Fine #FishyFriday in Newlyn.

Cornish fishing history in one photo; in the foreground the 14m GRP sardine ringnetter Mayflower built in 2014, astern is the 11m lugger Happy Return built in 1905 - both designed to fish exclusively for sardines or pilchards as-was...

some of last night's sardine catch fund their way to the fish auction this morning...

where a very bust #FishyFriday auction saw all three chill rooms full of fish like this turbot from the beam trawler St Georges...

almost alien-like ray...

inshore boats or 'small-scale' boats dominated the market with top quality fish like these line-caught bass...

demonstrating again the huge variety of fish landed in Newlyn every week...

these two probably scoured the rocky seabed off Lands End for well over a century between them...

with a beam trawler landing Dover soles are sure to be on the menu...

while the Imogen weighed in with a good shot of lemons...

the St Georges fulfilled demand for monk tails...

and the Ocean Pride obliged...

with a huge shot of pollack...

and a handful of crawfish...

including this big fella...

their monthly 180 stone quota of spurdog were topped off too...

red mullet, always a favourite for fine dining chefs...

Thornback ray, low on looks, high on flavour

there seem to be fewer gulls around these days...

normally they would be looking to pluck a few of these immature mullet from the shallow harbour waters...

between trips, the 15m scalloper Southern Spirit...

yet another old anchor brought back to the surface...

if only they were 10x10 and not 12x12...

the Southern Spirit in profile...

Border patrol vessel Searcher on the south pier...

the heavily modified converted 1975 ex-trawler Constructor.

 

Channel demersal non quota species Fisheries Management Plan

 

The MMO and key stakeholders have set up a working group which will be at the heart of work to develop the Channel demersal non quota species Fisheries Management Plan (NQS FMP).

MMO will seek feedback and input from the group, on the species to prioritise for the first version of the FMP, its overall development and any potential management measures that could be proposed in the first version of the plan.

The group is made up of representatives from the fishing industry, local Inshore Fishermen’s Conservation Authorities (IFCA’s) and the wider supply chain.

All members are expected to seek opportunities to engage the wider commercial and recreational fishing industries and other key stakeholders to ensure a wide range of views are brought forward for consideration and discussion.

MMO is committed to making it simple for fishermen to keep up to date with the work of the group and will publish the minutes of each meeting which, to begin with, will be held online on a monthly basis.

The working group is one of a number of ways MMO is engaging with stakeholders on the future management of demersal non quota species in the Channel.

The Channel demersal NQS FMP will include ICES divisions 7d and 7e and will cover a wide range of demersal species.

Development of a plan specifically for demersal non-quota species in the Channel was highlighted by the fishing industry and other key marine stakeholders as a necessary move because of concern about potential over-exploitation of some stocks and a lack of data about non-quota stocks in general.

We encourage fishermen and interested marine stakeholders to send us their views at fmp@marinemanagement.org.uk

You can find out more about the Government’s wider Fisheries Management Plan Programme online

UK Seafood Innovation Fund Widens its Net with a New Call for Innovative Ideas

Applications are now open for a fourth round of funding from the UK Seafood Innovation Fund. Sitting under the government’s £100m UK Seafood Fund, this will continue to champion a sustainable future for our seafood sector by seeking ideas from innovators looking to introduce novel and practical solutions for the industry.

The latest round of the UK Seafood Innovation Fund (SIF) has launched today, providing £3 million of additional funding to support cutting-edge solutions that disrupt the status quo and help address challenges across the UK seafood sector.

Taking the total funding made available under the scheme to £19 million, the latest round will support even more pioneering research that tests new ideas and approaches to provide long-term, practical, and scalable benefits to the seafood industry.

Open to innovators across fisheries, aquaculture and the seafood supply chain, funding will be provided for up to 18 months and there is no cap on the amount an applicant can apply for, although a strong emphasis on value for money must be demonstrated in the proposal.

Part of the £100 million UK Seafood Fund, SIF launched in 2019 and has since supported almost 100 projects across the UK, spanning aquaculture, capture fisheries, and the seafood supply chain. Previous projects have pushed the boundaries of new technologies, and have investigated consumer habits, market gaps, animal welfare issues, and the circular economy. For instance, InsPro Ltd have trialled the process of feeding farmed fish with insects raised on local food waste, while Hook Marine Ltd aims to improve fisher safety by field-testing a system that alerts fishing crew when their vessel is at risk of capsizing.

Another of SIF’s high-profile projects, led by Fishtek Marine and best known as “Scallop Discos”, recently worked to refine a novel and low-impact method to catch scallops using illuminated pots. Dr. Rob Enever, Head of Science and Uptake at Fishtek, said: “Without doubt, the Seafood Innovation Fund was responsible for a new scientific discovery. The fund continues to facilitate the research investigating the potential for a new, low impact fishery for scallops.”

In Round 4, SIF is looking to further diversify the range of work funded. The Fund welcomes applicants and collaborations from across the UK that draw together knowledge from the seafood sector and beyond, and apply novel solutions to sustainability challenges. SIF is keen to see ideas aimed at benefiting capture fisheries or the supply chain, as well as aquaculture and other parts of the sector.

Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena said:

“Britain has a brilliant fishing and aquaculture industry, and we are backing their cutting-edge ideas in order to help the British economy to grow.

“Through the £100m ‘UK Seafood Fund’ we are funding ambitious projects using the latest science and technology to unlock potential across the seafood sector and supply chain.”

Defra Minister Mark Spencer said:

“The additional £3 million we are making available through the Seafood Innovation Fund today is about giving the seafood industry a boost and laying the groundwork for its success in the future.

“I encourage fishermen, businesses and experts from across the sector to come forward and apply to help secure our seafood industry for generations to come.”

Heather Jones, CEO of the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC), sits on the Seafood Innovation Fund steering group, and provides input and guidance on aquaculture innovation. Speaking on the launch of Call 4, Heather said:

“Building on the success of previous rounds, SIF is again inviting innovative applied solutions to boost the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of the UK’s seafood sector. Applications that address the commercial needs faced by those seeking to farm the seas responsibly, those operating in sustainable wild-caught fisheries, and those who can see ways to improve seafood product quality and shelf-life are warmly welcomed from all quarters of the UK.”

Call 4 opens on 21st September 2022, and the Fund will accept applications until midday on 7th December 2022. For more information on how to apply, visit the SIF website: https://www.seafoodinnovation.fund/apply/.

Project teams are also being offered the opportunity to submit their innovative idea for feedback (in advance of a full application) via an Expression of Interest (EOI) form, up until 31st October 2022. The form can be found at: https://www.seafoodinnovation.fund/apply-now/">https://www.seafoodinnovation.fund/apply-now/

For more information on previously funded projects, and those that have received follow-on funding, visit the fund’s website: https://www.seafoodinnovation.fund/projects/.

Top quality inshore fish fill Newlyn auction this Tuesday morning.

The rock-bound heron seems content to wait for breakfast as an ever-diminishing gull population wheel overhead...

Tuesday morning's market, like these cracking bass...

 is mainly top quality inshore fish and there is plenty for the buyers to get their hands on...

the Stelissa was the only big boat to land any quantity...

young Tom must have been more than happy with this shot of John Dory to go with flats and monk tails...

these beauties are so fresh they are almost alive...

Cod on the Butts weighed in with so good bass...

down the quay amidst growing concerns over falling brown crab caches the latest big crabber to join the fleet...

the Winter of Ladram is between trips...

good to see the Steph of Ladram is well on the way to completing her repairs after being involved in a. serious collision south west of lands end a few weeks back...

always good to see both lifeboats doing nothing...

there's a perennial appeal about varnished wooden hulls...

the Winter of Ladram...

Britannia V up on the slip.

 

RiP Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022

 

Queen Elizabeth II lives on in a portrait in Fishmongers Hall, London.

Fine start to #FishyFriday in Newlyn.

Where-else would you rather be on such a fine morning...

fish-a-plenty of the market, some of it by-catch destined for the big crabbing fleet...

in the port that consumes several tons of gurnards and dogfish a day to keep the fleet at sea...

top drawer fish like monk tails...

and Dover sole...

and turbot remain firm favourites for chefs with busy fine-dining tables to satisfy...

not forgetting mackerel, echewed by some as nothing more than a 'scavenger' Michelin starred chefs like Richard Corrigan hold the fish in high esteem...

the final market of the week supplied exclusively by inshore and handline boats saw its fair share of ray, another one of those fish that you either love or hate...

as far as we are concerned it is still summer if there are sardines to be had, perfect at this time of year for a dish like sarde in saor - a real treat to impress your dinner guests...

there's plenty of pollack to provide an alternative fish 'n chips supper...

good to see the boys keeping our waters clean, more than some it would seem...

a brace of Nowell boats in reflective mood...

good to see Scotty is getting things ship-shape aboard the Nicola of Ladram...

yet another centuries old anchor trawled from the deeps, ow many more are there out there?...

SS273 Orion bound away for the day...

that's one serious looking bow...

Plymouth registered Admiral Gordon makes her way to the gaps...

the number of visiting yachts at this time of year drops dramatically, most are those making longer more serious passages.

Fishing as an identity.

 

Fishing is woven through our identity as a nation, and at the NFFO we support every corner of the industry. This film shows you the facets of UK fishing you don't normally see - the people on the ground who are working hard to sustain their local fishing fleet. We ensure they have a say in their future.

A story from Folkestone - Small or large. Static, passive, active. Fisheries don’t come in one-size-fits-all, and neither does our approach to working with fishermen. This film shows how NFFO works locally, regionally and nationally to champion and support our varied and dynamic industry.