Monday morning auction on Newlyn fish market.

 

Newlyn netters riding high at high water on a big spring tide...

looks like work in progress on the Stelissa...

as the crew of the Algrie overhaul her beam trawls on deck...

pulling sold fish off the market...

skipper Billy Worth and his preference for landing directly to the fish market at high water...

while Jeremy and crew on the inshore crabber Nazarene prepare boxes of bait for what will be a scuffly day on the pots...

that's a specimen JD from the New Venture...

plenty of plaice from the beam trawl boats...

along with a handful of big monk tails...

and specimen plaice...

soles are the staple catch of beam trawlerers, both Dover...

and megrim, most of which are exported to Spain...

Covid-19 cover-up...

young Roger cannot leave those JDs alone...

nice trip from the inshore trawler Milennia...

some of the handliners from St Ives saw a few more mackerel on their hooks over the weekend...

while the Newlyn buccas in Mounts Bay went jigging for squid...

or pollack...

a good shot of Dovers from the Men Dhu...

looks like Tom on the Harvest Reaper picked up a couple of good boxes of JDs from under Roger's nose - Tom's well-known artist mum, Daphne has an exhibition of her work at the Cornwall Contemporary Gallery in Penzance from this week through to November 14th...

a brace of big butts from the Cornishman...

a ghostly looking eel...

just the one bass from Tom...

but plenty of ray wings...

good to see big monk heads being landed rather than put back to feed the crabs.

CFPO Youth Board gives fresh perspective on future of fishing

CFPO Youth Board gives fresh perspective on future of fishing 

A pioneering group of young fishermen from Cornwall engage Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis and senior Defra officials in an open conversation as they begin to help chart a new course for future fisheries policy and management.

Recently, members of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation (CFPO) Youth Board were joined on Zoom by Fisheries Minister, Victoria Prentis MP and Defra officials - marking a pivotal moment for young voices in the fishing industry. The Youth Board puts young fishermen in Cornwall at the heart of decision-making - providing honest, forward-facing feedback as they develop programmes to encourage young entrants into the fishing industry, and shape future policies that will directly affect their own careers. For the first time since the formation of the Board in September 2019, members shared their concerns, ideas and future aspirations with policy decision-makers at the highest levels.

Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis shared her support for the Youth Board:

“It was wonderful to hear the views of a new generation of fishermen. Leaving the EU gives us an opportunity to design a new domestic fishing policy that protects our marine environment while allowing our fishing industry to thrive. It is by listening to the Youth Board and other young fishermen across the UK that we will realise this ambition for a prosperous future.”

The one-hour meeting began with the Minister’s opening remarks, followed by the Youth Board as they outlined their top three priorities when looking ahead at their future in fishing. Their priorities focused on career progression, (which included suggestions for a help-to-buy scheme for acquiring vessels and a community-owned approach to improve management for future quota allocations), the importance of flexible regulations and the need for genuine co-management, which puts fishermen at the heart of fisheries management and policy development.

Joel Dunn, a Skipper and owner of an U10 vessel in Cornwall who has for aspirations owning a new vessel but is struggling to access quota, said: 

“We need to knock down the barrier for young fishermen going beyond the U10-metre fleet. It’s pretty impossible for myself and other fishermen to break into owning quota and going over 10m and this stops the natural progression in the industry. People can’t fill my shoes because I’m not going anywhere.”

The Board went on to question the Minister about opportunities for flexibility in regulations and co-management. Will Treener, a Skipper from Newlyn, asked: 

“If the distribution or abundance of a species changes, will the UK be flexible in their management approach to enable fishermen to take advantage of new fishing opportunities, if the science allows for it?”. 

Following Will’s question, another fisherman from Newlyn, Tom Lambourn, highlighted the industry’s eagerness to engage in fisheries science processes: 

“As young fishermen we’re very willing to count fish, and if you open an existing fishery or a new fishery, we can all work together to manage that. Let us provide the data you need to ensure the fishery is managed in a sustainable way.”

After listening to the Board’s questions, Minister Prentis said future policies will be rooted in ‘ground-up management’ and that “fishermen have a really important role to play in the new way we make policy with fisheries management plans…you have a louder voice if you work together.”

The conversation moved on to a further 40-minute in-depth discussion with senior policy officials. Defra signalled there would be a number of innovative ideas put forward in consultations and were keen to maintain an open dialogue between the group and themselves to ensure their feedback was captured.

Paul Trebilcock, CEO of the CFPO, welcomed the opportunity to keep the channels of communication open with the Youth Board:

“Fishing policy is rapidly evolving as we come through the Brexit process it is fundamental that policy changes are rooted in the needs of the industry going forward and are aligned with the needs of the next generation of sustainable fishermen.”

James Roberts, a young Skipper from Newlyn, commented on the value of the Youth Board: 

“Even though we’re in the early stages of putting our ideas together I really feel like we’re achieving so much. I think this is because we're able to look ahead and not at our past.

The webinar closed with an invitation from Paul Trebilcock to young fishermen throughout the South West to join the Youth Board – saying that it wasn’t exclusive to CFPO members.

Tom Lambourn explained the Youth Board’s vision for the future 

“The Youth Board is in its preliminary stages but the view is to have it as another platform to be heard. As the Youth Board is sitting in front of you now, it’s clear that it’s working. It shouldn’t be closed to Cornwall, the idea that it goes much further than that and we can all be heard together.”

Fine #FishyFriday in Newlyn.

It's a fine start to #FishyFriday...

with Tristan's MSC certified hake landed from the Silver Dawn looking good on the market this morning...

along with a tidy collection of spurdogs landed under the auspices of a project run in conjunction with the Shark Trust and the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide...

the inshore trawler Millenia has a reputation for putting good shots of ray ashore and this morning was no exception...

pristine pollack always look good on ice...

as do these plaice...

top quality squid...

and a dinner-plate sized turbot will no doubt be gracing the plates of some lucky diners this evening...

soles like these Dovers...

and megrim are the mainstay of quality fish landed in Newlyn by both beam trawlers and trawlers alike...

in the process the beam trawl fleet land plenty of these small gurnard which these days help keep the local crabbing fleet well supplied with bait...

the larger sized fish are just as sought after as other prime fish like John Dory...

name that tail...

the beam trawler Resurgam has been put up on the hard to allow access below the waterline at low water...

while the rest of the Stevenson fleet enjoy the warmth of the rising sun this morning...

looking west, the light is much cooler looking towards that part of the town known as Trewarveneth in Cornish (farm/Manor) - the first street on the right as you ascend the short rise from the Canners Slip is Trewarveneth Street

and one of Stevenson's old wooden trawlers was so named and has a wall plaque at the foot of the street...

most of the netting fleet are in port as the spring tides make their presence felt...

the auction over fish are transferred to the waiting transport...

there's a Dutchman on the quay from the Luyt Group who have recently completed to major refits on the netters Silver Dawn and Stelissa...

evidence of more major refit work can be found further down thew quay as Rowse's engineers continue their work stripping the ex-trawler Aztec BA244 and preparing her for a new career potting...

the largest of the Rowse fleet, the Emma Louise prepared to deploy more pots at sea...

Ocean Fish's mini-scalloper le Men Dhu has changed over to fishing with 3m beams...

which necessitates plenty of spare everything being kept to hand...

having just returned from her refit in Holland, the netter Stelissa now needs to board all her fishing gear in order to undergo the mandatory stability or 'roll-test' as it is known - the boat is made to roll heavily and the length of time each roll takes to right is averaged and from that the surveyor makes a judgment as to the boat's stability - this is necessary as she has just had major work carried out on her transom stern and net pound which is now completely watertight...

"fire in the sky"...

more of a subtle rose-pink than deep purple...

the harbour is never short of colour studies.

 

Calling all SW trawler skippers - Cefas needs you!

 Are you an otter trawl skipper in the southwest? 

CEFAS are looking for skippers of otter trawlers to take part in their scientific project, looking at catch data.

From 2021, as an independent coastal state, the UK will be able to make decisions about fisheries management which are better tailored to the needs of UK fisheries. To achieve this, we need accurate data upon which to base management decisions and we believe increased engagement with the fishing industry will accomplish this. 

Cefas is currently inviting skippers of otter trawlers working in the southwest to participate in a new scientific project which is focussed on using skipper’s catch data. These data will be verified using remote electronic monitoring (REM) technology, an integrated system of cameras and sensors, to improve our understanding of catch composition in this fishery. 

This project will complement the data collected by the Observer Programme to provide a more detailed regional picture. Through this collaboration, the data we collect will support the UK position in future annual fisheries quota negotiations, with the aim that resulting quotas should better reflect the catches available to the southwest otter trawl fleet. 

The data will also be used to scrutinise the effectiveness of technical measures inherited from the CFP, and to develop measures that are better suited to UK fisheries. The data from this project will not be attributed to individual vessels and will not be used for enforcement monitoring. 

A collaborative project using this technology was recently completed, which improved data on south west haddock catches and was used in the stock assessment. Initially, we are looking to work with the SW otter trawl fishery, where there is currently a demand for data to support decisions, but we aim to roll out similar projects to other English fisheries. 

If you are interested in being part of this project or would like to know more, please contact the project team: 

Sarah Walmsley sarah.walmsley@cefas.co.uk (01502 527790)

Rebecca Skirrow rebecca.skirrow@cefas.co.uk (07876 398192)

Tom Catchpole thomas.catchpole@cefas.co.uk 

If you have broader thoughts or concerns on working with CEFAS, data collection, interpretation/use of data and how it's used, then please let us know. DEFRA has been clear that future fisheries management will be based on evidence and how we provide/contribute to that will be important.

Forget the loaves. With a Brexit cliff edge looming, the question is who will share out the fishes?

The BBC posted a Brexit and Fishing story from deep in the French fishing heartlands of the Channel. 

Referenced in that post, the article below paints a considered view as to the reality fo the negotiations currently underway between the Uk and the EU where, despite its minuscule size in the grand scheme of things, fishing continues to exercise the minds of UK negotiators.

As Britain and the European Union manoeuvre toward a post-Brexit trade deal this week, an industry worth a minuscule share of their GDP — an economic sprat, a mere tiddler — could still sink the talks.

The slippery question causing agitation on both sides is who will have the right to catch what and where once the U.K. carries off many of northern Europe’s richest fishing grounds starting January 1.

The problem could be solved if both sides face their differences honestly and prepare public opinion for compromise. As things stand, a poisonous mixture of political over-bidding and technical complexity threatens to capsize the entire post-Brexit negotiation.

"When Britain joined what was then the European Economic Community in 1973, it agreed to merge its potential 200-mile fishing rights with those of its neighbours."

In the U.K., fisheries account for only 0.12 percent of GDP. But the industry has attained a patriotic symbolism and political strength more inflated than that of the car industry or the City of London. Misleading and emotive arguments about how the EU “stole our fish” in the 1980s have created a sea-monster of overblown post-Brexit expectations that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government cannot now easily kill or tame.

On the EU side, the real economic stakes seem equally small. Only five EU member states — France, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands — are vitally concerned by the loss of fishing grounds in the Channel, North Sea and Atlantic.

For those nations, however, fish is more tangible than many of the other theological-seeming arguments surrounding Brexit. The dispute threatens the survival of age-old industries — vital to the national economy (as in Denmark) or to the prosperity of politically sensitive towns or regions (as in France, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands).

Consider, for example, the northern French fishing fleets from Pas de Calais, Normandy and Brittany. They take up to 60 percent of their catch in what will become British waters from the New Year. They cast their nets on the northern side of the English Channel and in the North Sea but also as far away as the Atlantic coast of Scotland.

These rights were not given to French boats, or taken away from British ones, when the EU fisheries policy was created in 1983 (as U.K. public opinion has been taught to believe). European fisheries had been a free-for-all for centuries before exclusive economic zones were created, first up to 12 miles from coastlines then out to 200 miles by the mid-1970s.

When Britain joined what was then the European Economic Community in 1973, it agreed to merge its potential 200-mile fishing rights with those of its neighbours — something many U.K. fishermen have always resented.

By dint of geography and fish behaviour, most of the richest northern European fishing grounds will be, post-Brexit, within Icelandic, Norwegian waters and British waters. European governments, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, insist that Britain’s departure from the EU must lead to no reduction in catches or access to the new British zone. Otherwise, they say, all other trade deals with the U.K. are off.

This is an unrealistic and absolutist point of view. As the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, pointed out in private to EU diplomats last week, the French and other governments should start preparing the fishing industry and wider opinion for some degree of piscine pain.

If there is no deal between Britain and the EU on post-Brexit trade and other issues, the U.K. would be within its international legal rights to stop all EU fishing boats from entering its economic zone from January 1. Such a ban — as Barnier pointed out — would be even more calamitous for the French and other fleets than a cut in permitted catches or “quotas.”

A fishing war would be equally calamitous for the U.K. — something that the loudest mouths in pro-Brexit politics and in the British fishing industry prefer to ignore.

Some of the most vibrant parts of the U.K. industry have nothing to gain and everything to lose from Brexit. Four-fifths of their catch of shellfish, lobsters, crabs and langoustines are sold overnight to the Continent (mostly to Spain and France). This industry will be destroyed if there is no post-Brexit deal to lighten regulation and keep tariffs off food exports.

European governments insist that Britain’s departure from the EU must lead to no reduction in catches or access to the new British zone.

The present U.K. approach to the fisheries negotiations is an unpleasant blend of shoot-yourself-in-the-foot, beggar-thy-neighbor and dog-in-the-manger.

What would Britain do with all the horse-mackerel and sprats caught in the North Sea by the Danes to grind into pig feed? Or all the French catches of saithe or “coley,” which is little eaten in Britain. Anyone for Coley and Chips?

A more reasonable U.K. approach to the fisheries question would be to seek a deal that increased British catches — but that doesn’t attempt at a wholesale grab of much of the fish now caught by EU boats. In return, Britain should seek relatively easy continued access for British fish and seafood to the EU.

Instead, the British government originally offered the Europeans nothing — except annual discussions on swaps of EU catches in British waters for British catches in EU waters. It then improved its offer to a three-year period of diminishing quotas followed by annual discussions with no guarantees. No industry could be expected to survive on such a short time-horizon.

"In the end, as has been true throughout the U.K.-EU negotiations, there’s a deal to be had if both sides want it enough." 

The British insistence on annual discussions with no long-term fixed pattern of catch shares is now the single biggest obstacle to a deal. It’s also an idea dear to militant British fishermen’s leaders, and a source of great dishonesty on the part of the UK government.

Last month, Britain’s environment, agriculture and fisheries minister, George Eustice, signed an outline agreement with non-EU Norway on future London-Oslo cooperation on fishing. He claimed in an article in the Daily Telegraph that this deal was a model for the kind of annual, no-guarantees negotiations that Britain is seeking from the EU.

It wasn’t. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

A fishing war would be calamitous for the UK

According to the leaked text, the deal is modelled on EU-Norway agreements going back to 1979-1981, giving permanent shares of six main fish stocks. This is close to what the EU is now asking of the U.K. — a lasting share-out of stocks and then an annual discussion on what tonnage of fish is scientifically safe to catch.

If I was a suspicious fisherman, I would wonder if the British government was intending to pull the same trick in talks with the EU. London will claim that it has “won” the battle for “annual” negotiations. It will then point to yearly talks on “allowable” fish tonnages — which have always existed.

In the end, as has been true throughout the U.K.-EU negotiations, there’s a deal to be had if both sides want it enough. They face a choice — between the Devil of a No Deal and the political dangers of the Deep Blue Sea. 

Full story courtesy of Politico

‘The Safety Net’ launched to fight for fishers’ financial resilience

An influential and authoritative event hosted online by Seafarers UK takes forward recommendations from the recent landmark report, “Fishing Without a Safety Net: The Financial Resilience of Small-Scale Coastal Fishers, their Families and Communities” – and aims to transform the finances of small-scale fishers. 

 

Striking findings from research released by Seafarers UK last week revealed the bleak financial reality of small-scale fishers in the UK, particularly share fishers. The comprehensive report, authored in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University, set the stage for urgent, collaborative action to tackle financial literacy and planning among fishing communities, to improve both financial resilience and mental wellbeing. Thursday 8th October saw the first steps to mobilise action, as Seafarers UK hosted an event to mark the launch of a new programme of work inspired by the research.

The two-hour event, chaired by Seafarers UK CEO Catherine Spencer, featured lively and informative presentations from a number of noteworthy panellists. An illuminating overview of the research findings were presented, as well as thought-provoking discussion on the burden experienced by women as ‘invisible’ and ‘informal’ safety nets within fishing families - something that Seafarers UK plans to address with a unique ‘women's network’. This is the first time the research has been publicly presented and findings were well-received by a wide-ranging audience. Fisheries Minister, Victoria Prentis MP, who contributed to the event via a recorded message, supports both the research and the work it has sparked. Minister Prentis said:

“Small-scale fishing is a cornerstone of local coastal communities around our shores.

“I hope that the insights that this report provides will assist in improving the financial health and resilience of our fishermen across the country, as together we tackle COVID-19 and embrace the opportunities ahead as an independent coastal state."

Despite the report exposing a devastating reality for many fishers, Thursday’s event was optimistic, introducing recommendations for actions to create positive change. Deborah Layde, Grants Director at Seafarers UK, outlined ten bold policy and charity recommendations put forward in the research. Proposals included the implementation of a national action plan to address the social, economic and environmental issues faced by the small-scale coastal fishing fleet, and schemes to support new entrants into the sector.

A key finding of the research was the lack of appropriate financial services available to fishers. In response to this, Seafarers UK plan to launch a ‘Fairness in Fishing’ fair pay campaign. This campaign will replicate the benefits, fair compensation, and protections afforded to PAYE employees, whilst still allowing share fishers to retain their autonomy and flexibility - something that the research showed was highly prized amongst fishing communities.

Central to the ‘Fairness in Fishing’ campaign is a newly devised ‘share fisher plus’ cooperative approach, for which Seafarers UK would take on the role of lead sponsor. This innovative model, detailed in the event by Deborah Layde, would support fishers in accessing a range of suitable, competitively priced financial products - such as pensions, illness and critical injury insurance and life assurance - through group purchasing. A feasibility study has been launched to explore uptake and potential delivery mechanisms for this approach.

Commenting on the value of such a structure to the fishing industry, Barrie Deas, CEO of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, said:

“I was delighted to take part in the panel session for the 'Fishing Without a Safety Net’ webinar. The financial resilience of fishing communities is a vital issue and central to a modern and successful fishing industry. The NFFO prides itself in the welfare of its members which is why I am pleased to remain in close dialogue with Seafarers UK and support their work moving forwards.”

Dr Paul A Jones, author of the report and Reader in the Social Economy at Liverpool John Moores University, said:

“whilst the report reveals challenges and vulnerabilities of life as an inshore, share fisher, it also indicates a range of possible interventions that, if implemented, could provide a safety net for people working in the industry and facilitate the financial health and resilience of fishers, their families and coastal communities. This event marks the beginning of change.”

The report emphasises that changes need to be collaborative and occur at both individual and structural levels. Proposed interventions are as varied as up-skilling individuals’ financial literacy, to developing a national credit union, which would provide fishers with access to affordable credit and budgeting accounts for tax and National Insurance. “We recognise the recommendations are ambitious and challenging”, Deborah Layde remarked. “We cannot achieve this on our own. Hopefully today’s event will be a catalyst for good ideas and knowledge sharing.”

The event closed with an extensive and exploratory question and answer session, with participants keen to discuss a range of relevant issues, from offshore wind farm developments to fishing sustainably. Seafarers UK invite views and ideas from more stakeholders - contact grants@seafarers.uk.