Selling fish directly to consumers.

Coronavirus is having a major impact on UK seafood supply chains so we have worked with Mindfully Wired Communications to produce guides and promotional materials to help fishermen sell directly to consumers.

Fishermen like those aboard the netter Stelissa, seen here picking out hake from the net as it comes aboard, are trying to keep the UK supplied with fresh fish - you can help by going online to the FishOnFriday website and buying your fresh fish - in some cases - direct from the boat itself!

Guides on direct selling for fishermen

Fishermen can sell certain types of seafood to directly to consumers for their own personal consumption. This means where it is going to be eaten by a customer and their family and not sold on to anyone else.

We’ve created guides to explain what you need to do to meet the regulations. They also highlight the food safety requirements that apply. Guides for England and Scotland are available to download below:

Quayside sales guide for England
Quayside sales guide for Scotland

Further guidance for Northern Ireland and Wales will be added here shortly.

Materials to help promote direct selling

PostersWe’ve also created posters which can be used to promote direct sales from the quayside. The artwork files for the posters are available to download from the links below. For each design there is a pdf version that’s suitable for printing and a png version that’s suitable for online use.

Download the posters from Dropbox

The posters have a space where you can add your contact details. If you’re printing them out you can do this with a maker pen. If you’d like to use them online you can add text with an adobe pdf editor. If you need help with this email seafish@seafish.co.uk with a note of your contact details and which poster you’d like and we’ll send you a personalised artwork file. We can also provide artwork which is branded with an organisation’s logo on request. Please note we will manage requests for this as quickly as possible within normal working hours.

Social media graphicsWe’ve also created some graphics that you can use on your own social media platforms. These are available to download from the folder here:

Download the social media graphics from Dropbox

Guide for fish vans

We’re currently working on a guide for fish vans so it will be added here soon.

Fish is the Dish listings for online suppliers

On our Fish is the Dish website we share details of specialists suppliers who can deliver seafood with consumers. You can view the listings on the Buying Online webpage – if you would like to be added as a supplier contact our Fish is the Dish team.

It's #FishyFriday and you've just bought some fresh monkfish fillets for the first time! Why Lotte Armoricane of course!

Lotte Armoricaine

There are dozens of subtle and not so subtle variations on this classic Breton fish dish -  the name, depending on which story you believe is derived from the northern coast of Brittany, Cote d'Armoricaine or Ar Morig which means "the little sea" in Breton. This is the story of how it became the first fish recipe learned from other French, or rather Breton, fishermen with whom I made friends with over those periods of time when they were stormbound in Newlyn during severe winter weather.

As a then young crewman sailing on the (new to Newlyn) ex-French trawler, Keriolet from Lorient we and the boat were the subject of much interest from...

some of those visiting trawlers that moored alongside us after running for Newlyn in bad weather...

very often the Breton boats arrived a full 24 hours after the entire Newlyn fleet including the big beam trawlers had headed back to port - in this instance, as any Newlyner will have spotted, the interest of one Billy Stevenson had been aroused - seen here at the end of the North quay in his trusty Triumph Dolomite no doubt taking photographs of the Kristel Vihan as she rolls her way to the gaps in a particularly ferocious southerly storm.

My first visit to a Breton port was aboard the Gallilean with Mervyn Mountjoy where, co-incidentally she was built, back in 1958 - in the picture above you can see her against the quay in St Guenole sporting 'new', as Mervyn would have it, winch, the boat was built for skipper Alain Bougeon and at the time and named Bajymar and it was from this Alain that Mervyn passed on the recipe for Lotte Armoricane...

Alain, retired at 55, as French fishermen must do but often helped out with the odd trip on one of St Guenole's sardine boats seen landing here to the market late in the evening evening - while we were in the port for a week (which included myself and Roger Coutsubus paying a visit to Douarnenez for the Mardi Gras) Mervyn met and got to know his boats previous skipper and was also introduced to another Alain, Alain Jegou...

skipper and owner of the Riquita seen here landing at St Guenole later that same week with a full 14 day trip of langoustine on board - Alain's son Bernard Jegou is Editor of Le Marin...

Ingredients for two:

Monkfish - be guided by people's appetites but generally be generous with monk fillets which if given whole need to be taken off the bone - that's the easy bit as there is only one central bone! - the hard bit is removing the sheath-like membrane from around much of the tail - if you have a decent fish-knife then use the same technique as you would to skin a flatfish starting with a little of the sinew and  the knife pressed firmly flat on your board and slice away from your fingers! If in doubt our good friend Duncan from the Fish Shop shows us how!

Slice the monk into big bite-sized chunks, roll in well seasoned flour and set aside.

To cook: 

In a thick frying pan, heat olive oil with a good knob (think Floyd) of butter and when the butter crackles, brown the fish evenly - then the fun bit - add a small shot of brandy and set light to it - as in flambé - once the flames have died down stop and reserve the fish on the side, covered with foil.

In the same pan, add an onion, at least 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced ​​and brown then sprinkle with flour, gently adding a glass of St Emillion - Mervyn told us they insisted it had to be St Emillion, but if you haven't any, any dry white will do!

Add the tomato puree, and the chopped mushrooms to the fish to the sauce and cook until soft, at least 10 minutes then add back the fish to heat right through.

Often eaten with rice or your choice of favourite vegetables - that's your lotte!

Fresh fish to your door - Don't let COVID19 stop the guys fishing - buy online or from a supplier near you!

Two days ago, the local netter Stelissa skippered by Ryan Davey decided to take a chance and head out through the gaps...

and commit him, his crew and the boat to a full hake trip south of Ireland...

with a full twenty hour trip ahead of them they steamed west-north-west into the setting sun over the Scillys...

before arriving on the fishing grounds yesterday to shoot their nets...

here's them picking out the fish as they haul...

looks like they're having some for tea!..

in these challenging times the UK public can do their bit to a) eat a healthy diet and b) help keep the nation's fishermen at sea buy buying fresh fish either online or from a supplier in your area.

Not sure where to start?..

well, the oldest trade guild in the UK, the London based Fishmongers Company has teamed up with Fish for Thought with a fantastic map based suppliers list...

which - and suppliers are now being added constantly - will help put you in touch with a suitable source of fresh fish - either bought locally from a fish shop, mobile delivery van or by courier - straight to your door - in some cases you can get a delivery from the fisherman himself or herself!..

which is how this fabulous collection of fresh Newlyn fish...

found its way...

to one lucky recipient who ordered her 'catch of the day' online from Fresh Cornish Fish...



Don't forget Cornwall is absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to fresh fish and the sheer variety of species and it has it's very own Good Seafood Guide - there's recipe ideas, fishermen's tales, where to buy and much more all available at the click of a mouse!

Anyone with any further ideas, thoughts or wanting to add their name and fish supply details - be it a small single-handed fishing boat to a fish shop, fish merchant or anyone able to help increase transport between the boats landing fish and distribution points the pleased drop Gavin a line at Fishmongers or contact Through the Gaps.

NFFO pressing the government for bespoke fishing support package.

The immediate issue confronting the fishing industry, as the covid-19 virus crisis takes grip of the economy, are the gaps in the otherwise very significant financial support measures announced by the Government.

The fishing sector has its unique contours, which means that generalised support measures only fit where they touch.

Grants that are available to businesses closed down in hospitality sector, do not extend to the boats that are equally affected downstream, as markets for fish and shellfish disappear

Many self-employed share fishermen will be supported by the measures announced for the self-employed, but a considerable number at the bottom and top of the range will lose out because of the way that their past earnings have been recorded – and July, when the funds become available, is a long way away

There is a desperate need for clear guidance and support in making applications

COVID 19 – UK GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS

• CJRS (Coronavirus Job Retention scheme)

• 80% wage paid to furlough workers up to value of £2,500 p.m. until end May, possibly longer.

• Covid 19 Corporate Finance facility

• Designed to provide financial assistance on short term liabilities for large companies.

• Assistance for Self Employed

• Provides 80% of average salary up to £2.5kpm for Tax registered self-employed. Payments unlikely before June.

• Coronavirus Business Interruption loan scheme

• Designed to provide access to bank loans, Government underwriting 80% . Available to small and medium size businesses only.

• UK Export Finance (UKEF)

• Tools include Export Working Capital Scheme, Export Insurance and Direct Lending Facility.

• £20bn Government grants

• Grants restricted to SMEs and to larger companies in most vulnerable sectors (hospitality, retail and leisure).

• 1 year 100% rate relief

• Applies only to hospitality, retail and leisure properties.

• HMRC -time to pay scheme

• Allows deferment of tax payments. Agreed on case by case basis.

• Bank of England reduced interest rate

• Bank rate now set at 0.1%

• Potential to reduce interest on liabilities.

• Vat deferral from 20 March to 30 June 2020

• Business will not be required to make VAT payments during this period.

• Extension of time to file reports

• 3 month extension to deadline for filing of company reports.

• 3-month Mortgage/ Rent holiday, including commercial properties

• Temporary benefit to workers/companies.

• Classification of food sector workers as “key” sector

• Key workers school aged children will have continued access to schools.

• Statutory Sick Pay relief allowing SMEs to reclaim sick pay payments to staff

• Applicable only to SMEs.

• Increase in Working Tax Credit allowance

• Workers currently able to claim working tax credit will see weekly increase of around £20 per week.

Fishing Businesses

But the biggest and most obvious gap in support is for fishing businesses of all sizes who face ongoing costs – harbour dues, insurance costs, equipment rentals etc. with no, or dramatically reduced earnings to cover them. There is a real risk of business failure, threatening the aim of keeping fishing businesses intact, so that they can recover and rebuild when this crisis is over.

In our twice weekly (online) meetings with Defra ministers and officials, the NFFO has been pressing the case for a bespoke scheme to fill this gap. It is our understanding that work is under way on the design of a support package by weighing options for different types of scheme and assessing where other support measures fall short. Treasury approval will be required but the Chancellor’s commitment to do what it takes, gives hope that support for what is regarded as a unique and iconic sector will be forthcoming.

We have argued for a twin track approach:

Tie-up aid for those vessels where their markets have completely disappeared, or where continuing to operate wouldn’t cover costs
Top-up aid, for those vessels where there is a continuing, albeit depleted, market to ensure that operations and supply chains can continue
The UK has left the EU but has paid into the EU budgets for 2020 and is subject to all EU rules until the end of December. Close attention is being payed, therefore, to moves in Brussels to change the state aid rules to allow temporary cessation aid in the current extreme circumstances.

Regulatory Easement and Other Support Measures

Towards the end of last week Defra circulated a long list of potential additional measures which had been suggested to the department. These ranged from the vital, relevant and workable to the opportunistic and potentially harmful. Over two conference calls involving NFFO representatives from all sectors and parts of the coast, and numerous emails across the weekend, the Federation put together a response which separated the wheat from the chaff and was submitted to Defra by the deadline on Monday.

Above all, the Federation argued for a robust procedure to ensure that those measure adopted are the ones that do good, rather than harm. A simple filter is required to quickly but thoroughly assess each proposal:

1. Is the measure justified by evidence and proportionate?

2. What would the effects be, including effects on markets?

3. Who would be positively and negatively affected?

4. Will the medium and longer-term impacts outweigh any short-term benefits?

Summary

As the current health emergency continues, the NFFO along with other representative bodies in the industry, are pressing for an aid package that would fill the gaps in the Government’s current support measures. The most obvious of these is support for fishing businesses to allow then to recover when markets recovers. A list of other “regulatory easement” measures is being assessed to identify those that would provide maximum benefit.

See the NFFO for updates:

Newlyn Fish Box Museum.

While many people have time on their hands, Newlyn Harbourmaster, Rob Parsons is currently looking for both fish merchants and fishermen to help add to the harbour's growing collection of unusual fish boxes. In particular, he is after early wooden and cardboard examples as these seem to be in very short supply. 

Donated boxes should be left by the harbour office with a label indicating an intention for the box(es) to be added to the museum collection.

A full list of existing box types and names will be available shortly.

~Coronavirus: UK fishing industry ‘will go bust’ in weeks without urgent intervention~

Coronavirus could see hundreds of fishermen "go bust in the next two weeks" unless there is urgent government intervention, minsters have been warned.

Coronavirus could see hundreds of fishermen “go bust in the next two weeks” unless there is urgent government intervention, minsters have been warned.
The industry has been rocked in recent days as demand from export markets and the domestic restaurant trade has dried up due to the outbreak.

Labour’s shadow environment minister Ruth Jones, speaking in the Commons, warned without government help the whole sector could be in danger. She said: “I have spoken to fishers and their representative organisations right across the UK in recent days and they are worried. In just the last week the market value of fish landed by British fishers has fallen in value to 20% of normal rates. There are significant concerns about the viability of the UK fishing industry, especially small boats, which are the backbone of the British fleet. Many fishers are telling us they will go bust in the next two weeks. Does the Secretary of State agree with me that we must take whatever steps necessary to support fishers and the fishing industry to cope with the pressures of the Covid-19 crisis.”

Environment Secretary George Eustice said the best way to help fishermen was to “get the markets moving again”.

He added: “Officials had meetings yesterday with fishing representatives, I’m looking for some feedback from that to agree what we will do next.”

Mr Eustice later faced questions over the resilience of the supply chain, given the scenes in supermarkets in recent days.

He said: “There isn’t a shortage of food, the challenge that we’ve had is getting food to shelves in time when people have been purchasing more.

“That’s why we have taken steps including setting aside delivery curfews so that lorries can run around the clock, relaxing driver hours to ensure the deliveries can take place more frequently and we are in discussions with other Government colleagues in MHCLG around other support that we would deliver locally to get food to those who are self isolating.”

Mr Eustice also ruled out enforcing social distancing measures in supermarkets.

“We will not do that measure”, he said.

“It was something that was done in Italy, with a restriction on the number of people in stores and what they found was they just had hundreds of people huddled together at the entrance to the store and it’s counterproductive.”

Full story courtesy of Press and Journal by Daniel O'Donoghue

The fleet fishes on during COVID19

Despite a huge drop in fish prices as the country struggles to maintain supply chains for fresh fish many of the bigger vessels in the fleet are fishing on hoping that prices will be sufficient to make each trip viable for the boat and the crew. Crystal Sea is landing off the end of the Mary Williams pier followed by skipper Ryan Davey taking the Stelissa to sea - a 20 hour steam ahead of them to the fishing grounds is a big enough commitment in itself.