Sunday night, Monday morning in Newlyn.

Sunday saw storm Freya blow many of the fleet back to port early over the weekend...

some were due to land anyway...

while others like the Northern Irish vessel Northern Osprey took shelter for a few hours before steaming back home...

the strong winds also blew in a few feathered as yet, unidentified visitors...

and were strong enough to dislodge a stack of pots on the quay...

the netter Ygraine ran in ahead of the worst of the weather...

to land a catch of superb quality hake...

and other whitefish...

like these stunning tub gurnards...

with their strikingly iridescent dorsal fins...

many people question the practise of discarding fish over-quota at sea and why fish caught still alive can't just be returned - this is the swim bladder of a tub gurnard - fully inflated - it is used to regulate the depth at which fish swim by changing the buoyancy of the fish by releasing or absorbing oxygen...

once out of the water it is impossible for such a fish to reduce the gas content of the bladder and the fish is then unable to swim normally - some pelagic fish, like mackerel, do not have swim bladders...

landing the fish is a family affair...

and all hands help on the market...

while the rest of the crew grade hake...

the classic Cygnus 44 hull is an immaculate conversion from trawling to netting...

Monday morning sees the fish from the Ygraine...

and a a handful of beam trawlers land fish like blonde ray...

monk fish tails...

and there were even a box of greater weevers - with their poisonous dorsal fins removed so as to protect anyone handling the fish after the sale...

the odd John Dory...

all keenly contested price-wise by the buyers...

Fish for Thought could not resist bidding on these cracking large whiting from the netter Ajax...

the bulk of beam trawl trips are made up of monk tails. megrim, lemon and Dover soles along with plaice and a wide variety of ground fish...

and sometimes a box or two of pristine red mullet drop out of the cod end...

netters sometimes hit a patch of spiders and pick out the paws...

while Seaborne Fish went for these perfect specimens of haddock for their shop...

Mousehole Fish just couldn't resist picking up these beautifully bright blackjacks or coley, a great favourite in Germany apparently...

mackerel supplies were restricted on account of Freya keeping the punts firmly on their moorings in St Ives bay...

while Wild Harbour couldn't resist the stunning looks of these big grey mullet...

Mr and Mrs smoothound...

the mornings are now just beginning to get light before the end of the auction...

which sees all but a handful of baots tied up in port...

the smallest sizes of Dover soles are known as slips and tongues...

young Mr Smart just could not resist the long tentacles of this big Mediterranean octopus which make superb eating as they become very tender when cooked correctly...

while down the Mary Williams pier the Sapphire II is taking on fuel...

and preparing for her next trip.

Newlyn netter Ygraine landing in Newlyn.

Ygraine, one of the first Cygnus 44' trawlers and built for St Ives fisherman Barney Thomas in 1982 by Ivan Toms returned to Newlyn four years ago. Bought by brothers, Rhys and David Fife who fish aboard the pioneering ring-netter Pelagic Marksman during the sardine season...

the boat is worked for wreck fish and hake by the brothers when the sardine fishery is closed.  The boat was fitted out to maintain its catch to the highest quality standards.  The boat's business is very much a family affair, all members turn-to when it comes to landing her catch on the market.

Brexit without agreement - from Boulogne and Dutch fishermen, merchants and families.

The idea of ​​a "hard" Brexit, without an agreement being reached between the British and the Europeans, is becoming a little more credible every day. In the largest French fishing port in Boulogne-sur-Mer, the fish industry is anticipated by many..

It is 1 am, the city is quiet but the port is active. Trawlers return from fishing and unload their goods, Loubet basin in Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais). "We land fishing 48 hours, in forty minutes we left," says Nicolas Margollé, owner of the trawler Nicolas and Jérémy. Stacks of crates of fish are carried by a crane, from the boat 24 meters to the dock. It's a race against the clock, everyone performs his task accurately and efficiently in the unloading.

The pace is formidable: Nicolas and the six other men aboard have slept ten hours in 48 hours. Their fishing area? Between Great Britain and France, everything depends on the season and schools of fish. "At the moment, I am mainly targeting squid and a little whiting, this is the period." The fisherman makes 65% of his turnover in the British zone. But tomorrow, this whole organisation could collapse like a house of cards.

Fishermen "in complete helplessness"

If no agreement is reached on March 29th, the official date of the beginning of Brexit (and if this date is not postponed ), the British will be able to ban their territorial waters to foreigners. Result: a considerable loss of playing field for the French on the one hand. On the other hand, the Belgians and Dutch will also fall back on the French waters full of fish. Result: a large concentration of fishermen in a small area. "This would cause problems of cohabitation, resources and everything that goes with it," says the professional. It's like having a smaller cake to share among more people.

We hope that there will be an agreement, deep within ourselves.

So Nicolas Margollé is not in the half-measure: "It will be death," he asserts. "The death of a die, whether at sea or on land, the death of a coastline is a disaster." He also bemoans a crying lack of information: "There is nothing that filters, we know nothing, for the moment we are in complete helplessness." Does he feel defended by the politicians? "No, no, when you ask for news, they know nothing, or you have to wait for the English to answer."

At sea or on land, same fight

It's not just fishermen who are worried. "We are in a complete artistic vagueness, we do not know where we are going," said Marc Salmon, the boss of Whitelinks Seafood, a fish processing company. In the area of ​​the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, in Capécure, he works the product of the local fishery, but also imports fish from abroad, particularly from the United Kingdom (the British export 75% of their catch). In his workshop, the monkfish, squid, coley, hake, halibut, rockfish turn into beautiful fillets at an impressive speed, thanks to the hands of a dozen men.

Boulogne-sur-Mer is a stronghold in the sector, if 32,000 tonnes of fish are landed each year, between 350,000 and 400,000 tonnes are processed here, much of which actually arrives by truck. A Brexit without agreement would result in a return of customs duties. But what Marc especially dreads is the sanitary and veterinary controls that could revive the day. Who says additional checks means extra time.

The risk, in case of Brexit without agreement, is that some controls a hit hard, we lose time and time is something that we do not have today.

An unbearable backlash for the boss: "All operators in the industry have been working for decades to improve this logistics, which allows us today to be able to deliver a product landed in Scotland for example, in less than 48 years. hours everywhere in France, even in the north of Spain and Italy. " If the inspections multiply, "it would force us to be less efficient in terms of delivery, to take one more day to deliver the goods, which goes against our daily work, that is to say say quality. "

To try to organise this at best, a Sivep (veterinary and phytosanitary inspection service at the borders) was obtained by local elected officials, including the mayor of Boulogne, in the port area, so that the trucks can establish their formalities on the spot.

"The fact that we are returning to a situation that predates Britain's entry into the European Union, ie the pooling of the sea for fishing activities is a foolish risk. " , said Frédéric Cuvillier, also socialist president of the Agglomeration Community of Boulonnais, who also was in charge of fishing under the presidency of François Hollande, between 2012 and 2014.

The issue of this Brexit is obviously a major issue for the region, the port of Boulogne employs 5,000 people, all sectors mixed (fishing, processing, logistics). "I'm not optimistic, especially since we are used to the British fog, but for this issue, this fog is particularly dense and it raises questions."

Courtesy of a story from France TV - translated by Google.


Similar concerns are being expressed throughout social media throughout EU fishing communities that rely on the freedom to fish in UK waters. Here is the view of a Dutch fishing family and their two seiner/trawlers.

Living between hope and fear:

Anne Marie van Seters (51, Stellendam) and Anita Poel (48, Den Helder) arrange 'everything' for fishermen at sea. Van Seters for relatives and other crew on the SL-27 and the SL-28. Anita Poel provides the administration at the local fishery cooperative (CIV). Her three brothers, husband and son sail on the BRA-5 and BRA-7. How do they experience the uncertainties in fishing?

The SL-27 Johannes fishes in the winter with the flyshoot method on squid, red mullet and mullet. Fishing area is the English Channel, right under England in British water. "Will it remain so, or will we be banned later, now that a no-deal Brexit is lurking", asks Anne Marie Van Seters. As a fisherman, Van Seters does all the bookwork full-time. At least forty hours a week she is busy with the administration, banking, management functions, crew affairs, communication with the fish auction and suppliers. She also cleans the vessels with two other women when they are back in the harbour. "In fact, I am available for the company 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Tensions

In Den Helder, Anita Poel is also busy with fishing affairs on a daily basis. As an administrative force at the local fishery cooperative, she is well aware of the threats that fishermen face. When her family members are at home, everything comes unfiltered. "There have been a lot of tensions in the sector lately. 'What will happen next, what about our income and what remains of fishing space', are questions that regularly concern us. Our young son has already obtained his fishing papers and is already sailing, but will it stay that way and will there be a future for him? "

Politics

But there is always more fear. Fear that it is not at all bad and that it might turn out worse; that the golden times that many fishermen experienced for a short time thanks to excellent fish stocks, low fishing pressure and manageable expenses, is coming to an end. That it never really gets better again. And then? Van Seters: "There was always some commotion in the fishing industry. Fishing threats are always there, but it is now extreme. "Van Seters also likes to look beyond the family interests. "The world population is increasing, we must be able to continue to eat healthy. Fishermen provide the healthiest food imaginable for millions of people. If it continues this way in the fishing industry, will that soon be over? You can hardly believe it anyway, the way in which politicians now deal with food producers. " 

Positive attitude

Fishermen are naturally flexible and positive, says Van Seters, who grew up with the fishery. Normally, that attitude is obvious, but I do not know whether that institution will stand the test of time. "Anita Poel:" Once a week we meet in Den Helder with all the local fishermen. Then you hear and feel that the worries increase with the week. Fishermen who fish with the pulse are occasionally the saddest. Now, thanks to the energy-efficient fishing method, half less gas oil per fishing trip is used. If pulses will soon no longer be allowed in Europe, and we have to switch to the beam trawl, the costs will increase enormously and perhaps no longer catch up. The least setback can then be fatal. My husband and brothers are fishing for the smaller Eurokotters. They are vulnerable in strong winds. When the wind blows more than wind force seven, they prefer to stay in the harbour for safety reasons and leave a few days later when the wind is gone. Then there is no income and we are extra vulnerable if the expenses continue to rise."

Lay awake 

How does family business Van Seters respond to uncertainties? "By fitting extra well at the store now. We have the advantage that we do not use the pulse technique, but Brexit, wind farms at sea and marine reserves also affect us, and who says that our fishing method will not come under fire in the long term. You can now expect almost everything. Pulse fishermen, who care for the income of 500 families, have to return to the trawl method. You hear noises that even that beam trawl will endure a lot of time. The pulsers that have to switch are already awake. Keeping well on the store is therefore what we as flyshooters can do to keep a view of the future. So we look to set bigger investments, and we save a bit more than usual. Then hopefully there will soon be enough room to possibly make a necessary turn without the approval of a bank. "

In like a lamb, out like a lion - First #FishyFriday in March

March 1st sees the final week's landings of

hake from the big netters...

like the Charisma...

Britannia V...

Joy of Ladram...

and Amanda of Ladram

while there were a few tubs of beam trawled cuttles... 

the Elisabeth Veronique pulled off another nice shot of Dovers...

the Algrie popped in with a few big plaice...

which no doubt caught the attention of Fish for Thought's main man Paul and film crew...

 name the fish...

it's that time of year again for fish roe...

just a few boxes of St Ives mackerel from Gary on the Bethshan this morning...

specimen ray...

fresh as they come, just what to look for in the freshest of fish, pollack with bright eyes and blood-red gills

big black bream...

delicious John Dory - many would say they are at their eating best this time of year...

busy end of the market...

two boxes of Dover soles landed by a gill netter working 120mm mesh - that says something for the size and amount of Dover soles swimming in Area VII!

along with a good few boxes of big tun gurnards...

ling make great fish cakes and fish pie...

name the fish to which this tail helps push along...

the cook's challenge, how to get tender octopus out of the pan?..

seems tat sharks like shellfish for supper...

plenty of big whiting with the netters this week...

the best marked of the ray family, but what is its name?..

the netter even had a few brill...

name this flatfish...

was into the pollack again...

the bulk of beam trawl trips are made up of...

monk tails...

and megrims...

cuttles leave their mark...

as does oil but the harbour is prepared...

a quiet morning...

and ideal lighting conditions for shooting your promo video...

work has begun on returning the Fishermen's Arms to its former glory - lets hope they saved all the amazing artefacts that were suspended from the ceiling in the bar - including the lump of molten pennies retrieved from a  red London phone box after an air raid in the Blitz...

well fitted out live-aboard yacht...

in the morning...

and time for a selfie down the quay...

five bladed prop...

heavy metal...

about to be turned into a beam trawl...

Brackan was unlucky enough to trawl up this huge 18th century ships anchor...

fish lorry all set to go.

How the EU is preparing for Brexit: European Commission adopts two contingency proposals to help mitigate impact of “no-deal” Brexit on EU fisheries

Brexit preparedness: European Commission adopts two contingency proposals to help mitigate impact of “no-deal” Brexit on EU fisheries Given the continued uncertainty in the UK surrounding the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement, the Commission has today adopted two legislative proposals to help mitigate the significant impact that a “no-deal” Brexit would have on EU fisheries. This is part of the Commission's ongoing preparedness and contingency work and will help ensure a coordinated EU-wide approach in such a scenario.  The first proposal is to allow fishermen and operators from EU Members States to receive compensation under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund for the temporary cessation of fishing activities. This will help off-set some of the impact of a sudden closure of UK waters to EU fishing vessels in a no-deal scenario. The second proposal amends the Regulation on the Sustainable Management of the External Fleets. The aim of this proposal is to ensure that the EU is in a position to grant UK vessels access to EU waters until the end of 2019, on the condition that EU vessels are also granted reciprocal access to UK waters. The proposal also provides for a simplified procedure to authorise UK vessels to fish in EU waters and EU vessels to fish in UK waters – should the UK grant that access. This proposal is limited to 2019 and is based on the agreement in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of 17 and 18 December 2018 on the fishing opportunities for 2019.  These contingency measures cannot mitigate the overall impact of a "no-deal" scenario, nor do they in any way replicate the full benefits of EU membership or the terms of any transition period, as provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement. They are limited to these specific areas where it is absolutely necessary to protect the vital interests of the EU and where preparedness measures on their own are not sufficient. As a rule, they will be temporary in nature, limited in scope and adopted unilaterally by the EU.  Next steps These proposals are subject to the co-decision procedure. The Commission will work with the European Parliament and the Council to ensure the adoption of the proposed legislative acts so that they are in force by 29 March 2019.   Background On 19 December 2018, the Commission published its third Brexit preparedness Communication, which implemented its “no-deal” Contingency Action Plan. This Communication included 14 measures in a limited number of areas where a “no-deal” scenario would create major disruption for citizens and businesses in the EU27. These areas include financial services, air transport, customs, and climate policy, amongst others. The Commission has also published 88 sector-specific preparedness notices to inform the public about the consequences of the UK's withdrawal in the absence of any Withdrawal Agreement. These are available in all official EU languages. The Commission has also held technical discussions with the EU27 Member States both on general issues of preparedness and on specific sectorial, legal and administrative preparedness steps. The slides used in these technical seminars are available online. The Commission will continue to implement its Contingency Action Plan in the weeks to come and will monitor the need for additional action, as well as continue to support Member States in their preparedness work. For more information Texts of the proposals: European Maritime and Fisheries Fund - COM(2019)48 Fishing authorisations - COM(2019)49 The Commission's Brexit preparedness website