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 mid-week market is often full of small shots of fish from the inshore fleet like this smattering of monk form the New Harmony, a hard-won catch from off the Lizard...
or these banging bass from the likes of Cap'n Cod...
or these beautiful blonde rays from the trawler Shiralee...
and his sparkling plaice...
the only beam trawler to land was the Sapphire II who had decided to go with the cuttlefish...
while both the Gary M and the Britannia V both put their trips of net caught MSC Certified hake ashore...
while outside the market the Girl Pamela takes on enough bait for a day on the pots - despite a scuffly forecast for the day as the back end of a front bringing wind and rain pass across the south west this morning.
Just gone live in the USA - FishWatch, a live database of fish data to help inform the public.
FishWatch will help you: Make smart seafood choices by arming you with the facts about what makes U.S. seafood sustainable—from the ocean or farm to your plate.
Get up-to-date information on the status of some of the nation’s most valuable marine fish harvested in U.S. federal waters as well as U.S. farmed fish that help meet our country’s growing seafood demand. Understand how U.S. seafood is responsibly harvested and grown under a strong monitoring, management, and enforcement regime that works to keep the marine environment healthy, fish populations thriving, and our seafood industry on the job.
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A tool to showcase ecolabels or certifications. A comprehensive database of all U.S. fish. This site does not include state managed fish, which can be found by searching your state or region’s department of natural resources.
More freedom to bank and borrow quota and funding for new fishing gear under the £43m European Maritime and Fisheries Fund will be officially announced by Fisheries Minister George Eustice in Selsey today as part the government’s plans to help fishermen prepare for the discard ban.
Speaking to an audience of fishermen the Minister will set out how the latest phase of the discard ban will bring an end to the wasteful practice of throwing fish back overboard, alongside the important flexibilities the UK Government is putting in place to ensure it doesn’t impact negatively on their business. This ‘demersal discard ban’—which will come into effect from January 2016 for fishermen targeting species such as haddock, sole and plaice—follows the successful introduction of a ‘pelagic’ ban in January. Commenting on preparations for the demersal ban, Fisheries Minister George Eustice said:
“If we want a profitable fishing industry and thriving coastal communities in the future it is vital that we fish sustainably today. That is why the reforms we have secured to the Common Fisheries Policy, which will put an end to the shameful practice of throwing perfectly good fish overboard, are so important. “It is essential that we ban the practice of discarding fish, but we are also committed to introducing new flexibilities to help fishermen manage their quotas and will be giving more quota to the under 10 metre fleet.” The announcement follows a consultation with industry this spring, and the government’s response sets out our plans to help fishermen adapt to the ban through: • European Maritime and Fishing Funding – available to purchase or develop new and innovative gear for more selective fishing and help industry to develop new markets for fish that were previously discarded. • Increased quotas from the European Commission – to take account of the fact that discarding should no longer be occurring. • More freedom to bank, borrow or swap quotas – to give fishermen more flexibility over their business. • Exemptions – based on the survivability of a species once caught.
While exemptions secured on behalf of the UKs fleet are based on scientific evidence, the gradual introduction of the ban in phases will allow the UK Government to monitor its progress and the impact on fishermen, helping to avoid disproportionate costs and adapt to the industry’s needs. Crucially, fishermen can expect to receive increased quotas from the European Commission to take account of the fact they will not be throwing away fish. In line with a manifesto commitment to support smaller fishing communities, the Government will be allocating the first 100 tonnes of any additional quota received—and 10% of anything more we receive on top of this 100 tonnes—to the UK’s inshore fleet. The discard ban is one of the most important changes to fisheries management in the last decade and follows three years of hard-fought, UK-led negotiations where the Government achieved international agreements to: • Fish at sustainable levels; • Ban discarding; • Decentralise decision-making – giving the UK more powers to manage our own fishing industry. Together with the quota system, which sets fishing levels each year, the ban will play a crucial role in the UK achieving sustainable fishing levels by 2020, a cornerstone agreement of the now-reformed Common Fisheries Policy.
Notes to Editors: 1. The pelagic #discard ban came into effect in January 2015. This has meant all fishermen targeting mid-water species, such as mackerel, have had to land all the fish they catch, putting an end to the million tonnes of fish that had previously been thrown back every year, dead, into European waters. 2. The Marine Management Organisation’s (MMO) guidance for fishermen is available on GOV.UK. This outlines which fish come under the demersal discard ban and what fishermen need to do with their catch. 3. A complete ban on the #discarding of all quota species will be in place by 2019. 4. For more information, contact #MMO #Defra Press Office on 020 7238 1542.
The discard ban, which will stop the throwing of perfectly good fish, dead, back overboard, is one of the most important changes to fisheries management in the last decade the UK played a key role in EU negotiations to secure this reform.
The discard ban has already come into force successfully for mid-water pelagic species like mackerel and herring, and in January 2016 it will come into force for seabed, demersal species Following the introduction of the ban in phases, a full discard ban – otherwise known as the ‘landing obligation’ - will be in force from January 2019. Will fishermen who catch demersal species have to land every fish they catch? No. We are working to ensure industry has time to adapt and fish more selectivity as the ban is There will also be a gradual introduction for fishermen targeting specific demersal species, so whether the ban applies to an individual fisherman will depend on:
- what fishing gear they use - what species is being targeted
The demersal discard ban will not be introduced for all species in one go. Why have landing obligations for pelagic and demersal fish been implemented at different groups, in mid -water, making them easier to target and a ‘cleaner fishery’. The discard ban process began with pelagic species as these fish swim together in species. Demersal species such as sole, haddock, hake and whiting are found closer to the sea bed and do not swim in shoals making it more complex to catch individual species. How is the discard ban enforced? The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is responsible for fisheries policy enforcement. Will the discard ban place a burden on fishermen?
We are working closely with industry and the EU to ensure the discard ban is applied proportionately and works in practice for all fishermen. That’s why we consulted with industry on the introduction of the ban and our response sets out plans to help fishermen adapt through:
European Maritime and Fishing Funding – available to fishermen to purchase or develop new and innovative gears for more selective fishing and to help industry develop markets for the fish that were previously discarded. Increased quotas from the European Commission - to take account of the fact that discarding should no longer be occurring. Quota management flexibilities – allowing quota managers the flexibility to bank and borrow quota between years to help them adapt to the discard ban.
Exemptions – The UK secured exemptions to the discard ban to help our fleet. These are based on the survivability of a species once caught – such as prawns caught in pots - or if there are disproportionate costs – i.e for landing very small quantities of undersized fish. Fishermen are also permitted to discard:
- Fish damaged by predators which could lead to the spread of disease - Contaminated fish which are unfit for human consumption
Fishermen must continue to discard prohibited species, such as sharks and whales. What exemptions are available to fishermen are set out within our guidance. All exemptions need to be based on scientific evidence and we will continue to work closely with industry to understand their needs in the future years. Will North Sea Cod be exempt?
North Sea Cod is not included within the landing obligation in 2016. North Sea Cod catches are currently controlled by quotas and the cod recovery plan. Cod will be subject to the discard ban in future years. We are working with Member States and industry to establish when to include cod How will this support smaller fishermen?
The phasing in of the discard ban and the exemptions secured have been informed by the smaller, inshore fleets. For example the UK secured an exemption for the inshore netting fleet targeting Additionally, the UK government has decided to allocate the first 100 tonnes and 10% of anything more of the quota uplift to the inshore fleets as evidence suggests their biggest reason for discarding is lack of quota. This therefore forms an important part of the Government’s Manifesto Commitment to support smaller fishing communities. Fishing is regulated by the setting of quota each year at EU Council in December. These negotiations rely on the latest science on stock levels to agree appropriate fishing levels per Will this change as a result of the discard ban?
We expect fishermen to receive increased quotas from the Commission to take account of the fact that discarding should no longer be occurring. If fishermen fish selectively, using all their knowledge and expertise, they can use this uplift to land good quality, high value fish, increasing What happens in the long-term? There will be ongoing discussions in the EU to agree further phasing-in of the ban for 2017 and 2018 – and by 2019 all quota species will be subject to the discard ban. Another key commitment of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy is to fish at sustainable levels. Alongside the quota system, the discard ban will play a crucial role in delivering this commitment as fishermen reduce the number of juvenile fish they catch, allowing the fish to reproduce and The latest guidance on the demersal landing obligation can also be accessed on the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) website. Date Activity 1 January 2015 Pelagic discard ban began Spring 2015 Demersal discard ban consultation A consultation opened earlier this year seeking views on how we should implement the demersal landing obligation in England. This was accompanied by a ‘tour’ of coastal towns and ports to discuss the impacts of the landing obligation. October 2015 Launch of the Government policy on the demersal discard ban Setting out the new measures to help fishermen adapt to the introduction of the ban. December 2015 EU December Council The amount fishermen can catch is decided each year at EU level. In light of the start of the demersal discard ban, we will be negotiating to ensure we get an appropriate uplift in quota in recognition that fishermen will be fishing more sustainably and landing everything they catch. 1 January 2016 Demersal Discard Ban The first year of the demersal landing obligation will be in force. Fishermen who are subject to the discard ban in 2016 will have to abide by the new rules.
Hard evidence from down under surfaces! "A new report by Australia's national science agency (CSIRO) has reportedly found that 100 years of trawling in the south-east has had only minimal effects on the sea bottom.
Existing research about the impact that trawl fishing gear has on seafloor invertebrates, and their recovery afterwards, was considered, along with maps of where fishing has occurred.
The results of the study were surprisingly positive, and showed that trawling does not have the affects that many would think, said a statement from Setfia, Australia's south-east trawl fishing industry association.
CSIRO said only 6% of the seafloor is currently trawled annually, and some areas where invertebrates live are not ever trawled, because they are closed by fishery closures and marine parks.
44% of the fishery is closed to trawling, while other areas are not fished because they are unproductive or too rough to trawl.
When trawling was at its most intensive, invertebrate abundance was still high (80- 93%).
Closures, marine parks and license buy-backs contributed to the recovery of invertebrates by very little (1-3%), it said.
Invertebrate abundance is currently very high (82- 94% of their original abundance). Most fishery closures and marine parks had little detectable influence on the abundance of invertebrates.
"100 years of the south-east providing healthy seafood in relation to the loss of 6-18% of the region’s invertebrate abundance contrasts favorably to the loss of 40% of Australia’s forests and 50% of its wetlands," Setfia proposed. "The trawl fishing of 6% annually of the south-east seafloor compares very favorably with the farming of 26% of the Australian landmass."
“The fishing industry has always known that there are very few trawl vessels operating in a very limited area and that our footprint would be minimal. This research proves that," said Setfia chairman, Tom Bibby.
"Green groups must try to convince the Australian community that trawl fishing is harmful in order to drive continued donations."
"Industry is not lobbying for the removal of marine parks but the industry operates under the constant threat of more closures; this work shows that they are not needed. Invertebrate communities never reached low levels and are rebuilding strongly," he said.
The southeast trawl fishery is the main supplier of the Melbourne and Sydney fish markets, landing 12,000 metric tons of fish worth AUD 50 million as it leaves the port. Species include flathead, pink ling and blue grenadier." Original report here:
