First #FishyFriday in August.

With the weather being nigh on a flat calm there was one boat sure to head out through the gaps on Thursday...

another good shot of greater weavers snapped up by Mr Cleeve...

grey gurnards go for bait...

as do lesser spotted dogfish...

the Ocean Pride and Britannia IV oth landed hake this morning...

inshore fish at its best, John Dory were just some of the fish from a solid trip by the Still Waters

Cornish sole aplenty from the beamer Twilight III...

while Brackan landed plenty of monk and Dovers...

good to see Shane no longer having to put up with sailing in stormy seas on the St Piran now able to concentrate on chasing those elusive mackerel...

you know where to go for your shellfish...

seems there are still ray on the ground if you know where to look...

it takes two...

sardiniére Golden Harvest's secret weapon...

versatile things Henrys...

the Rowse crabber fleet at rest...

 a real sense of times gone by, classic sailing ship, Phoenix  on the slip, Irene on the quay...

thought the 16th Century Old Harbour's looks are not improved with the rather unsightly addition of a portaloo!

 

New Health Certificates for Exports to the EU from August

 

An update following guidance from Defra on changes to seafood export health certificates from 21 August 2021. Since the end of the transition period, UK seafood has had to comply with certain rules to be accepted onto the EU market. This includes the requirement for each consignment to be accompanied by an export health certificate. The format of these certificates are determined by EU law.

Details of the EU’s new ‘Animal Health Law’ is available on the EUR-Lex website. This law changes the export health certificates used to export seafood to the EU.

On 8 July Defra published two updated export health certificates for fish, crustaceans and molluscs. You can download them from the gov.uk website using the links below:

8361 replaces 8270 – this is to be used for live fish, live crustaceans and products of animal origin from those animals intended for human consumption 8364 replaces 8249 – this is to be used for bivalve molluscs, echinoderms, tunicates and marine gastropods and products of animal origin from those animals intended for human consumption

What are the most significant changes?

1. Some listed species must now complete Part II.2 and have it signed by an Official Veterinarian (OV)

Listed species include Pacific Oysters, European Flat Oysters, Atlantic Salmon, Rainbow Trout and Decapod Crustaceans. They can be found in column 3 of the Annex of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 (link downloads a pdf).

If listed species are farmed and exported to the EU alive, Part II.2 of the certificate must be completed and signed by a vet.

If listed species are farmed and exported to the EU dead for further processing (i.e. not for direct human consumption), Part II.2 must be completed and signed by a vet.

If listed species are farmed and exported to the EU dead for direct human consumption, wrapping or packing, Part II.2 of the certificate can be deleted.

Fish, crustaceans, and molluscs landed by fishing vessels are not required to complete Part II.2.

Species listed in column 4 of the Annex of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 (link downloads a pdf) may act as a vector species if they live in proximity to a listed species. For example, the common edible cockle is named as a disease vector species for the European flat oyster. Where the common edible cockle co-habits or shares a water supply with European flat oysters they are considered a vector species.

Vector species are required to complete Part II.2 and obtain vet certification if farmed and exported to the EU alive.

2. Add registration/approval number (where applicable) of the place of destination.

If the place of destination is an approved establishment, its approval number should be publicly available on the list of Approved EU Food Establishments on the European Commission website.

If the place of destination is a registered establishment, its registration number should be obtained by the exporter.

3. Specify the consignment’s oldest date of production

In Box I.27, you must now specify the earliest date of final production of the items contained in your consignment.

If you use groupage and export to the EU via a logistics hub, you will need to provide this date to the hub. This will allow the certifying officer to identify the oldest production date in the consolidated consignment at the hub.

Contacts:

If you have any queries about export health certificates for seafood please contact our Regulation team on regulation@seafish.co.uk.

Full details here.

Women in Fisheries.

 

This research project focused on understanding women’s roles, identities, and wellbeing in fishing families in the UK and Newfoundland, Canada.

We've listened

Through a series of interviews we've gained an insight into women's 'invisible' roles. To ensure we left no stone unturned, we spoke with women from a range of backgrounds across the fishing community. We conducted a series of confidential interviews and have published some of our early findings in a new policy briefing.

This kind of study is known as qualitative research. Our participants are the experts and we collected our data by listening to their experiences.

The broad mix of information we’ve gathered is helping us to search for patterns and recurring themes. By doing this, we’re hoping to spot problems that are common to certain groups, and make suggestions to solve them.

Women in Fisheries | Our Stories from Women in Fisheries on Vimeo.

Tuesday's top quality Cornish hake from the Newlyn netter Ygraine.

This morning's market saw an early landing for this neap tide of MSc Certified hake form the netter Ygraine

while fish from the port's inshore fleet made up the bulk of the fish up for auction tis morning like these superb red mullet...

and squid from the Spirited Lady III

along with a cracking platter-sized turbot from Tom...

John Dory...

Cornish sole...

and lemon sole from Brackan...

a symmetrical pair of lobsters - with one left and one right-handed crushing claw...

top quality tip - check this bright-eyed red gurnard...

a creche of craws...

underbelly of a ray, a member of the shark family with cartilaginous bones...

a few bass fell to the wily lures of a line fisherman...

and yet more hake from the Ygraine...

fish-fact of the day - turbot are bled on capture in order to prevent discolouration of the flesh...

upon reflection, what would be described by the Beaufort Scale as 'smoke' - the system still used by sailors and the Met Office today was initially based on the appearance of the sea state and sky

you never know what you are going to dredge up from the harbour...

classic lines of a classic yacht, Sunburst - the last yacht, built in 1967, byAlexander Robertson & Sons yard on the Clyde and designed by .David Boyd...

the busy deck of Interfish's sardine catcher, Charlotte may

multi-purpose vessel Severn Sea... 

there's been a yarn bombing in Newlyn, Rosebud Gardens was badly hit...

built in 1929 the full body of the Evangelical brig...

provides a stunning silhouette while on the slip in Newlyn...

passionate about fish, Andrew heads out to sea to chase a few mackerel...

familiar lines?, Phoenix, star of many a TV drama and film over the years.

First Cornish sardines in August - and a huge blue fin tuna!

Landing the Golden Harvest tonight, George on the winch...

Dan the sardine man on the forklift...

Tom on the brail...

Jolyon on deck...

manning the landing winch controls...

it all adds up to another 10 tons of fresh Cornish sardines...

coming ashore...

the Vesta was the last boat in the fleet to land... 

a few hours earlier...

the Pelagic Marksman...

 became the first UK fishing boat to land a bluefin tuna in years...

which oddly feature several rows of small yellow fins between the dorsal fin and tail...

under a new MMO/Cefas scheme which allows for licensed vessels to land one fish per day at sea as a by-catch - however, despite being given advance notice over three months ago, none of the entitled vessels being given a new variation on their licence to fish for sardines none has actually been issued - this, despite weeks of being told by the MMO that the changes would be made, "by the weekend" - skipper Stefan's frustrations at the lack progress stems from the MMO's publicly expressed intent on reducing discards through licence variations which are  designed to stop the current practice of dumping these huge creatures, dead, back in the sea - MMO knew well in advance that this year's Cornish sardine fishery would get underway in early July...

at two metre long, the fish weighed in at 285 kilos...

seen here getting admiring glances from a local fish porter and giving a better idea of the fish's size.

The frailty of fishing communities caught by Covid.

Covid continues to severely income and welfare of fishing communities in countries that have little in the way of shore based resources - you can help them.

 

Hi, my name is Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood. 

I am fundraising to provide:

• Solar-powered dual refrigerators with AC-DC systems for women fish traders in Bonny Island, Rivers State Nigeria.

• Cash donations to the BONNY INDIGENIOUS FISHERMEN COOPERATIVE UNION to support their members - women fishers, processors and sellers are part of this union. 

• Extra funds raised will be donated to a women cooperative union in Cote d'Ivoire. 

Women play a crucial role in artisanal fishing in Nigeria. 

However, their contributions to the sector are widely un(der)paid, undervalued and largely invisible. This affects them in many ways – for instance, they have less access to capital and other resources. They also don’t have access to the required processing and storage facilities to avoid fish loss through spoilage.

The COVID-19 restrictions made it harder for fisherfolks, especially women in Bonny Island, in Rivers State Nigeria, to access, store and sell fish stocks.

• The lockdown also coincided with an incident whereby scores of dead fish washed ashore on the Island and other communities across the Niger Delta. Fishers could not fish under those circumstances since they did not know the reason for that phenomenon. 

• With the easing of the lockdown and very limited funds to trade with, women were pressured to buy fish they could not sell to avoid losing the supplier. 

• They also sell at low prices to reduce wastage and loss of capital due to a lack of storage facilities such as chamber freezers or cold rooms.

Eja-ice , the company we are collaborating with, is a solar-powered refrigeration and cold chain service company based in Nigeria. The business offers 218 litre solar-powered DC freezers with 3 years of maintenance support. For this project, Eja-Ice will train youths in the benefiting community on the installation and maintenance of the freezers and grant them access to lead engineers who can offer advice and support as required. This will contribute to local knowledge in the community.

You can watch the video below to see how this is helping women improve their fishing business in Lagos, Nigeria:

 

 

 The solar-powered refrigerator will not only reduce food waste for the benefiting women:

It will also increase their earnings, because they will not need to sell below cost and importantly, The freezer will also contribute to global efforts to mitigate the adverse effect of climate change.

Skippers qualify for CHART Atlantic Bluefin Programme.

 

Cefas Scientist explains fish tagging to skippers Today, some 40 skippers and crew members from fishing ports across South-West and Southern England have successfully completed their specialist training to catch, tag and release Atlantic Bluefin Tuna.

The skippers are taking part in CHART, a Defra-funded pilot programme. This aims to provide important scientific data on the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna while benefiting coastal communities and offering an exciting opportunity for recreational anglers to legally encounter these ocean giants.

The completion of training means they are on track to be granted scientific licences to fish for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, from August to November this year. This unique collaboration brings together for the first time in England a breadth of fishing, science and conservation interests in support of this innovative approach to tuna scientific research.

The 15 skippers were selected by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and will join forces with a team of observers and scientists, as well as other organisations, such as the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), Bluefin Tuna UK and Natural England, with the aim of collecting data to improve the science understanding and management of bluefin tuna

The Environment Secretary, George Eustice said:

“While Atlantic Bluefin Tuna are increasingly present in UK waters we know little about their movements and time spent here.

“Our catch, tag and release pilot programme will provide an economic boost for local coastal communities, particularly here in the South West, and contribute to international efforts to manage this fish stock effectively for the benefit of future generations”.

Steven Murphy, Bluefin Tuna UK said:

“After an exhaustive 7 months’ consultation process, we have here a world class example of collaboration and the value that the Recreational Sea Angling sector can bring to important scientific research.

"Combining the scientific expertise of Cefas, with the great experience of seasoned UK Charter skippers and anglers with notable experience of large pelagic species, we have a program which will deliver important scientific data, real economic benefits to coastal communities, and an opportunity for anglers to engage with this iconic sportfish in a professional, managed environment."

Sophy Phillips, Cefas Senior Fisheries Scientist said:

“Scientific research and citizen science projects have provided evidence that Atlantic Bluefin Tuna are returning to UK waters in increasing numbers during the summer months. But we still don’t understand enough about these amazing predators; CHART offers the potential to fill gaps in our knowledge of their distribution, movements, behaviour, numbers and demographics. Training the skippers to carefully tag the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, as well as how to collect data on their size, fishing effort and sightings will enable us to develop a clearer picture of ABT in English waters.”

Lyle Stantiford of the Professional Boatman’s Association, who has led Charter Skipper representation in the consultation process said:

“CHART is a great illustration of the value the Charter fishing fleet can bring to important research such as this. The recovery in Atlantic Bluefin over the last 10 years and their repeated presence in our waters since around 2015 presents a great opportunity for scientists, anglers and our charter fleet to work together to better understand this change and ensure a sustainable future for them in our waters.”

CHART skippers must be certified as trained and competent before being licensed to take out paying customers to catch Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (ABT), to then be tagged and released by trained skippers or crew. Bespoke workshops led by Cefas scientists and sector experts, have been held in Weymouth and Falmouth this month, with 40 participants attending from Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex and Hampshire.

The mandatory training in fishing, tagging, fish handling and welfare, along with data collection techniques is designed to ensure compliance with strict operating standards aiming to safeguard animal welfare and support the conservation objectives at the heart of this valuable citizen science initiative.

In recent years, the number of reported sightings of ABT in UK waters has been increasing. This has led to a growing interest in the species from the science community, recreational fishing groups, and the commercial fishing sector. Representatives from the recreational fishing sector suggested that a CHART programme could contribute to international ABT research, as well as the potential socio-economic benefits it could bring to coastal communities. A CHART programme in Ireland has been in place since 2019.

The data collected will contribute not only to improving understanding of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna in English waters, but will also be supplied to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), who supply the tags for CHART and coordinate international tagging of ABT.

Background

Atlantic bluefin tuna are known for being amongst the biggest, fastest and most valuable fish in the sea. They were once a common sight in UK waters, ranging throughout the Celtic and North Sea, and were a popular sport fish in the North Sea in the 1930s to the 1950s. However, they largely disappeared from British waters in the 1960s, likely, as a result of population decline and changes in the availability of their preferred prey.

In recent years, they have been observed more frequently in our coastal waters, particularly during the late summer, autumn and winter as they move into coastal areas to feed on energy rich pelagic fish, such as sprats and herring, in waters around the UK. There are multiple and complex reasons why their numbers may have increased, such as conservation measures and climate change impacts, including abundance of prey and changes to the marine environment.

Atlantic bluefin tuna can migrate over thousands of kilometres in a single year and occupy the coastal waters of Europe and the deep offshore environments of the North Atlantic. However, despite historic evidence of captures around the UK, we know relatively little detail of their day-to-day movements and behaviour, for example how long they stay in British waters and where they go, once they leave our coastal environment.