SHELLFISH harvesters are being forced out of business after two contamination crises in three months brought the industry to its knees.
In recent tests, the level of E. coli found in oysters at one site in the Fal estuary was 400 times the legal limit, and 35 times the limit at another.
The scare comes just six weeks before the oyster harvesting season and the Falmouth Oyster Festival, which some fear could be put at risk.
It is also barely three months after the Food Standards Agency closed mussel beds in the Fal River, also because of the levels of E. coli.
Mussel farming banned on Fal River due to sewage pollution
Meeting over mussel ban after "confusion" from farmers
The effect of the two scares has forced one company to give up on the traditional trade after three decades.
Kevin Laity, from Kernow Shellfish, who harvests mussels in the summer and oysters in the winter, has put all three of his boats up for sale.
His son-in-law Mark Cairns, who works with him, said: “It is a huge concern because a lot of people are going to go out of work.
Knock-on
“It’s a knock-on effect. If the mussel beds were not shut down we would still have plenty of time. Nobody knows what to do.”
Chris Ranger, a merchant from Cornish Native Oysters which processes mussels and oysters, has 8,000 oysters in ‘lays’ in Mylor Creek – one of the contamination sites.
He said: “I haven’t done any business since April because of the (mussel) ban. And now, after these oyster results, it’s wearing a bit thin. I don’t know if I’m going to be trading by the weekend. If I hang on any longer I could lose everything. At least if I get out now I could save my boat.”
He has a purifier which he says would allow him to clean the oysters once he could remove them from the creek but at the moment the ban prevents them from being moved.
The scare has also put Falmouth Oyster Festival at risk, said Dave Trewin, owner and chef at Samphire restaurant in the town.
“The festival is at risk,” he said. “The whole idea of the festival is to celebrate the native oyster. If the next test comes back the same it has got to be a worry for everybody involved.”
Lee Fuller, director at The Shack restaurant said: “That is going to have a massive effect on the festival; I imagine they will be shipping them in from France.”
He added that the mussel ban had pushed up the price and he expected the same to happen to oysters.
“We just can’t buy the local mussel any more,” he said. “We just see the price going up and up. I imagine that will happen to the oyster.”
Results of the next oyster tests are expected next week and the mussel bed ban could be lifted next month if the all-clear is given.
But Mr Cairns said: “The damage has been done. Even if it is deemed fit a lot of people will be apprehensive about eating them. Everybody loses faith in what is a beautiful oyster.”
Mike Rangecroft , from Falmouth Oyster Festival, said to pre-empt any decisions about the event at this stage would be “unwise”.
Full story courtesy of the West Briton
Thursday 14 August 2014
The True Price of Fish - a film by Grace Pascoe
Too many fishermen are losing their lives at sea. As the UK’s most #dangerous profession commercial fishing has accounted for 87 deaths in the past 10 years. One way to mitigate the dangers faced is to wear a lifejacket at sea. However, just 25% of our 12,000 fishermen make this decision.
2014 campaigns have reignited the importance of fishermen wearing lifejackets. This TV documentary explores the traditions, stories and resolutions behind this tricky relationship in the South West of England.
To find out more about each character click here.
This film was made by Grace Pascoe.
This film was made by Grace Pascoe.
My name is Grace Pascoe, welcome to The True Price of Fish, the website accompanying my documentary film.
My film explores the relationship between fishermen and lifejackets in the South West of England. This documentary is the final project for my Multimedia Broadcast Journalism Master’s degree at Falmouth University.
I’ve produced the entire documentary myself including research, self-shooting, interviewing and editing. If you want to know more about the production stages behind the documentary head over to my original blog which documents the journey.
I hope you enjoy the film, any feedback is welcome!
P.S. I have now finished my MA and am open to new career opportunities, if you think I would fit in well with your team please email me:
grace_pascoe@hotmail.co.uk or to find out more about my work to date visit my LinkedIn.
What does a retired fish merchant do in his spare time?
Nick Howell traded for many years as a fish merchant from Newlyn. While the canned Cornish Sardine business he started ticks over nicely he now has time to enjoy life at a more leisurely pace - about the speed of his 1902 American Bicycle Company's Toledo steam car - the latest in a long list of cars Nick has owned and restored.
The car has taken years of restoration to get to this condition including a brand new steam boiler - however, most of the car is original.
Now fully restored, the rear view...
a none too crowded dashboard where fuel and steam pressure are the only instruments...
and the front view, she is now all set to recreate a journey undertaken by what is thought to have been the same car in 1902!...
this photo shows that car looking over the gRand Canyon - where Nick and his brother Chris are currently heading. They have just been looked after by fellow vintage car collector, journalist and TV presenter Jay Leno at his Pebble Beach home in LA.
Yesterday, Nick and his brother packed up the Toledo steamer in its case (a converted horse box!) and are headed North to the adge of the grand Canyon before setting out on their epic 62 mile drive into the wilderness!
Follow the adventure from the blog here and on Twitter @steamcarman:
 |
| The car as it arrived from America |
Now fully restored, the rear view...
a none too crowded dashboard where fuel and steam pressure are the only instruments...
and the front view, she is now all set to recreate a journey undertaken by what is thought to have been the same car in 1902!...
this photo shows that car looking over the gRand Canyon - where Nick and his brother Chris are currently heading. They have just been looked after by fellow vintage car collector, journalist and TV presenter Jay Leno at his Pebble Beach home in LA.
Yesterday, Nick and his brother packed up the Toledo steamer in its case (a converted horse box!) and are headed North to the adge of the grand Canyon before setting out on their epic 62 mile drive into the wilderness!
Follow the adventure from the blog here and on Twitter @steamcarman:
How to celebrate your new fishing boat - USA style!
Seems the Americans never do things by halves - check out this video of the Optimus, skipper/owner John Barry's new command and her maiden voyage.
Wednesday 13 August 2014
Look out for those showers!
Gig races are won by hard work on all those practice night...
evening tour with MC Mike...
it's Twilight so there's always gear to be done...
high water and mackerel in the bay means the anglers are out in force catching supper...
while the professionals make their way in through the gaps...
like the Benediction...
caught in the evening sun...
is the Twilight...
one of the orange fleet...
great time of the year to learn from the cloud appreciation society...
as the showery weather puts on...
a great display of cumulonumbus!
Tuesday 12 August 2014
#MMO publish catch quota trials which took place in the North Sea during 2013
The MMO has published the results of catch quota trials which took place in the North Sea during 2013.
The MMO is operating the catch quota trials on behalf of Defra as part of the UK’s initiative to tackle the problem of discarding fish – where fish are thrown away at sea if they are too small or there is no quota left for a particular species. The trials encourage fishermen to fish more selectively and land all of what they catch.
12 vessels took part in the scheme in the North Sea in 2013. They were awarded additional quota for North Sea cod and had an obligation to land and count all catches of cod against quota. They were also fitted with electronic monitoring systems with CCTV to observe and record fishing activity.
The report details how the practice is proving a successful, alternative method of managing fisheries. Results for the 2013 trials show an overall estimated discard rate of North Sea cod of 0.03% (496kg) from a total sampled catch of 1452 tonnes.
Julian Roberts, Catch Quota Trials Manager for the MMO, said:“We’d like to thank fishermen involved in the trials. I’m pleased to report continued involvement from the fishing industry in the scheme - participant levels have increased from 11 to 14 vessels since the start of 2014.”
The trials are providing the MMO with a better understanding of how a ban on discarding fish may work in practice is. Findings are being used by Defra to inform work on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.
More information and previous reports on the trials are available on thearchived MMO website
Monday 11 August 2014
Breton trawler from Le Guilvenec fined £25,000 for undersize mesh!
The master and owner of a French fishing boat stopped and searched by a Royal Navy fisheries protection vessel have been hit with a £25,000 penalty by Bodmin Magistrates.
Fishing boat L’Alphaver was fishing in the Celtic Sea off Cornwall when it was stopped by the fisheries protection vessel HMS Severn in June. Officers found that the boat’s two nets had been tampered with to make the mesh smaller. The vessel, which fishes out of Guilvenec in north west France, and its crew were escorted to Newlyn and the master and owner were charged with two counts of fishing illegally.
The case was originally scheduled to be heard on July 2 at Truro Magistrates but was adjourned for four weeks with the owner paying a £75,000 bond to allow her back to sea. When the case was heard the master, Fabrice Pellae of Plozevet, France, was ordered to pay £500 plus a victim surcharge of £50 and the owner, Clement Cochou of Plonéour-Lanvern, France, was ordered to pay £1,000 plus a victim surcharge of £100, plus costs of £4059.50. But the court also ordered the value of the catch L’Alphaver had in her hold at the time she was seized be forfeited – set at an estimated £20,000. The fines will be taken from the £75,000 bond.
A spokesperson for the Maritime Marine Organisation, which brought the prosecution, said: “The MMO is committed to protecting fish stocks and quota for law-abiding fishermen who rely on these species to sustain their livelihoods. “It recognises the majority of the fishing industry is compliant with the rules that govern its commercial activities, and will ensure that those who aren’t do not enjoy unfair financial advantage from illegal activity.”
Full story courtesy of the Cornishman here:
Fishing boat L’Alphaver was fishing in the Celtic Sea off Cornwall when it was stopped by the fisheries protection vessel HMS Severn in June. Officers found that the boat’s two nets had been tampered with to make the mesh smaller. The vessel, which fishes out of Guilvenec in north west France, and its crew were escorted to Newlyn and the master and owner were charged with two counts of fishing illegally.
The case was originally scheduled to be heard on July 2 at Truro Magistrates but was adjourned for four weeks with the owner paying a £75,000 bond to allow her back to sea. When the case was heard the master, Fabrice Pellae of Plozevet, France, was ordered to pay £500 plus a victim surcharge of £50 and the owner, Clement Cochou of Plonéour-Lanvern, France, was ordered to pay £1,000 plus a victim surcharge of £100, plus costs of £4059.50. But the court also ordered the value of the catch L’Alphaver had in her hold at the time she was seized be forfeited – set at an estimated £20,000. The fines will be taken from the £75,000 bond.
A spokesperson for the Maritime Marine Organisation, which brought the prosecution, said: “The MMO is committed to protecting fish stocks and quota for law-abiding fishermen who rely on these species to sustain their livelihoods. “It recognises the majority of the fishing industry is compliant with the rules that govern its commercial activities, and will ensure that those who aren’t do not enjoy unfair financial advantage from illegal activity.”
Full story courtesy of the Cornishman here:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)