Farming Today talking Brexit at Peterhead.

What is the likely impact of Brexit on UK fisheries? Charlotte Smith visits Peterhead, the UK's largest fish market, in north east Scotland.

Charlotte attends the early morning fish market at Peterhead, humming with activity, as 7,000 boxes of freshly caught fish are sold. Among the twenty varieties under the hammer are some huge halibuts, one of them over 100kg in weight, caught as far north as the Faroe Isles. She meets Jimmy Buchan of BBC2's 'Trawlermen' series who reflects on the longterm impact of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy, which led to Peterhead's fleet being cut by over 40% ten years ago. But he's optimistic about the opportunities for fisheries beyond Brexit. Charlotte also speaks to Fisheries Minister George Eustice who lays out his plans for 'reclaiming UK waters'.

Meanwhile, the Peterhead Port Authority is undertaking a £50M infrastructure project that will reshape the port's facilities and fish market for the future.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Mark Smalley.

Discover how to influence the decision-making process and how the Low Impact Fishers of Europe can help you reach your goals! 

Discover the set of rules established to manage European fisheries and how LIFE can make your voice heard!

The place to be to provide a real and concrete input to european and national policies, with the support of LIFE!

Download the official guide on http://lifeplatform.eu/tutorials/

NFFO TAKES POSITION ON NORTH SEA PLAN

Through its work with the North Sea Advisory Council, the NFFO has been centrally involved in the preparation of NSAC advice in the lead up to the Commission’s proposal for a multi-annual plan for the demersal fisheries in the North Sea. In particular, we have been supportive of the potential flexibility provided by F ranges in setting TACs that are compatible with both MSY objectives and implementation of the landing obligation.

NFFO Takes Position on North Sea Plan

Brexit

Having been launched by the Commission, we suppose that the proposal will now go forward and the co-decision process will run its course. We cannot but think, however, that there is a degree of wishful thinking, or ignoring the elephant in the room here. The UK’s departure from the EU will mean that the UK will be responsible for managing the fisheries within the UK exclusive economic zone. Consequently, the area of EU jurisdiction in the North Sea (and therefore the sea area covered by this plan) will be radically curtailed. Even more significantly, the institutional arrangements for setting TACs for shared stocks will also change – probably in the North Sea to a trilateral arrangement involving Norway, EU and UK, as an independent coastal state. The EU multi-annual plan will have no legal traction with Norway or the UK, and only as much political influence as the other parties will allow.

Against this background there must be a high probability that this proposal will stall going through the co-decision process. And if it does not stall, and is adopted, the capacity of Norway to block its influence when setting TACs for joint stocks suggests to us that the plan is already dead in the water in its central purpose.

UK Role

We fully understand that until the UK leaves the EU it is bound by the rights and responsibilities of the EU and the CFP. For instruments like the landings obligation, which the UK fisheries minister has suggested in large part will be absorbed into UK legislation, there is every reason for the UK to stay engaged in the development of the legislation. However, the same does not apply with the multi-annual plan. In the post-Brexit TAC setting arrangements for shared stocks, the UK will have a stronger hand after it has left the EU, than as one of twenty-eight, and we cannot see the advantage in pretending that nothing is about to change in this respect.

Apart from anything else, the assumptions on which the stakeholder consultations and impact assessments, by which the plan is underpinned will have altered radically, invalidating the results. This in itself is sufficient to question the legality as well as the rationality of continuing as though nothing is about to happen.

Rescue

There may be sound reasons why, in the context of annual negotiations towards a fisheries agreement with Norway and the EU, it might be considered expedient to rescue some of the specific measures contained in the Commission’s proposal. But we think that the kindest approach to all, considering the circumstances, is for the UK to suggest to the other co-legislators, that it might be sensible for all concerned to wait the outcome to the Brexit negotiations before adopting a piece of legislation designed for a different era.

I am sure that we can all put our time to better use.

Article courtesy of the NFFO website here:

#FishyFriday finds most of the fleet in port.

#FishyFriday fish in short supply at the end of a busy week that saw a gale blow its way through the south west...

not bad enough to drive all the boats in but certainly bad enough to give those that were at sea hard time as this shot from the office window shows of the netter, Ajax dodging some 110 miles west of Newlyn...

plenty of buyers and not so much fish with just the big beam trawler, Billy Rowney and the netter Govenek of Ladram landing... 

 so it is a big fish kind of auction, huge moink tails..

huge haddock... 

 huge pollack..

 huge coley... 

 huge roes...

 number 1 fish...

  a familiar pose...

 everything goers down in the book... 

 these ray fill the box...

 hugest Dover sole on the market this week...

 handsome Cornish MSC Certified hake...

 get loaded onto the waiting transport...

 while most of the fleet are back in port...

 waiting for a glimpse of sunshine today.

The EU’s External Fishing Fleet: Flying the Flag for Transparency and Sustainability

The EU has one of the largest fleets of fishing vessels operating all over the world. It is therefore essential that the EU’s external fishing operations are carried out legally and sustainably.

Seafood Cornwall Training - latest course news for 2017.

Seafood Cornwall Training courses - latest course news:

So you want to be skipper?

There is funding available for experienced fishermen (minimum 2 years fishing experience) wishing to refresh any of their basic or advanced level training or take courses towards their Under 16.5m Skippers Ticket.

Candidates must already hold all four basic safety certificates– Sea Survival / PST, First Aid, Fire Fighting, Health & Safety and have completed their Safety Awareness training to be eligible for funding (subject to Seafish approval).


MCA approved AEC 30hour Diesel Engine course

We are in the process of setting up a four day engineering course, which is part of the essential training needed to complete your under 16.5m Skipper’s Ticket. If you would like to be alerted once it is up and running, give us a call or email: info@seafoodcornwalltraining.co.uk


Earlier this year the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) opened the €243m European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) in England. The scheme is currently open for projects which focus on the reform of the CFP such as: 

• improving health and safety on fishing vessels; 
• enhancing the quality or value of catch; 
• investing in port and harbour infrastructure such as ports/auction
• halls/shelters; 
• helping the processing of seafood and aquaculture products or general investments in aquaculture.

Apply directly through the MMO website: 
https://www.gov.uk/topic/commercial-fishing-fisheries/funding. 

call 0208 026 5539 or email : emff.queries@marinemanagement.org.uk. 


Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG)

The FLAG will launch in early 2017. The FLAG has 4 priorities:

1. Supporting innovation, diversification and micro business development. Creating shared work space and collaboration between fishermen, fish marketing, adding value and development of energy reduction and innovation in plant and machinery. Improving the quality of the catch & waste solutions.

2. Developing and supporting social, economic and environmental projects which especially benefit smaller and isolated communities where the numbers of beneficiaries is low but impact is an important consideration.

3. Developing and supporting innovation in fish, fish products, fish waste and processes and adding value. Quality marks and catch quality. Environmental projects which benefit the wider fishing industry. Supporting social enterprise, branding and catch quality. Science and research, micro financial instruments. fish bi-products

4. Developing and supporting training to mentor new entrants. Working with skipper mentors and mentors in the wider fishing sectors to ensure entrants are safe and skilled in the many requirements of work.

If you have a project idea that meets one of the above priorities, please get in contact with Chris 01736 364324 or chris.ranford@cornwallrcc.org.uk to develop an expression of interest.

The University of Exeter is conducting workshops for women in fishing.
Come to one of our workshops to learn about:

• How to access funding from the Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG).
• What help the Fishermen’s Mission can provide to fishing families.
• Information and resources for fishing families coping with stress and ill health.

Childcare and refreshments provided

28 January 2-4pm Looe Lifeboats Station and 4 February 12.30-2.30pm Mevagissey Social Club


Please visit our website for more details about our courses.

Finished work, off home - not so for Newlyn fishing boat dodging in poor weather waiting for the tide.

The Newlyn netter Stelissa caught on the webcam riding out some heavy seas in Mount's Bay as she waits for the tide before entering the harbour safley - all in a day's work for the boys.