of PEW's strategy) made a meeting to remind its money benefitors that they had to lobby for that in the first semester of 2012. Then they gave up because of strong opposition into the European Parliament and from some small NGOs parts of OCEAN2012 PEW's coalition. But in fact they don't need this privatisation tool (even it is already implemented in many European countries, like your FQA). They can get power only by crossing several tools : (1) strong and difficult-to-implement regulations (such as strong application of discards, or driftnet ban), (2) spatial management and pretendous support to small scales fishermen and (3) heavy lobbying about implementation of enforcement of the difficult regulations they lobbied for (see how IUU issues come now in their communication). You must be aware PEW & PEW's friends requested many seats into the several RACs, because European Commission said RAC will be the place to finalize technical measures such as discard ban and very detailed "smart management tools". And if there is not enough SSF organisation who partner with them, they created some on their own. Weren't you surprised to have a new fishermen organisation in UK called Sustainable Inshore Fishery Trusts last year? Why do you think they called it like this? who funded them and recruit their staff? Aren't you surprised to discover this new US NGO coming now in Europe with a ready-to-implement fishing management toolbox ? (EDF) ?

Why these Charitable trusts support small scale fishermen? It is very useful for communication purposes: first, it is an excellent way to say "you can implement very strong regulations against "big boats" with a very low social cost". Second, they can use the sympathy credit and positive image of small scale fishermen into the public opinion. Third, their partnership is based on relationships between "bottom" NGOs nice young boys and girls freshly coming out from University (who are not aware of this global strategy  and SScF. Four, it is a good way to promote their idea of what fishing industry must be into city dwellers mind (see the Greenpeace trailer "fisherman's friend" with a new look). Five, they can use the "David against Goliath" communication strategy which works well in the mind of not specialised people. In case some critics come out, the Big NGO won't directly answer to the critics. They will only say they are not opposed to fishermen, and let their partner SScF speak by themselves. These SScF are very sincere, and will be very angry, because they will have the feeling that they are critised directly whereas critics are directed against PEW and PEW's friends. So these SScF will be the best shield ever PEW's partner can find, because SScF are not aware of this overall strategy.

This is for the overall strategy. But there is a question which must not be forgotten, it is why it was possible to implement this control-&-command strategy so easily. Are we really sure all SScF were well associated and their interest well taken into account in our European fishermen organisations? Is our industry enough united, and if not why? What must be done to better balance fishing issues and implement a fair co-management? We also must not refuse improving our fishing where possible, and we must improve and invest time in partnership with scientists and enforcement, otherwise some people will come from outside to do it for you with their rules. The fact is many thing have changed since few years in our fishing industry, and we must build on our own future, in a fair way between all type of fishing activities, otherwise others will use our weaknesses. Our main threat would be to forget why some SScF had to do a eNGO's partnership and we must not demonise them for it. And on the other hand, our SScF colleagues who invest in eNGOs partnership must understand that there is some critics into these eNGO's partnerships, we can critise these partnerships and SscF are not the target of these critics. One good way is to implement co-management structure (between fishermen only) or to have everybody well represented in existing structures (and invest time in it). Of course, what I describe here is too global at the European level to address any local situation."

European Commission proposal to prohibit all EU driftnet fishing - Defra wants to hear from you!

In the wake or is it wash, and a heavy one at that, of the drubbing meted out by the meteoric rise in the number of UKIP candidates in the elections by what is seen as people's perception that we are too heavily dictated to by EU legislation - Defra seem very keen to see that the proposed lateral driftnet ban is not fully implemented in the UK - read on!

"As many of you will be aware, the European Commission proposes a full prohibition on the taking on board or use of any kind of driftnet in EU waters, as well as applying a more detailed definition of driftnets with the aim of closing loopholes encountered with enforcement of the current legislation (mainly in the Mediterranean).   

The proposed prohibition is intended to apply from 1 January 2015, subject to agreement with Member States and the European Parliament.

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-563_en.htm (Commission proposal press release)

The Defra position will be supportive of adequate measures to address the enforcement of the current prohibition on driftnet fishing for highly migratory species where this has been a problem, such as in the Mediterranean.

But Defra is very aware that the Commission’s problem definition underpinning the proposal does not readily relate to UK driftnet fisheries targeting herring, bass, salmon and other species. These represent an important part of the fishing year and livelihoods of relevant inshore fishermen and, most significantly, do not have the serious by-catch or enforcement issues that the Commission is trying to address. Our liaison with the Devolved Administrations indicates this view is representative of a UK position.

Rather than the proposed blanket EU measures, therefore, the UK negotiating position on this proposal will be to seek alternatives such as the application of a risk-based regional approach, particularly in waters around the UK – the North Sea, Channel, and Western waters – an approach which will ensure that the right fisheries are monitored and required to take appropriate mitigation action where needed.

This approach is in line with the existing requirements of the EU cetacean by-catch regulation (812/2004) which targets controls on bottom set gill and entanglement nets in ICES Areas IV (North Sea) and VII (western waters), which is where the related by-catch has more typically been an issue in these areas, rather than driftnets, particularly in consideration of the way driftnets are typically deployed and attended in UK waters. We consider a ban of any kind is inappropriate in the context of our UK driftnet fisheries.

The next step is for Member States to make representations in Council working group in Brussels – where we anticipate discussions will probably commence from July onwards.

In the meantime we would welcome any comments or views on our intended approach in responding to this proposal as described above, or any additional perspective you can offer to inform our position. These should be returned to the above mailbox address - Marine.CommonFisheries@defra.gsi.gov.uk - for the attention of my colleague Iain Glasgow – such views would be most helpful before the end of June.

Regards Roy Smith

Common Fisheries Policy team Sea Fisheries Conservation Division Defra

Area A, 8th floor, 9 Millbank, c/o Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR Tel: 020 7238 1245

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

We’d love to hear about why the ocean is important to you, tweet or Instagram your ideas using the hashtag #WOD

June 8th was World Oceans Day

Can Richard Branson and Virgin make a difference?
Fish 2.0: Connecting fishermen and investors

The fishing industry is evolving; for most fisherman, knowing how to catch is no longer enough. New regulations, growing demand from consumers to know where their food comes from, rising fuel prices, and increasing globalisation have changed the business dynamic of fishing. At the same time, with many fisheries in decline, fishermen must develop new ways to fish without depleting the resource on which they depend. They must innovate to survive. To be successful, they need to focus on developing their businesses as well as fishing.

This new reality for fishermen is one that is familiar to me. I had experienced problems associated with understanding only the science, and not the business, side of growing a resource-based enterprise during the early part of my career. At the time, I was working in a marine science job with a venture capital funded company focused on creating pharmaceuticals from unusual marine organisms. Though our research team successfully found useful organisms, the company went bankrupt in just two years.

The management could not satisfy the investors – even though the results looked promising. Frustrated, I went to business school to learn how to better manage scientific organisations like the one I had worked for.

At business school, I learned that each element of business, whether finance, marketing or strategy, has its own language, and that there are common rules to follow, no matter what the business or where it is in the world. As in all languages, the art is in how you adapt and combine all of the elements in different contexts and situations.

After finishing school, I tried to apply my knowledge of this new language to ocean sustainability – where too few people in science, conservation, and small scale fisheries spoke it. Along the way, I met many fishermen and fish farmers who were working to build innovative enterprises. Most were frustrated by their interactions with the investors they approached for support. They felt unable to build the trust, relationships and knowledge needed to work together. Conversations with investors were short and led nowhere.

After several years of writing business plans for some of these emerging fishing businesses, I realised that I could not meet the growing demand.

To make an impact on the ocean, I needed to solve the problem at its root: investors and fishermen needed to learn each other’s languages, so they could communicate effectively and directly.

 

I developed Fish 2.0 to bridge this language gap. I kept the platform simple – a business competition for sustainable seafood. Under its umbrella as a competition, Fish 2.0 connects entrepreneurs, investors, and sector experts.

European fisheries fund allocated to promote growth across the UK

In the UK the Government are:

• improving the way we manage fisheries, including piloting a more local approach to quota management and publishing a register of fixed quota allocations
• working with sea anglers to get better data on sea angling through the Sea Angling 2012 project
• preparing a report for Parliament on the conduct and operation of Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities.
• funding research projects and the Fisheries Science Partnership, so we have the data we need to manage fisheries well

• Specifiacally:

Fishermen across the UK will be able to apply for a fair share of a new grant scheme to help them adapt to the new Common Fisheries Policy and grow their businesses. 

The UK allocation of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund has been distributed fairly to each devolved nation based on factors including respective sizes of fleet, number of ports, sizes of industry, and historical allocations.

All four devolved administrations worked together to agree the allocations.

From next year, the UK fisheries, aquaculture and processing sectors will be able to apply for grants from the scheme to help them grow their businesses. Up to 60% of the cost of equipment will be available to help fishermen adapt to the landing obligation and other aspects of the new Common Fisheries Policy.

Marine and Fisheries Minister, George Eustice said:

“This deal means that fishermen in every part of the UK will have access to a fair allocation of funding to help them buy the equipment they need to adapt to the new Common Fisheries Policy. This will help the fishing industry invest in their businesses and deliver long-term economic growth.”

The size of the UK allocation is currently being decided by the EU Commission. The current European Fisheries Fund is worth €138 million to the UK. We expect the new allocation to be higher.

Allocation of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund in 2014 – 2020:

Scotland 46.00%

England 35.60%

Wales 8.40%

N. Ireland 10.00%