Ice and go!

Saturday morning and a break in the weather means the fleet can get back to sea.

Saturday morning in Nelwyn and the fleet heads back out to sea as the weather breaks.

It'a that time of year when the lights go up...

courtesy of the Newlyn Harbour Lights team...

the nec ice snake in action...

as the boats take their turn in the queue...

and take ice...

then it's off to sea for another trip...

waiting to get the grub for the trip...

last in the line is the  Lisa...

£9000 raised already for Salt of the Earth...

nice little wooden clinker built punt up for auction this Tuesday at David Lay's Alverton auction rooms.

BBC Spotlight feautre - Fishermen and fish retailers hit by MMO fishing restrictions.

BBC South West's current affairs programme Spotlight talks to inshore fishermen form St Mawes where complete stops on some species introduced by the MMO have caused local boats to tie up and the wet fish retailers who rely on them cease trading for want of fish. 

Local Plymouth MP Alison Seabeck has called for an inquiry into the behaviour of the MMO - she initially raised concerns on behalf of local fishermen over 18 months ago when it became evident that these stocks would require careful management. Fisheries MP George Eustice is also interviewed but he appears to blame the swingeing cuts made by the MMO on this year's appalling winter weather followed by fishermen making higher than average catches during the summer months on  - though quite how that would produce different catch figures as compared to fishermen being able to fish all year round as they might have done in previous years is anybody's guess?

Whatever the case it seems remarkable that an organisation with the management word in its very title could or even would make such a catastrophic mess of 'managing' the very industry it has been charged with managing.

Jurassic coast pot and net fisher John Shuker blogs about his trip to the west coats of the United States.

Here is the second instalment (and blog post) on the Lyme Bay – Morro Bay #GAP2exchange trip. Jon Shuker, a fisherman from Lyme Bay, on the Jurassic Coast, discusses what he got up to on the exchange, what he found out, and some reflections as to how this compares to his local fishing grounds.

It's #FishyFriday folks!

Just a handful of boxes on the market this morning as heavy weather interrupts fishing for most of the fleet...

time for a quick round of "Simon Says..."...

watched by wily megrim soles...

always  handful of scallops with every beam trawler's trip...

and at this time of year the cephalapods are in evidence everywhere the boats go...

fastest fish in the west...

model fish worker...

this mouth is meant for fishing, not grazing like the grey mullet's...

even some bigger boats were taking a break overnight from those sou'westerly winds...

while the good ship Bess is about to get a winter overhaul on the quay...

might be an uncomfortable day for the smaller crabbers...

but that won't stop the Rowse fleet from picking up their pots today.

Ajax back in to iron out a few probs with the new gear - and away again!

A short video of the new Ajax making the first return from the fishing grounds in order to affect some small but necessary adjustments to the hydraulic controls for the net hauler...

after several hours sweat the repair jobs have been completed on the Ajax and she is now on her way back to haul her nets...

- not such a comfortable steam off now with the winds at the Sevenstones Lightship increasing all the time now reaching gale force 8. 

Ajax in and out and the weather is gale #force8 - nice.

Quick team talk while the Russ the hydraulics expert prepares to jump aboard...

to sort out a few teething problems...

with the hydraulic controls for the Spencer Carter hauler...

with its restraining leash on...

the fish washer is big enough for sure...

view out on to the working deck from the most important room on the boat, the galley...

up in the wheelhouse Matt discusses a few minor modifications needed to the fish handling system...

new lifebelt matches the new mizzen sail - only boats that work fixed gear like netters and trawlers are rigged with a mizzen sail - to keep the boat head to wind when they are hauling the nets...

plenty of screens for the man on watch to watch over when taking a steaming watch...

looks like the new sardine boat the Mayflower is all set for action...

two old hands ride out tonight's gale...

as the  Govenek of Ladram prepares to sail...

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