Misty #FishyFriday

Breaks in the cloud herald in a very still #FishyFriday morning in Newlyn...

on a market  packed with quality flat fish like these meaty turbot from the port's largest beam trawler Enterprise...

the spots on blonde ray appear right to the edge of the body...

while they diminish in size and number near the extremities of spotted ray...

these guys look so good and taste even better....

lost of lemons from the Spirited Lady III...

bit still not much squid passing over her footrope...

while the Enterprise bagged plenty of Dovers...

Cornish sole...

meaty monk...

superb plaice...

and scores of haddock...

while the inshore handliners continue to pick away pollack...

and a few bass...

now that's a name from the past...

heading out through the gaps is the old Huers with Dennis and Tom Pascoe at the helm - the boat that the current generation of Pascoe's learned there craft sometimes when they were supposed to be at school - I know as I marked them with a big fat 'O' in the register knowing full well why they were absent!..

in those days the boys were handlining for mackerel like these beauties...

more lemons form young Mr Worth...

with the cloud lowering...

the Algrie rests at high water...

and the netters prepare for the next neap tide...

as the sardine boat Pelagic Marksman ties up to dry out for the day...

signs of the pot of gold the boat has been for its previous owner/skipper Stefan...

the big turquoise boat readies herself sailing later today...

all he needs is a pipe and a can of spinach, the ever-cheerful Dan makes good the bow ropes...

on the Twlight IV...

 as she heads out trough the gaps...

along with a visiting yacht...

also in turquoise, Le Men Dhu is about to sail...

big boulders, what he beam trawl fleet has to contend with on a weekly basis at sea in addition to negotiating their way around a seabed littered with wrecks from two world wars and countless storms...

the middle section of a bottom trawl - the heavy mesh on the left of the trawl belly then have a different colour in the square section as the smaller twine then leads into the wing...

fuel up time...

while the Unity...

has her twin-rig gear ashore for repairs...

it's time for a scrub down on the Enterprise...

in the new colours adopted by Ocean Fish for its trawl fleet.

Tracking devices aim to monitor fish movements off the UK coastline

 

Tracking devices aim to monitor fish movements off the UK coastline Researchers from the University are working with communities in the Isles of Scilly and elsewhere to monitor crawfish populations One of the tagged crawfish has already been spotted 200 metres from where it was released

Researchers have deployed monitoring devices that will help them paint a comprehensive picture of the movements of an endangered marine species and the habitats it prefers to use.

Scientists from the University of Plymouth worked with the Isles of Scilly Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IoS IFCA) to deploy 12 acoustic receivers off the island of St Martins.

The Isles of Scilly and sites in northern France, off the coast of Brittany (Iroise Sea) and Côtes-d'Armor (Saint Brieuc and Sept-Iles marine park), are some of the last strongholds for the crawfish, where they are also important for small scale coastal fisheries, so information on how they move and behave is critical to ensuring their long term survival.

While on the Islands, the team engaged with local commercial fishermen and dive teams, with both groups tagging and releasing crawfish for the project.

One of the crawfish has already been spotted 200metres from where it was released, giving an early indication of how these animals travel around and make use of their habitat.

The deployment is part of FISH INTEL, a €4.1million project led by the University of Plymouth, and supported by €2.8million from the European Regional Development Fund via the Interreg France Channel England (FCE) programme.

Additional sites will also be set up in northern France by one of the project partners – Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer (Ifremer) - and information will be freely shared between the sites to ensure lessons can be learned from both sides of the Channel/Manche region.

Together, it will contribute to a growing amount of data assessing the impact of fishing, climate change and other human activities – such as the development of offshore renewable energy sites and offshore mariculture – on the region.

Dr Thomas Stamp, Post Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Plymouth, led the survey work with Tom Hooper of the Isles of Scilly IFCA. Dr Stamp said:

“This exciting survey work was the first of a collaborative project to get a better understanding on how specific species, such as crawfish, use coastal seas. This endangered species provides a critical income to small scale fishing communities, and therefore we really need to understand where they go and what they’re doing before appropriate fisheries management policies can be developed. The data that we gather will be combined from similar studies in northern France to develop robust fisheries management policies for this (and other) species across the FCE Channel/Manche region.”

Scientists measure the condition of a crawfish before attaching a monitoring device and releasing it off the Isles of Scilly

The tracking device will give an indication of how crawfish travel around and make use of their habitat

Crews prepare to deploy acoustic receivers off the island of St Martins

Since the project was launched in March 2021, researchers from the University have also processed a range of data generated by acoustic receivers from previous projects.

European bass have been detected living around an offshore mussel farm off the coast of Brixham, with tagged crawfish living in significant numbers under the farm.

The FISH INTEL project aims to tag a further 100 bass and 100 Pollock at the South Devon pilot site – which encompasses 10 estuaries, the Lyme Bay Marine Protected Area and several shipwrecks, as well as the mussel farm – over its duration.

FISH INTEL involves research organisations across the UK, France and Belgium who will work directly with fishers, regulators and industry representatives in the three countries.

Across seven sites the project will monitor marine species including European bass, Pollack, Crawfish and Bluefin tuna, which are considered commercially important for the region.

Ultimately, the research will assist authorities across the FCE region to implement Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) programmes with the aim of enhancing the condition and water quality in these habitats, as well as enabling activities – such as fishing, civil engineering projects and extract industries – to function in a sustainable way.

The FISH INTEL project has a total budget of €4.1million, of which €2.8million is funded by the European Regional Development Fund via the Interreg France (Channel) England (FCE) Programme.

Interreg France (Channel) England (FCE) is an EU programme set up to foster economic development in the south of the UK and north of France by funding innovative projects which have a sustainable and economic benefit.

It focuses on a range of specific objectives including supporting innovation, improving the attractiveness of the FCE area and developing low carbon technologies.

More information: www.channelmanche.com

Dr Emma Sheehan, Associate Professor of Marine Ecology at the University of Plymouth, is the project’s Principal Investigator. She has previously coordinated a number of projects using cutting edge technology to advance conservation policies that benefit both the fishing industry and the environment. She said:

“There are increasing demands and stresses being placed on the marine environment. And over the coming years, the impact of factors such as human activity and climate change has the potential to grow exponentially. This is an exciting and far-reaching project and all the partners have a shared aim to protect the way of life in our coastal habitats and communities. But if we are to develop solutions which preserve our coasts, and the species that rely on them, we first need to understand which habitats we are trying to protect.”

Great news! 'TRAILBLAZING' Fishing Apprenticeship course to run in Cornwall.

 

A new fishing apprenticeship has been given the green light and people looking for a career at sea will have the opportunity to start an 18-month Commercial Fishing Apprenticeship, a process which has been led by the Cornish Fish Producers’ Organisation (CFPO).

This week, the CFPO announced the approval of a new national fishing apprenticeship standard, designed by experienced skippers, crew and CFPO Youth Board members. The Commercial Fishing Apprenticeship will be rolled out by training providers from 2022.

“It’s ambitious, but it has to be,” said Chris Ranford, CEO of the CFPO. “We are training the future of the industry, and want to have that in mindset from the start.”

The 18-month level 2 Fisher apprenticeship represents a step-change for the industry by carving out a clear professional pathway into the industry - one that is aspirational, where apprentices will be paid to learn and obtain a raft of qualifications along the way. The apprenticeship has been designed by a Trailblazer group, in conjunction with the Institute for Apprenticeship and Technical Education and funding support from The Fishmongers’ Company. The Trailblazer group has a diverse membership of young and experienced skippers, vessel owners and crew members from around the English coast, ensuring the standard is rooted in the needs of the industry.

“Contributing our experience meant we could ensure the apprenticeship included those skills I look for as an employer,” said vessel owner and CFPO member Anthony Hosking, who Chairs the Trailblazer group. “This recognised qualification will be a mark of excellence for the next generation.”

The CFPO led regular workshops which provided a platform for the forward-looking younger members of the Trailblazer group to shape the standard by sharing what young people want from a career, alongside their experiences of entering the industry and the barriers they've faced, whilst experienced skippers could share knowledge borne from years at sea.

“The apprenticeship had to be appealing to young people, which was a crucial role for the Youth Board,” said Trailblazer group and CFPO Youth Board member Brackan Pearce. “This course will help to reshape how young people see fishing, making it a more attractive and exciting career choice. We now have something that we can market to young people to encourage them into a career in fishing.”

The apprenticeship will build the knowledge and skills needed to understand the range of vessels and catching methods in use, the important role of science, data collection and sustainability, plus the practical skills involved in engineering, navigation, and managing and maintaining gear. Safety will be a top priority throughout the course. Apprentices will also gain industry-recognised qualifications throughout the apprenticeship.

“As a leading south-west further education college, we see this apprenticeship as being of great importance to the future of the south-west’s fishing communities. We are pleased to have been able to work with the CFPO and local employers on its development,” said Paul Singer, Business and Qualification Development Coordinator, South Devon College. “We look forward to welcoming the first Fisher apprentices who will benefit from the brand new, purpose-built, South Devon Marine Academy training facilities situated on the banks of the River Dart at Noss on Dart Marina.”

An Institute spokesperson said: “It is a huge credit to the industry that this new route to sea exists for apprentices. “We are casting the net wide right across the economy, working with thousands of different employers to help apprentices have the opportunity to be whatever they want to be.”

The CFPO and Trailblazer group wish to thank everyone who took part in the process of developing the standard from all over England, as well as support along the way from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, National Federation of Fisherman’s Organisations (NFFO), Maritime UK, South Devon College, East Coast College and Seafish. For more information, get in touch with Chris Ranford: Chris@cfpo.org.uk.

Catching and landing top quality hake is no headache for the netter Ygraine.

Not a bad start to the day...

with plenty of beautiful top quality hake form the netter Ygraine testament that a good crew ensure that the fish are taken out of the nets without damage, handled, gutted and washed with the minimum of handling to maintain the kind of quality need for this prime fish that has become such a firm favourite with restaurants and many fish and chip shops who have found these MSC Certified sustainably caught fish as a brilliant alternative to cod...

the big fish that never smiles...

ray, guaranteed to put a smile on any diner's face...

big brill need bleeding in the same way as turbot to reduce discolouration of their delicious white flesh...

big tasty tubs...

dazzling morning...

cracking tails for the beam trawler St Georges...

plenty of haddock and whiting from the Northern Irish Unity...

and megrims...

two very different Dovers...

dazzling John Dory...

luscious lemons...

even more megs...

and some superb plaice...

plenty of weavers still on the grounds...

the bass boys are picking away...

as are the sardine boats...

looks like Cod had a more productive day...

shellfish delights...

there were even a few boxes of mackerel to be had by the handliners...

good to see Shane back in the mix doing his bit to feed the nation...

pots annihilated by winter gales...

these days the boats bring in every bit of seabed 'litter' that they come across in response to the 'Fishing for Litter' scheme - an old telecoms cable displaying its component parts - very often the bare wire ends are worn to a deadly point - when tangled in trawls they can be a nightmare to cut through if all you have on board is a hacksaw...

the remains of a weather balloon - these are picked up quite often as one is released every day from a field near Camborne!