Hake is the new cod! Let's hope the Daily Mail is right.

With many Cornish fishermen undoubtedly disappointed at the result of the Brexit deal which has left some wondering if they are now worse off than when we were members of the EU abiding by the strictures of the Common Fisheries Policy there may be some good news on the way.  The Daily Mail has carried a story citing hake as an alternative to cod for the traditional fish and chip shop supper!

Despite and in-spite of the huge changes made to sustainable fishing practices in the North Sea, cod became the poster fish for the FishFight campaign started by chef High Fearnely-Whittingstall which eventually led to the well intentioned but disastrous 'nil discard' regulations. The campaign, while it garnered huge public support, made little sense in practical terms. The majority of vessels targeting white fish in the North Sea had already made huge changes to their working practices with gear and other modifications helping to significantly reduce discards. The biggest issue - and still is - is that fish are unaware of the 'nil-discards' regulations and are therefore still caught by trawl and net. Unlike farmers, fishermen using trawl and nets by-and-large don't have the luxury of being able to predict what they harvest - the seabed is not delineated in the way that fields of crops are nor have fish read the latest MMO landing regulations. In the North Sea hake are one of the top 'choke' species that through the law of unintended consequences that has seen the move to ensure 'nil-discards' deemed unworkable in many areas.

Fast forward the last ten years and it seems that the Cornish netter fleet are now ideally placed to help supply the nations with an equally healthy and sustainable alternative to cod for that fish supper.

Cornish hake were certified by the MSC in 2015 with 15 vessels licensed to catch this superb eating fish much loved by top UK chefs like Nathan Outlaw, Paul Aisnworth, Rick Stein, Galton Blackstone, Tom Brown and many others who often use hake in their dishes on TV cooking shows.

Today, young Ryan Davey, skipper of the netter Stelissa (please note Daily Mail - hake are caught by gill nets not trawlers - there's a huge difference Ed) is one of the fleet currently at sea fishing for hake.

If, it was all about 'Sovereignty', what happened?

This extract from a ByLine Times piece by Jonathan Lis 5 January 2021:

"In Its Search for Sovereignty, Britain has Defaulted to a Dangerous Sovereign"  

Yesterday, CFPO CEO Paul Trebilcock featured on @BBCCornwall about the disappointment Cornish fishermen feel about the 'FishingDeal'. The programme Afternoons on BBC Radio Cornwall also talks to Falmouth MP Cherlilyn Mackrory whose husband is a fisherman. Later this week the show is due to talk with another champion of Brexit, South East Cornwall MP Sheryl Murray - an ardent Brexit supporter who promised Cornish fishermen in the last General Election that Brexit meant we would 'take back control' - and now, like every other Cornish Conservative politician are now faced with having to explain exactly what that means.

“What was delivered is a massive disappointment.. politicians tried to dress that up as a good deal for fishing.” Paul Trebilcock CFPO CEO.

Listen here:

The CFPO represents over 150 Cornish fishing vessels.

Should the public sector be encouraged to buy British food?

This will be well worth tuning into:

By now, many people will appreciate that most of what we eat by way of fish is imported and most of what we catch is exported. In the last 10 years, for some species (like hake) this situation has been changing and more consumed here in the UK. THIS has real relevance to the fishing industry here in the UK today given that Seafish couldn't readily answer the simple question, "How many wet fish outlets are there in the UK?" at the start of the last lockdown.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is to hold the final evidence session of its inquiry into Public Sector Procurement of Food.

Watch Parliament TV: Public sector procurement of food 

Inquiry: Public Sector Procurement of Food Environment 

Food and Rural Affairs Committee 

Purpose of the session

The Committee will question Defra Under-Secretary Victoria Prentis on topics including how public bodies can procure food in ways that support small businesses, healthy eating, animal welfare and environmental outcomes. The session will also cover whether the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering (GBSF) need updating and possible changes to public procurement following the end of the transition period.

Witnesses: Tuesday 12 January at 3.30pm

• Victoria Prentis MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). 

Are you having any problems exporting fish to the EU?

 

There seems to be some issues creating problems for exporters of fish that means consignments aren't even getting to go across the channel. This post is to allow exporters to comment and share experiences. I’m hoping by sharing the problems individuals are having you can help isolate issues that may just be one offs rather than actual systems issues and share best practice for work arounds until the Government find a fix.

Some of the issues are around incorrect codes on the export database. For instance, plaice has/had the incorrect applied.

The gov.uk website lacks any specific information so for the moment it is a case of having to help ourselves. Please add your thoughts or identify problems or solutions in the comments box below - especially if you have found workaround for problems that may then help others. 

What you’ll need Once the service is available, to create a UK catch certificate, you’ll need: 

• a Government Gateway user ID and password
• the company name and address of the exporter
• the name of the person responsible for the exporter
• the species (or Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) code)
• it’s state and it’s presentation
• the names or Port Letters and Numbers (PLNs) of the vessels that caught the species
• the landing dates for each species
• the export weights of each product
• to specify whose waters the species were caught in - the FAO area
• transport details for how the export will leave the UK and where it will leave from
• the identification numbers of the containers used to export the product (if applicable)

For issues related to Catch Certificates please contact this number

For the latest export information from the Government link here.

Stay at Home: Get #FishToYourDoor

Seafood Cornwall’s #FishToYourDoor scheme is ready to supply fresh fish from Cornish fishermen as millions in the UK are ordered to ‘stay at home’ once again. 

Despite a bitterly disappointing Brexit deal for UK fisheries, and lockdown 3.0 looming over the country, Cornwall’s resilient fishermen continue braving winter waters to secure fresh, sustainable fish. And Seafood Cornwall’s #FishToYourDoor scheme - running continuously since lockdown 1.0 in March 2020 - is ready to enter into a third wave of contact-free delivery activity, nationwide.

Set up as an emergency response to the first lockdown, #FishToYourDoor’s main aim was to support local Cornish fishing businesses. As European borders closed, and hospitality venues shut down across the UK the market for fresh fish plummeted and fishermen had nowhere to sell their catch. But within just 48 hours of the lockdown announcement, #FishToYourDoor had connected over 1,000 isolated and vulnerable people across the UK to Cornish fishermen and fish merchants. 

Since this emergency response, #FishToYourDoor has continued to grow, connecting and engaging with over 7,000 customers and advancing from a match-making service on social media to a dedicated webpage and member of staff personally connecting every individual to a trusted Cornish fish merchant or fisherman. #FishToYourDoor has more exciting plans for 2021, which have been built on direct feedback from loyal customers across the year, but for now, it’s here to support people staying at home and fighting the COVID pandemic.

“Cornwall Fish Direct is proud to be a #FishToYourDoor merchant. We signed up to be a part of the scheme earlier this year, not only to support our fishing community and our fleet of Cornish fishing boats, but to ensure that every person in the UK, regardless of where they live, had access to fresh, seasonal, traceable Cornish fish. This latest lockdown is a perfect opportunity to sign up to #FishToYourDoor, support small fishing businesses, try something new, and keep strong and healthy by eating fresh fish!” Antony Hosking, Co-owner of Cornwall Fish Direct

The #FishToYourDoor scheme runs based on a simple match-making service that is run via the Seafood Cornwall website, where fish aficionados can also access recipe inspiration and guidance about local Cornish species. A Seafood Cornwall customer, Katie Stilwell, comments: "With an impressive variety of incredible Cornish species, there’s always a chance to try something new and if you can’t make your mind up, I found that all merchants offer fresh fish boxes with mixed species. You can also decide if you want your fish filleted so you know that when your fish arrives at your door, it can go straight into the pan!" In lockdown 1.0, #FishToYourDoor is credited with providing a lifeline for many Cornish fishing and seafood businesses. Paul Trebilcock, CEO of the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation (representing 160 vessels in the Cornish fishing fleet), and head of the Seafood Cornwall initiative, explains why #FishToYourDoor is asking the nation to support fishermen once again.

“#FishToYourDoor was set up rapidly, as a direct response to the pandemic, but has now grown into a remarkable scheme that has helped to strengthen fishing businesses in Cornwall. One of our #FishToYourDoor merchants, Marisco Fish, thought their business would suffer when the hospitality sector shut down, but due to the success of customers signing up to Fish to Your Door they hired a new member of staff and increased their supply of fresh fish to the domestic market.

Fishing communities had an incredibly tough 2020, like all of us, and proved just how adaptable they can be. With the recent Brexit deal providing a big disappointment to Cornwall’s fishermen, #FishToYourDoor may be a much-needed light during a dark start to the year - and what’s great is we can help keep other communities fed under lockdown. A win-win.”

If you would like to support fishing communities and try some fresh Cornish fish whilst locked down at home, please sign up to #FishToYourDoor here. You can also find us on Instagram and Twitter.

A new beginning - Provisional fishing quota to be announced following UK-EU agreement.

The UK government has announced that provisional catch limits for fishermen in the UK will be set shortly. 

The UK government has announced that provisional catch limits for fishermen in the UK will be set shortly.

The UK government has today (31 December) announced that provisional catch limits for fishermen in the UK will be set shortly to ensure fishing continues uninterrupted until annual fisheries negotiations with the EU, Norway and Faroe Islands conclude.

The UK government, following consultation with the Devolved Administrations and Marine Management Organisation, will set provisional catch limits in line with the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. These will generally be calculated using a percentage of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advice for each stock. Where needed, a higher allocation will be made for seasonal fisheries.

The annual negotiations will take place now the UK and EU have concluded the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Under that agreement, the UK will see year on year increases in our share of the total allowable catch, moving from just over half of the quota stocks in our own waters now, to two thirds of the stocks in our waters after five and a half years.

Fisheries Minister, Victoria Prentis said: 

For the first time in 40 years we enter into annual fisheries negotiations as an independent coastal State.

"As a responsible independent coastal State we are taking measures to ensure that we fish sustainably, and that our fishermen can continue to operate smoothly while those annual negotiations take place."

"As the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement states, UK vessels will be permitted to fish in EU waters and EU vessels in UK waters. However, from 1 January, UK and EU vessels must not fish in each other’s waters without a licence. Licensing of UK and EU vessels will begin shortly."

Until agreement is reached with Norway and the Faroe Islands, UK vessels are not permitted to fish in their waters and vice versa.

Published 31 December 2020 From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Victoria Prentis MP

TAKING STOCK AND MOVING FORWARD 4TH JANUARY 2021 IN BREXIT, CORONAVIRUS, EUROPE / COMMON FISHERIES POLICY

The NFFO are looking for a more positive outcome to counteract the apparent negativity being felt by many fishermen in the industry;

As the old year faded away, and the new year dawns, we lick our wounds and take stock of the tasks that lie in front of us.

UK/EU Partnership Agreement

In the wake of the Agreement reached with the EU on Christmas eve, our immediate task was to blunt the Government’s attempts to present the outcome on fisheries as a famous victory. In Parliament and right across the media the country and the world, through the Federation’s efforts, was made to understand that, in echoes of 1973, the UK fishing industry had again been sacrificed for other national objectives.

Given the hundreds of thousands of businesses and livelihoods at stake without a trade deal, perhaps this was a brutal, but inevitable, choice. What infuriated the fishing industry was the transparent attempt to present the meagre gains as a transformational leap forward as an independent coastal state.

There is an exact measure of what the UK has achieved and has not achieved in the negotiations. It is the distance between the EU’s fisheries relationship with Norway, where two coastal states meet as equals, and the bloc’s relationship with the UK, where on access and quota shares, the UK remains tied into an asymmetric and exploitative arrangement on fishing rights. As with any colonial or neo-colonial relationship like this, there will be inherent tensions and instabilities that will colour the next few years and beyond.

Taking Stock and Moving Forward

The NFFO Executive Committee met on 30th December and agreed that the two national federations had done all in their powers to secure a future as a truly independent coastal state. Having poured scorn on the government’s efforts to deceive the scale of its defeat of fisheries, the Executive concluded that the Federation had little choice but to look forward.

Immediate Issues

A series of immediate questions over how the new regime would operate from 1st January were raised and notified to Defra. Prominent amongst these were how to avoid parts of the fleet being worse off in 2021 in the wake of meagre and unevenly distributed uplifts in UK quota shares, the absence of an international quota swaps mechanism, the retention of the landing obligation in EU retained law and attendant choke risks. There is scope within the EU agreement for quota transfers at state-to-state level throughout the year, but it will be important to make progress during the forthcoming negotiations for a fisheries agreement with the EU for 2021. Talks are expected to begin this week and the NFFO will meet with the Defra team on 5th January to discuss priorities.

Trade issues under the new regime will also be a central focus.

Announcements are expected on the consultations run by Defra prior to Christmas on: 

• The allocation of “new” quota between fisheries administrations 
• The allocation of “new” quota inside England 
• Economic link licensing requirements 
• Remote Electronic Monitoring 
• How the Government decides to approach these issues will carry significant consequences for the years ahead. 

Longer Term

The Executive agreed to work on a strategic plan for the Federation that takes account of the fact that the UK is now outside the CFP, albeit tied and constrained in various ways by the framework agreement.

This work is now underway and although at an early stage it is clear that the following elements will feature:

• A workable landing obligation 
• Reform of inshore fisheries management 
• Shellfish Policy 
• Non-Quota Species 
• International negotiations and quotas exchanges 
• Joint Fisheries Statements and Fisheries Management Plans Fishing 
• Vessel Safety and Crew Welfare Covid-19

No one will be unaware that the new variant covid virus has caused a steep increase in the infection rate and restrictions have been and continued to be stepped up. This in turn will impact on the market for fish and shellfish, although in uneven and different ways, sector by sector. 

Parts of the fleet lack resilience because the winter storms of 2019/20 reduced earnings, followed by varying economic impacts of covid restrictions during the rest of the year. The MMO/Defra are monitoring the impacts on landings and prices and the case for further government support is mounting. The Federation will remain at the heart of any response and will remain in close dialogue with Government.