Newlyn at work.

Traditional signwriter Jess Walters in a break with tradition, no more 'three stripes' on the bow of the Spirited Lady III as she nears the end of her massive engineroom refit - 

two new Volvo Pentas and exhausts and a host of other improvements...

inshore boat My Lass looking good in the afternoon sunshine...

not looking so good is the trawl of the Harvest Reaper the two Toms have been hard at it since first thing this morning and the end is still not in sight - memo to skipper, make sure you have enough shooters on board ;-)...

St Georges is not in a good place...

Stelissa heads in through the gaps with another trip of MSC Certified hake for #FishyFriday's market.

Does the Citizen Convention ask for the end of fishing?

There was certainly no fisherman in the panel of citizens drawn. Would they have endorsed proposals which, implicitly, point towards the end of the fishery?

Evidence

The objective is "Food: encourage the development of sustainable low-emission fishing", a series of obvious proposals: ending overfishing, improving knowledge, achieving RMD, whale protection, decarbonation. However, certain analyzes and recommendations are very ambiguous.

Fishing in accusation

Fishing is considered one of the main sources of ecosystem disturbances sailors. Curiously, other major sources of disturbance have completely passed under silence. We know that disruptions in land-sea relations weaken productive capacities marine environments and that land-based pollution has a considerable impact on the quality waters and the sustainability of activities such as shore fishing, coastal fishing or shellfish farming. (cf https://peche-dev.org/spip.php?article308 Why sardines love chestnuts.) By elsewhere the development of sand and aggregate extraction, works for wind turbines increasingly disrupting the seabed, but this is not discussed. Towards an end to fishing?

It is first of all a question of limiting it, but the Convention proposes "to avoid fishing for fish in their natural environment. "This is clarified and confirmed:" We wish to modify our access routes fisheries resources, in particular by developing sustainable aquaculture farms respectful of the environment and health ". An integrated aquaculture model is discussed. Implicitly, it is therefore a question of moving towards an end to fishing for the benefit of integrated aquaculture in fresh and marine waters. Such initiatives are to be supported and encouraged. They are still largely experimental and cannot claim to replace fishing. This is the old fantasy the replacement of fishing by aquaculture.

Decarbonize yes, but how?

Pending this miracle or this mirage, the Convention recommends supporting fishermen to renewing ships, modernizing them and reducing consumption. Fishermen can only rejoice and they are well aware of this need, but "move from thermal boats to boats powered by green energies "remains an unrealistic prospect in the near future to come up. Many tests have been carried out but have not yet proven themselves. It's even more complicated at sea than on land. It should not be forgotten that fishermen will undoubtedly be obliged to give up very productive fishing areas for the development of wind farms, right already a considerable contribution from them in the fight against climate change?

Fishing has little impact overall

We can also remember that fishing provides quality protein at a cost much lower environmental than livestock. We can of course reduce it further, but can we place fishing boats and motorized pleasure boats on the same plane? Shouldn't not in priority to halt the development of a pleasure craft with a motorization overpowered, polluting and noisy? Let's not forget that these noises are a big factor in disruption for fish as the Covid crisis has shown. Once again, tends to impose a very negative vision of fishing carried by people without link with maritime culture and the realities of fishing. The fishermen are not a problem, but part of the solution, as demonstrated by their commitment to save and manage cash emblematic like the European red lobster, the lobster, the scallop, etc.

Mike Warner - Big on fish!

Mike Gardner who runs the Bg Feed HQ, a podcaster passionate about food and the outdoor experience talks to Mike Warner, the driving force behind Passion for Seafood - a website dedicated to the best in British fish and fishing. 

Despite being based in Felixstowe, Suffolk long-time Newlyn fan Mike Warner,  has recently been added to the board of Newlyn Pier and Harbour Commissioners bringing his wealth of seafood trade knowledge and seafood writing to the proceedings.

This podcast discussion explores a wide range of fish and fishing related subjects - such is the extent to which seafood is interrelated to so many areas of our lives.

Big Feed Up HQ · Great British Seafood Paradox | Regional Sustainability | UK Fishing | With Mike Warner

Mike is a freelance writer and industry expert on commercial fishing. He is a self-confessed seafoodaholic, with a deep-seated passion for the life of the shallow seas around our coast. 

We dig into:

• Connecting the fisherman to the consumer by storytelling
• Explaining the Great British Seafood Paradox 
• Reporting from the coalface of the industry
• Full market tour and boarding a vessel with professional chefs 
• Regional sustainability
• Net to plate
• Health benefits of oily fish and shellfish
• Mikes brilliant Fishmongers
• The Cream, online food publication

Links and Resources: 

Website: www.apassionforseafood.com/ 

Mike on Instagram: www.instagram.com/apassionforseafood/ 

The Cream: www.wearethecream.co.uk/mike-warner 

The Cream on Instagram: www.instagram.com/wearethecream/ 

Mike's Fishmongers and Fisherys: 

www.ellisandjones.co.uk

www.thechelseafishmonger.co.uk

www.jonathannorrisfishmonger.net

www.theseathesea.net/prawnonthelawn.com

www.visitfelixstowe.org.uk 

In Sea: 

 

www.mcsuk.org/goodfishguide/search

Plein air weekend walk

Work still in progress aboard the Spirited Lady...

while it's looking like job well done for Richard and crew aboard the Still Waters...

  not so the St Georges where there is still plenty to do to bring her up to MCA specs...

after fishing south of the Scillys the big Belgian beam trawler Flamingo lands another consignment of quality flatfish to be driven back to be sold on the fish market at Zeebrugge...

inshore fishing off the back of the quay in Newlyn overlooked by Castle An Dinas quarry away in the distance...

Sunday afternoon and the first major outing since lockdown, lunch at the Logan's Rock Inn followed by at walk to the rock itself...

accompanied by the SAR helicopter doing a recce of the coastline...

maybe checking on how locals and visitors alike where maintaining social distancing on Porthcurno beach...

and the weather being what it was a perfect day for visiting plein air painters to capture...

the stunning view...

and sparkling crystal-clear waters...

being enjoyed...

with signs of sardine rashes all round the bay...

and a certain boat, Butts heading between the rocks off the point of Logan's Rock...

with Cap'n Cod enjoying a pleasant steam home after a long day fishing for bass over the Runnelstone Reef.

Nippon Maru No1's maiden voyage of nearly a year!

As UK Seafarer's Week draws to a close - spare a thought for these guys.

Last year December the Japanese longliner Kinsai Maru No1 was picked up on AIS fishing at Rockall. This was not the first time Japanese boats have been spotted at the Rock but this boat's story was slightly different.

The Kinsai Nippon Maru No1 had been completed in Japan and launched in August last year and was on her maiden voyage...from Japan. She left her home port around the 17th of September to begin a three month steam across two oceans, first the Pacific and then the Atlantic - to fish at Rockall! She is thought to target tuna which are then blast frozen on board. Individual bluefin tuns have made up to £2.3 million pounds on Tokyo's famous fish market - but they are landed fresh.

Last week an AIS alert picked up the boat again as she stopped for the first time - back in Japan! The boat has been at sea for over ten months - she has never touched the shore in all that time. Looking at the AIS track it would seem that she spent the first part of her long trip hunting fish down the west coast of the island of Ireland and then headed back across the Atlantic, thorough the Panama Canal and on to fishing grounds in the Pacific before heading home.

G E T T I N G Y O U T H B A C K I N T O F I S H I N G

"There's no job like it!"

Fishing is a gateway to a career at sea and offers a wide range of opportunities for those willing to put in the effort and build their skills in the maritime sector. However, the catching sector has an average age of above 50 years old, and with a lack of new entrants coming through the ranks, the recruitment and retention of fishers is now a significant issue. Despite widespread acknowledgement of recruitment challenges, over the last decade there have been minimal changes to the system of employment, education, and mentoring within the sector. 

There remains no clear career pathway for school leavers to enter the industry, fishing opportunities are poorly communicated and industry-focused education programmes are non-existent. The role of a fisher is complex and can require extensive skills and knowledge in vessel navigation, deployment and retrieval of different gears, scientific data collection, boat maintenance, business management, the use of onboard hydraulics and powered machines, sea and weather conditions, and food safety standards. As a highly regulated industry, governed by complex fisheries management, fishers must also keep abreast of local and national legislation and need to know how to adapt to policy changes. 

Industry members have stated that there is now an urgent need to professionalise the entry system to a career in fishing and set out to recruit, train and mentor new entrants to ensure there is a pool of knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced crew to carry the industry forward. 

The Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation (CFPO) is treating this issue as a priority and has started to develop an apprenticeship standard for the fishing industry in conjunction with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. The CFPO are well connected with vessels, ports and processors and can match new entrants with appropriate work, depending on their geographic location, interests, and the type of fishery they would like to become involved with. 

The CFPO and its members have spent the last 6 months leading on the development of a commercial fishing apprenticeship programme. This has led to the creation of a 'Trailblazer Group' that consists of a variety of employers operating within the fishing industry across the UK. The Trailblazer group is now at a point where it is consulting with employers and other relevant organisations who have not been directly involved, in order to seek additional input to the standard. 

The following proposal sets out the occupational profile of a fisherman, as well as the duties, knowledge, skills and behaviours that they will possess. This outline has been developed by a diverse range of stakeholders, including vessel owners, skippers, crew members, CFPO Youth Board members, as well as CFPO staff and wider industry representatives. 

Development of a fishing apprenticeship standard Consultation process As part of developing this standard the Trailblazer group are now sharing the development of the apprenticeship outline for comment from other employers and relevant stakeholders. 

This process will be open until the 3rd July 2020.

If you would like to offer comment, suggestions and input on this proposal then please get in contact with Chris Ranford, via chris.ranford@cornwallrcc.org.uk, or 01736 362782

Fishing negotiations going to the wire!

Fishermen don't want the UK government to sell out to the EU when we leave!

Fishing deal talks with the European Union could rumble on as late as December, environment secretary George Eustice told peers as he admitted the gap between negotiating positions “remained quite wide”.

Since the start of trade talks in January the EU has demanded “status quo” access to UK waters, which would essentially mean a continuation of the common fisheries policy – something that has been categorically rejected by Boris Johnson.

Mr Eustice, appearing before a House of Lords committee, said there was “still some way to go” in reaching an agreement but offered one note of optimism.

“Our sense is that there might be a slight change from the EU because I think they’re starting to understand the international law in this area,” he said.  “I think they’re starting to understand that the starting point isn’t the common fisheries policy, the starting point is that we’re an independent coastal state”.

But he hastened to add that talks could run “as late as December”.

The Cabinet minister was later quizzed on the impact of a no-deal exit on the fish processing sector.

Scottish processing bosses warned last year that the industry could face a yearly bill of £34 million to export to Europe without a deal.

Mr Eustice said: “Although tariffs on exports are obviously always going to be unwelcome, it’s important to note that on the key species that we export, the tariffs are reasonable.  “Farmed salmon from Scotland is a really big export and the tariff there is only about two or three per cent and on shellfish it’s an average of around seven or eight per cent.  “We obviously wouldn’t want those tariffs if they could be avoided, but they would be manageable and certainly the message from the industry generally is: don’t sell out the catching sector on our behalf.”

More catch allocation means more fish, which means more opportunity for growth for my members.”

Aberdeen fish merchant Andrew Charles urged caution, he said: “The processing sector has over the last three decades been treated incredibly badly by all governments; it’s been taken for granted, it hasn’t been supported and it hasn’t been given an environment which would attract investment and allow it to thrive and prosper.

“We’ve lost thousands of jobs over the last 10 years, which has been a period of growth in the fishing industry, because of the lack of value government place on fish processing.”  He added: “One of our biggest markets in the white fish industry, shellfish industry and pelagic industry is Europe. So we have to work together, we’ve got to find solutions and we’ve got to be able to trade back and forth.”

Jimmy Buchan, chief executive of the Scottish Seafood Association, added: “I have no quarrel with the catching sector because they have a journey that they are on, and, if successful, it will be to the benefit of the fishing industry in general.

“More catch allocation means more fish, which means more opportunity for growth for my members.”

European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. The comments came as talks on a deal resumed in London between EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and the prime minister’s Europe adviser, David Frost.

Mr Barnier said the negotiators are “working hard for a fair agreement” with the UK, including on the key sticking points of fisheries and the “level playing field” arrangements designed to prevent the UK undercutting the EU by lowering standards and increasing state subsidies.

Full story courtesy of the Press & Journal.