Welcome to Through the Gaps, the UK fishing industry's most comprehensive information and image resource. Newlyn is England's largest fish market and where over 50 species are regularly landed from handline, trawl, net, ring net and pot vessels including #MSC Certified #Hake, #Cornish Sardine, handlined bass, pollack and mackerel. Art work, graphics and digital fishing industry images available from stock or on commission.
The daffs were out in force this morning as a contingent of Celtic cousins from Wales hit town - members of the Cywain project whose aim is to foster, develop and market primary produce for the region...
and unlike last year's visit there was with a pretty full market compared to last year's when those appalling winter storms meant there were no fish on the market...
an opportunity to see some properr Corrnish fish, though milford Haven was a legendary hake fishing port back in the day...
and a few of the buyers just couldn't resist the opportunity for a little jollity...
while the bidding was keen...
with auctioneer Ian keeping the sale moving at a pace...
there were plenty of big white fish on the market...
and the visitors found out that Cfas regularly sample a huge number of fish on the market daily...
by recording size and taking otolith samples from selected species...
the visit will feature on both BBC Wales and South West TV this evening...
as Lionel gives the low down on how to skin the mighty meaty gurnard - the fishy party get to make a guided tour of Matthew Stevens fish factory over at St Ives before heading off to Padstow and a meal at a well-known restaurant with strong Newlyn links - no doubt Rick Steins will serve up a sumptuous fishy feast...
down the quay as the light breaks in the sky there is evidence of continued harbour development - the new meters installed putting an end to the free supply of electricity that the port has enjoyed since time immemorial...
adding to the cool ambient light of a March morning...
as some heavy clouds continue their journey eastwards...
many of the boats are still weather-bound...
but that doesn't stop the fuel arriving down the quay...
on its way to service the beamer fleet
the harbour wakes up...
not much fun on a building job at this time of year between hail showers!
March quotas for an under 10m boat on the south coast in ICES VIID: Quotas - sent out in an email last thing on Friday for March - 100 Kg - Plaice, 150 Kg - Cod, 750 Kg - Dover what's not there! This is the reaction of just one fisherman faced with the quoat allocation for March - along with a brief explanation about how much of each fish is on the grounds:
"Skate (whole weight) 250 Kg - we are getting paid about £1-£2 a kilo - so average will be a total of £375.
Sole - 750 Kg - just brilliant at present there is hardly anything on the ground! How many plaice are we going to trawl through to get that much sole! The ground is full of it, one tow 10 minute will get 100 Kg of plaice and about 3 soles. Plaice - 100 kilo - £1.10 per kilo - £110 Cod - 150 kilos - £1 a kilo- £150 Total - £635 predicted income This is not even enough to cover costs. I don't even know what to say I am totally speechless! Basically this month we can't even fish, this is a sheer disaster, you will probably bankrupt me and my husband this year, what a round of applause!"
The fishermen of North Devon who, like the boat above, rely an a single species for certain seasons suffered hugely as a result of the MMO quota cuts at the end of last year - seems we have made an early start this year to bankrupting more of the fleet! Watch the TV report below - which includes some commentary from Nina Shrank who led the Nutfa/Greenpeace Coastal Champs launch party on Saturday in Porthleven.
