Wednesday sees another sunny day in paradise

The sun shines on......top quality inshore fish...

time to sample the plaice catch this morning...

buyer's boots...

good shot of hake form the Silver dawn...

there's a few gorgeous ray cutlets just waiting to be cut form this fine specimen...

one big net, a box of twine and some needles...

can only mean one thing, it's mending time...

the Ben Loyal, ex-seine netter, ex-longliner, ex-gill netter is now registered in Greenock but will be working from Grimsby...

on the whelks, she has just had a chute fitted for shooting the whelk pots away...

over on the big beam trawler St Georges it's time to go through the gear...

under the watchful eyes of young Mr Worth...

there are hundreds of links and shackles to check on port side's huge chain mat...

there's a couple of Tupperware tubs in the harbour along with the yachts...

home in Through the Gaps, the netter Ocean Pride makes her way to the market...

the port's ravens have a whole new set of perches to rest on....

whereas the public have somewhat limited access to the beach off Newlyn Green...

until the groundworks are completed...

a solitary punt works a few nets close inshore off the promenade.

"Conservation is a broken record that needs changing"

This article could have been aimed at the way the fishing industry is covered by many in the media - the now infamous Hugh's FishFight TV series being a case in point - which barely hinted at the huge positive changes that had occurred in the industry in a short space of time.

We’re already aware of the problems the natural world faces, it’s time the conservation community shares what’s being done about it, says Tom Lawson

I awoke to my usual routine: with the sun shining and a cup of tea in hand I set to reading the news. Immediately I came across the headline: World ‘on the verge of next mass extinction.’ And it’s humankind that’s to blame, according to the Duke University study the article cites. It was the kind of story that could really ruin someone’s day. But stories like this no longer have much of an impact on me. I began reading, but by the third paragraph I was quickly losing interest. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s that I’ve heard it all before.

A quick Google search for ‘humans’ and ‘mass extinction’ reveals not just the article I found, but similar results from the BBC in 2012, Science in 2011, The Guardian in 2010 and the New Yorker in 2009. We’ve been talking about the same things for a long time.

The week prior to reading the article I attended Circumnavigating Hope, a two-day workshop on how conservation issues can be communicated more effectively. It brought together scientists, communicators and campaigners to ask why success stories aren’t being told and how that can change. Although it was acknowledged that the media plays a major part in fuelling disengagement, Circumnavigating Hope explored the idea that the conservation sector itself; from scientists to NGOs to campaigners, also plays a huge part in the communication problem.

“In the marine conservation community there’s a total failure to talk about successes” “Mistakenly, the conservation community often buys into the narrative of shock and fear in the belief that knowledge of just how bad things are will spur people to action,” said Circumnavigating Hope co-ordinator Elisabeth Whitebread. Equally, scientists often present worst-case scenarios of the consequences of current practices without offering up the possible outcomes of alternative courses of action.

However, numerous psychological studies, including one carried out by researcher and fellow Circumnavigating Hope participant Elin Kelsey, have shown that communicating negative messages about the state of the environment leaves many people feeling apathetic and uninspired to act. Dr Ingolfur Blühdorn of the University of Bath goes as far as to suggest that some negative environmental messages are so counter-productive that people block out the messages they’re being told by increasing their consumption of consumer goods rather than adopting more sustainable behaviours.

Alex Steffen, a climate journalist and futurist, who spoke at the event via Skype, suggested that we should move past informing people about problems. “Education in terms of raising the alarm is no longer a priority,” he said. “People have to have a sense of a future that could work.”

The workshop highlighted the fact that there are no shortage of potential solutions and positive stories out there, the problem is they simply aren’t being communicated effectively, even by the sector that’s working to create them.

“In the marine conservation community there’s a total failure to talk about successes,” said Nancy Knowlton, a coral reef biologist who runs the Smithsonian Ocean Portal, an online collection of ocean success stories. She also suggested that innate scientific uncertainty could be causing scientists to be overly cautious when talking about successes and that pressure to continuously carry out new research leaves little time for reflection. “Once we solve a problem, we forget that we’ve actually done something to make things better and instead just focus on the next problem,” she said. Platforms for scientists to share these stories, even just with each other, could help the development of further solutions and boost morale to spur further positive action.

“Raising the alarm is no longer a priority. People have to have a sense of a future that could work” The workshop discussions also recognised that stories not only need to be told more often, but told differently. At one end of the spectrum there is the media, which although writing in an easily digestible form, can sometimes misinterpret or mislead, and at the other are scientific papers, whose language and content are inaccessible to most. “Not all scientists need to be good communicators and not every scientific paper needs to be public facing,” says Ralph Underhill from Common Cause, however it was agreed that collaboration between the two sectors could be improved, for example through basic communications training for scientists and scientific training for journalists.

Meanwhile, platforms such as social media and citizen journalism present an enormous opportunity for the public to play a role in sharing positive stories, while other formats could also help create more engaging narratives, including entertainment media and exhibits in public spaces.

Underlying all of this though is the need to embrace the complexity that all stories have. The media tend to oversimplify things, preferring to see issues in black and white, while conservation campaigns are often targeted, avoiding the wider context – and perhaps one of the reasons scientists are reluctant to share successes is the fear of criticism for failing to recognise the bigger picture.

“No story is completely negative and no story is completely positive,” argued anthropologist Susanne Schmitt. But it is most often that stories of success, even minor ones, are overlooked. The vast complexity of the natural world should be reflected and celebrated in the stories we tell about it.

Story courtesy of Toma Lawson

NFFO Exec Meets to Decide Policy

The Executive Committee of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations met recently in York to agree NFFO policy across a wide range of issues.

The Executive:

• Affirmed its commitment to strong engagement with DEFRA, advisory councils and European institutions to ensure a pragmatic, rational and proportionate implementation of the EU landings obligation
• Determined to strongly resist the blanket ban on drift nets proposed by the European Commission
• Received a report on international negotiations on mackerel and Atlanto-Scandian herring 
• Noted developments in the European Parliament and the relaunch of Brussels based fisheries trade association Europeche 
• Endorsed the Federation’s efforts to redress the imbalanced and sensationalist coverage of fishing issues in the media Noted the warm approval of the NFFO Chairman’s report by one of the founders of modern fisheries science 
• Agreed to make representations with regard to the Scottish moratorium on quota transfers out of Scotland 
• Received an update on the Federation’s work in the regional advisory councils 
• Welcomed signs that the flawed and now discredited policy of limiting time at sea appeared to be drawing to an end 
• Made preparations for the Autumn quota negotiations 
• Received a report on the latest meeting with the Marine Management Organisation 
• Highlighted shortcomings in the issue of licence variations 
• Reviewed the Federation’s work in the realm of safety and training 
• Took a position on revisions to the Seafish Responsible Fishing Scheme Discussed plans for a major meeting in the autumn on shellfish policy 
• Discussed the Federation’s ongoing engagement with fisheries scientists 
• Reviewed the Federation’s work on marine protected areas Considered the latest developments in offshore renewables 
• Prepared the NFFO response to Defra’s consultation on IFCAs 
• Discussed the implications of fish stocks with zero TACs The next meeting of the NFFO Executive will be held on 5th August.

Next meeting 5th of August 2014

A SIGNIFICANT section of Scotland's whitefish fleet may not survive the introduction of the discard ban #crudelegislation

This excellent article from Mike Park. The article could just as easily have come from the fishing organisations down here in Cornwall where a good section of the fleet will be affected in the same way!


A SIGNIFICANT section of Scotland's whitefish fleet may not survive the introduction of the discard ban, the leader of the country's biggest fishing association has warned.

While welcoming reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), Mike Park, chief executive of the Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA), said successful implementation of the landings obligation in January 2016 would be an "enormous challenge" for government and industry.

"Maintaining an economically viable fleet will be hugely difficult – if not impossible – if the discard ban comes in without other major changes to the management regime," he said.

"A move in emphasis away from landings to catches provides real potential for fishing businesses to prosper. "But it is imperative that the issues in the way are identified early and tackled to ensure a future for the industry around our shores."

In the SWFPA's official response to the European Commission consultation on technical measures in the reformed CFP, Mr Park identifies the key issues as:

• Choke species – types of fish that are abundant but have low quotas which in a mixed fishery are quickly exhausted, preventing further fishing for the main target species
 • A command and control approach from the European Commission on technical measures which contradicts the move to regional management in the reformed CFP
 • Failure of the derogations in the reformed CFP to provide a "soft landing" for the discard ban to give time for it to be implemented satisfactorily.

In the response, Mr Park says: "The cod fishery to the west of Scotland is one area where a total allowable catch (TAC) aligned to maximum sustainable yield (MSY) would deliver around one fifth of the tonnage required to maintain and fully prosecute the target fishery of monkfish.

"There are many other fisheries where insistence that MSY is maintained for by-catch will lead to an early loss of economic viability. "It is beyond reason therefore to expect simultaneous delivery of economic viability, MSY harvesting and the landings obligation."

Mr Park calls on the Commission to abandon its prescriptive approach to regulating the mechanics of fishing. "Paternalism and top down management have no place in output-focused management. It would be supremely duplicitous to hand the reins of responsibility to fishers, then to prescribe how they should make the best fit; it is very much at odds with a move to regional management."

He says the SWFPA agrees with the North Sea Advisory Council, which has said that "in terms of presenting technical measures, it is time for the Commission, Council of Ministers and European Parliament to leave the stage". He adds: "What should be avoided is any prescriptiveness with regard to net characteristics, reference gears or set limits on species mix." Mr Park also calls for the abandonment of limits on days at sea and the one net rule.

The SWFPA represents 200 boats and 1,200 fishermen operating across a wide range of gear types, target species and management areas.

- courtesy of FishNewsEU:

ROV technology

Digital camera technology has improved hugely in the last five years. Sensors now have huge dynamic ranges which means they can cope with extremes of light and dark, hue and tonal range within a single image. Satellite technology now allows for the transmission of huge digital data files at reasonable cost. The end result means that researchers who invest in such technology can pass on their work to a much wider audience - in this instance the research crew manning the ROVs Hercules and Argos aboard JG Ballard's RV Nautilus can not only allow us to see their day-to-day research work but also allow vieweres to engage with them and ask them questions live via the dialogue box below the video feed.

Just imagine if such technology was available for investigating the sinking of fishing vessels that have founded?

The beam trawler Margaretha Maria was lost during a trip from Newlyn in November 1997.  The following year the salvage vessel Tesrchelling was hired by the legal team representing the families of the skipper and crew. Although the ROV from the Tesrchelling was able to video the entire wreck the images sent back to the boat were nothing like the quality available now nor did the ROV have the degree of movement and ability that the equipment on the Nautilus has today. Even so for the day the images sent back to the surface enabled a comprehensive assessment of the vessel on the sea bed at the time.

ROVs can operate where no diver would be safe to do so and as a result can be deployed in conditions that would potentially preclude and kind of incident survey.

Two publications cover the incident in detail:

This from the Wolfson Unit who were commissioned to investigate stability inherent in different beam trawler arrangements.

The official MAIB investigation into the accident which saw the lives of four fishermen lost.

Day Two of Food, Fisheries and Tourism: New Opportunities for Sustainable Development #tourfish

Tuesday - Conference Day Two - St Mary in the Castle

08:00 - 09:30	Registration - (For those delegates that are attending Day Two only)
09:30	Introduction to Day Two
09:35	Fish, Food and Festivals: Responsible tourism and fishing-led community regeneration - led by  Sidmouth Trawlers, Hastings Fishermen's Protection Society and University of Brighton Join us as we share lessons learnt about the hard won successes of two very different fishing communities using their heritage and contemporary fishing fleet identity to act as a catalyst for community led regeneration. Common to both of these remarkable stories is the use of the cultural traditions tied into their landscape and livelihoods by the fishers and the communities around them to forge a unique responsible tourism offer around fish, food and festivals. Learn about their different routes to industry empowerment and activism and the creative ways in which their stories, knowledge and skills are being re-connected and so re-valued by a new generation of visitors and residents. We want to showcase to you how through adopting approaches proudly grounded in the fishing community the link between an emerging responsible tourism market and community led regeneration can help to protect the livelihoods, unique place based identity, social cohesion, sense of purpose and traditions of our coastal communities. The session will involve an introduction to each case study by a panel of community stakeholders and will be followed by what we know will be a lively and insightful Q&A session where we will invite you to be part of the audience wide discussion around how these models might apply to your industry and contribute to your community. This session is particularly valuable for: Fishers, farmers and agri-food producers to learn about how responsible tourism can be part of your community strategy to secure your livelihood. Tourism and marketing professionals will learn about how they might work with community led regeneration projects to develop the emerging responsible tourism market and so achieve sustainable economic renewal. NGOs and civil society groups will have valuable experience of achieving societal change through bottom up local community models that share many of the principles of this approach to community led regeneration and responsible tourism, thus creating the opportunity for mutual exchange of lessons learnt. Social and economic policy practitioners can see first hand how fisheries inspired responsible tourism can be a catalyst for social and economic regeneration.
10:35	Morning Break
11:00	Education, fish and food: Raising awareness of food, sustainability and responsible tourism - led by University of Brighton, Hastings Fishermen's Protection Society, Flanders House of Food and Nausicaa Experience first-hand innovative models of fisher/farmer/agri-food industry led alternative education provision with examples from England, Belgium and France. These models of education can deliver valuable learner experiences underpinned by the sharing of fisher/farmer/industry knowledge and their participation in enabling an understanding of sustainable food industry practices and values. They highlight a commitment to demonstrating how fishing and farming contribute to the unique identity of where you live and visit and trigger questions about how learners can be part of building a more sustainable future: through their informed consumer and business choices around locally sourced seasonal food through sharing the knowledge they acquire in these lessons on sustainable foods through seeking to gain employment in the industry  The session will involve an introduction to these models and why they were developed. You will experience this exciting alternative education provision, and learn about the crucial role this type of education can play in securing a viable economic future for sustainable fishing and agri-foods. Finally, we will invite you to be part of the audience wide discussion around how these models might apply to your industry and contribute to your locality. This session is particularly valuable for: Fishers, farmers and agri-food producers to learn about how alternative education provision can help support their future livelihood. Education practitioners will have much to contribute to this debate as they reflect upon how this model engages students in a meaningful way around the themes of sustainability and how this can be part of the resources available for area-based curriculum. Tourism and marketing practitioners will learn how these models can contribute to the emerging knowledge based responsible tourism market and how education feeds into associated regional branding.  NGOs and civil society groups will have valuable experience of achieving societal change through bottom up local community models that share many of the principles of this education provision, thus creating the opportunity for mutual exchange of lessons learnt.  Social policy practitioners can see first hand how alternative education provision is a catalyst for sustainability in relation to the food chain, with ideas shared around: food security, ecosystem conservation, intra-inter generational cultural exchange and economic renewal.
12:00	Lunch Break
13:00	Keynote Speech: Sustainable Food - Making the Connection from Spade to Spoon Clare Devereux, Policy Director of Food Matters
13:30	From Catch to Plate & Plough to Plate: Sustainable seafood and local land products for today and tomorrow - led by Nausicaa and Taste South East  Today, 77% of fish stocks are fully exploited, overexploited or exhausted. The growing demand for fish, linked both to increases in world population and an ever growing interest by consumers in the nutritional and dietetic qualities of fish, places considerable pressure on this resource. But how can we make a difference? Associations, aquariums and institutes are working to increasingly raise the awareness of their consumers and to encourage them, through concrete daily actions, to become responsible consumers of seafood products, at home and away. The mobilising of economic players, from fishermen to distributors, has become essential. However, this can only become effective and sustainable if consumers themselves also become active players through their unique and determining purchasing power, at the end of the supply chain, via selective and educated consumerism. In this final session you can learn more about two exciting and successful "Catch to Plate" initiatives in the Interreg 2 Seas zone, as well as other responsible tourism initiatives featuring local food and seafood. We will also be joined by a restaurant chef who will tell us about the barriers to and opportunities of sourcing local food.  Local Catch: A web-based information hub to educate consumers and chefs about local species, where to find local fishermen, fishmongers and wholesalers who catch and sell locally caught seafood. The platform also gives information about seasonality, minimum size of the fish and its rating on the UK's sustainable fish list. It shows consumers and chefs how to cook and prepare local species and provides recipe ideas. This is a growing network developed by the industry. Find out how we use Local Catch to the benefit of the industry, encourage responsible tourism, and develop new supply chains as well as our plans for the future.  Mr.Goodfish which is a programme initiated by the World Ocean Network and developed by Nausicaa in France.  Its aim is to inform and educate general public, and  tourists about sustainable seafood consumption by enabling  them to choose responsibly thereby preserving the sea’s resources for the future generations. Positive recommendations are published quarterly, in the form of a list, made available on the internet and communicated to all contributing members, including fishmongers and restauranteurs.            How can you get involved? With this session, you will learn how to make more responsible choices and find key advice to choose and promote sustainable seafood for today and tomorrow. Testimonies of chefs using and selling locally produced food and locally caught seafood, will show you what is possible to do in the real life to be a more sustainable business.          The strategic target of this session comprises of all the component parts of the sector: Fishermen, farmers and local producers Wholesalers, processors, restaurant-owners and distributor NGOs and other associations Teachers  Politicians Public authorities The media Consumers and potential consumers of produce from the sea and land
14:30	Concluding Session
15:00	End of Conference

#tourfish Food, Fisheries and Tourism: New Opportunities for Sustainable Development