Tuesday, 8 November 2022

Have your say on the crab & lobster Fisheries Management Plan (FMP)

Outlined below is the Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) for shellfish - but interestingly enough while it covers crab, lobster, and whelk it does not specify spider crab or crawfish - both of which have in recent years attracted boats back into the fishery as stocks and sales opportunities have grown - hopefully, these are being included in the forthcoming discussions.

Spider crab landed in Newlyn.

Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs)

Information on what Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) are, which plans we are helping to develop and opportunities for stakeholder engagement.

This page has information on:

A stack of pots or creels on pier with boat in background

What are FMPs and why are they being developed?

FMPs are evidence-based action plans, developed with input from industry and other stakeholders. They will set out a range of policies – based on scientific evidence – that detail how fishing is managed, by stock, fishery, or location. FMPs will be based on best available science, fisher experience, and policy objectives through participation of key stakeholders. This will include fishermen, researchers and regulators.

"FMPs will provide the framework to build and maintain sustainable UK fish and shellfish stocks. They set out policies for keeping stocks at sustainable levels, or restoring them to sustainable levels where needed. Their purpose is to support a vibrant, profitable, and sustainable fishing industry for current and future generations."

Following Brexit, the UK Fisheries Act 2020 placed FMPs as the main tool for reforming UK fisheries management. The Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS) will provide a more detailed, follow-on document from the Fisheries Act when it is published in November 2022. It will set out the final list of Fisheries Management Plans. This will include the chosen stocks, the authorities involved, and the timetable for implementation.

Responsibility for developing FMPs across the UK sits with the following authorities:

In England – Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra)
In Northern Ireland - Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)
In Scotland – Marine Scotland
In Wales – Welsh Government

Once up and running, FMPs will be monitored, reviewed, and adapted as necessary to ensure they are fit for purpose. Effectiveness will be regularly assessed and reported on at least every three years, and reviewed fully every six years (as a maximum). Reports will note progress on the implementation of policies in an FMP and the subsequent effects on sea fish stock levels in the UK.

Photos of scallops shells, lobster on slate, crab on ice and pile of whelks

What are frontrunner FMPs?

Defra is developing six ‘frontrunner’ FMPs, which are being prioritised for delivery in 2023. These plans will cover the following species:

Crab and lobster
Whelk
King scallop
Bass
Channel non-quota demersal stocks
Southern North Sea and Eastern Channel mixed flatfish

These frontrunners will pilot different ways of preparing FMPs in partnership with industry and other stakeholders. Lessons learnt from these projects will help shape future FMP work.

How are we involved in the development of FMPs?

In England, Defra has commissioned us as the delivery lead on two of the six ‘frontrunner’ FMPs that cover English waters only:

The crab and lobster FMP
The whelk FMP

We are coordinating this work through our industry-led advisory groups, you can find out more about these groups from the links below:

We are also supporting the Scallop Industry Consultation Group's Working Group in developing the FMP for king scallop in English and Welsh waters.

Are there opportunities to engage with FMP development?

Yes, stakeholders will be able to engage throughout the drafting process and then comment during the public consultation.  

We are running a roadshow of in-person and online stakeholder engagement events for the plans we are working on in autumn 2022. The timetable of these events are below:

Please note, we have now added dates for crab, lobster and whelk events, further details on times and locations will be added here shortly.

Engagement area	Related FMP	Meeting date and time	Event location
Shoreham-by-Sea	King scallop	Tuesday 27 September 5pm to 7pm	The Gather Inn, 330 Kingsway, Brighton and Hove, BN3 4LW
Brixham	King scallop	Wednesday 5 October 10am to 12pm	BTA Training Room, The New Fish Quay, Brixham, TQ5 8AW
Plymouth	King scallop	Thursday 6 October 10am to 12pm	Auction Room, Fish Quay, Plymouth, PL4 0LH
Western Channel online event	King scallop	Tuesday 11 October 2pm to 3.30pm	Online via Microsoft Teams
Hartlepool	King scallop	Thursday 13 October 5pm to 7pm	Hodgsonfish, Fish Quay, Hartlepool, TS24 0JH
Bangor	King scallop	Tuesday 18 October 5pm to 7pm	Ssestiniog Suite, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DG
Eastern Channel online event	King scallop	Wednesday 19 October 2pm to 3.30pm	Online via Microsoft Teams
North Sea online event	King scallop	Thursday 27 October 2pm to 3.30pm	Online via Microsoft Teams
Kircudbright	King scallop	Wednesday 2 November 5pm to 7pm	Selkirk Arms Hotel, High St, Kirkcudbright, DG6 4JG
Peterhead	King scallop	Thursday 3 November 5pm to 7pm	Palace Hotel, Prince St, Peterhead, AB42 1PL
Weymouth	Whelk	Tuesday 8 November 10am to 12pm	Best Western Hotel Rembrandt,12-18 Dorchester Rd, Weymouth, DT4 7JU
Salcombe	Crab	Tuesday 8 November 4pm to 6pm	Salcombe Yacht Club - Cliff House, Cliff Rd, Salcombe, TQ8 8JQ
Ilfracombe	Crab & whelk	Wednesday 9 November 10am to 12pm	The Royal Britannia Hotel, Ilfracombe, EX34 9EE
Wider stakeholder engagement event	King scallop	Wednesday 9 November 11am to 12.30pm	Online via Microsoft Teams
Irish Sea/Celtic Sea/Wales online event	King scallop	Wednesday 9 November 2pm to 3.30pm	Online via Microsoft Teams
Padstow	Crab	Wednesday 9 November 4pm to 6pm	Padstow Harbour Hotel, Station Road, Padstow, PL28 8DB
Newlyn	Crab	Thursday 10 November 1pm to 3pm	Wheal Betsy room, The Centre Newlyn, Chywoone Hill, Newlyn, Penzance, TR18 5AR
Bridlington	Crab	Tuesday 15 November 5pm to 7pm	Bridlington Spa, South Marine Drive, Bridlington, YO15 3JH
Amble	Crab	Thursday 17 November 5pm to 7pm	The Radcliff Room, Charles Rd, Amble, Morpeth, NE65 0RA
Drop in session 1 (all areas)	Crab	Friday 18 November 2pm to 3:30pm	Online via Microsoft Teams
Shoreham-by-Sea / Eastbourne	Crab	Tuesday 22 November 1pm to 3pm	Shoreham Yacht Club, 85/89 Brighton Road, BN43 6RF
Wider stakeholders engagement event	Whelk	Tuesday 22 November 1pm to 2:30pm	Online via Microsoft Teams
Shoreham-by-Sea / Eastbourne	Whelk	Tuesday 22 November 4pm to 6pm	Shoreham Yacht Club, 85/89 Brighton Road, BN43 6RF
Drop in session 2 (all areas)	Whelk	Wednesday 23 November 2pm to 3:30pm	Online via Microsoft Teams
Wider stakeholders engagement event	Crab	Thursday 24 November 1pm to 3pm	Online via Microsoft Teams
Fleetwood	Whelk	Tuesday 29 November 4pm to 6pm	The Queens Hotel, Beach Road, Fleetwood, FY7 8PR
Drop in session 3 (all areas)	Crab	Thursday 1 December 2pm to 3:30pm	Online via Microsoft Teams
Drop in session 4 (all areas)	Whelk	Wednesday 7 December 2pm to 3:30pm	Online via Microsoft Teams
Wells	Whelk	Tuesday 13 December 5pm to 7pm	Wells Maltings, Staithe Street, Wells-Next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1AU
Cromer	Crab	Wednesday 14 December 5pm to 7pm	Oddfellows Hall Lifeboat Plain, Sheringham, NR26 8BG

The in-person events are drop-in. If you would like to attend an online event, please contact our Fisheries Management team using details below and they will provide a link for access.

Contact our Fisheries Management team

If you have a query or you would like to attend an event, please contact our Fisheries Management team by emailing fisheriesmanagementplans@seafish.co.uk

Monday, 7 November 2022

You’ve got an innovative R&D idea to boost the UK seafood sector?

You’ve got an innovative R&D idea to boost the UK seafood sector? Brilliant! We want to see it. All ideas are welcome, and we’re particularly keen on innovative technologies aimed at:

Sustainable seafood production.

Increasing seafood productivity.

Increasing seafood sustainability.

Strengthening the evidence base for sustainable fisheries management.

The SIF application process in an oystershell

1. Register on the BRAVO procurement portal.

2. Download the application pack from BRAVO.

3. Review the guidance, including the eligibility criteria (in the pack) and the assessment criteria

Remember, Call 4 is uncapped – there is no minimum or maximum amount you can ask for, although the requested amount must: Be realistic for an 18-month R&D project

Provide value for money.

Be justifiable against the anticipated benefits of the project 4. Submit your proposal.

5. Give yourself a pat on the back for submitting!

6. Three independent assessors will review your proposal, based on the assessment criteria. The assessors will be independent experts from the seafood, technology or engineering sector.

7. Applications and the assessments of these will be presented to the UK Seafood Innovation Fund Steering Group, who will review them and agree the list of proposals to be recommended for award.

8. The UK Seafood Innovation Fund Executive Board will review the recommendations and make the final decision about which proposals to award funding to.

9. You’ll be notified of the outcome around 3 months after the application deadline, along with summary feedback on the funding decision.

If your application is not successful, and you believe this is due to a factual, legal, or processing error, you can appeal within 28 days of the date of the outcome letter.

10. If your application is successful – congratulations!

You’ll receive a 30% upfront payment once you’ve signed the contract. We’ll agree a payment schedule for the rest of the funding, in-line with the delivery of specified project milestones.

What about Intellectual Property (IP) for successful proposals?

You will retain intellectual property (IP) rights for your idea. However, given that we are looking to fund scalable innovations (see the ‘Uptake and commercial potential’ criterion under our Assessment Criteria), we may apply need to certain rights of usage including:

Royalty-free, non-exclusive licence rights – these allow others in the seafood industry to implement the innovation. The right to require licences to third parties, at a fair market price – so that the innovation is accessible to others in the seafood industry. Full details of ownership of and rights to IP are covered in our standard contract, which you can download along with other application materials from the BRAVO portal.

Still have questions on any aspect of the application or funding process?

Here’s our full list of FAQs!

Friday, 4 November 2022

#FishyFriday - Anyone for tea, coffee and cake.?

It's a fine start to the day after a week of storm force winds...

where recent heavy ground seas have scoured away the beach in front of Newlyn Green to reveal the huge franite base stones that formed a causeway between Newlyn and Wherrytown...

as the first team of groundworks engineers contracted by the Environment Agency begin to set out the area to be used...

for creating the Newlyn Coastal Research and Development Project...

the earthmoving equipment...

and protective barrier which will allow them easy access from the road down on to the beach...

to install hundreds of these pre-cast sea defences on the beach in front of the green - which might make the annual 1 mile Newlyn to Penzance swim and the Raft race interesting events next year...

meanwhile inside the harbour...

the first of nearly thirty attendees in the Penlee Lifeboat station enjoyed tea, coffee and home-baked cakes re-creating a typical Saturday morning get together in the old Mission building, as usual, huge amounts of fish were caught and lost but none of the lifeboat crew, some of whom who were there this morning even mentioned that...

not 12 hours previously they and jumped aboard the Ivan Ellen on a shout!

Let the press release tell their story:

"Yesterday evening HM Coastguard at Falmouth tasked the St Mary’s lifeboat The Whiteheads 17-11 to launch on service a 15-metre Newlyn based crabber, with five persons onboard, had been hit by a huge wave 22 nautical miles north of the Isles of Scilly. The vessel had lost all its navigational equipment in the wheelhouse. The ingress of water had affected the electronic management controls which meant that the engine had low revs with a top speed of 4 knots - there was a serious risk of the engine stopping.

In very poor weather conditions, NW Force 8 gusting Force 9 in a 18ft swell and rough sea conditions, The Whiteheads and her crew were quickly on scene, and after assessing the situation, started to escort the stricken crabber towards her home port of Newlyn.

HM Coastguard then tasked the Penlee Lifeboat to launch on service, asking them to rendezvous with St Mary’s lifeboat six nautical miles west of the Runnelstone. The all-weather lifeboat Ivan Ellen 17-36 launched from Newlyn at 10.30pm and proceeded towards the Runnelstone. In very rough weather conditions the lifeboat and her volunteer crew took over their escort duties at 00.15am.

As the crabber was approaching Newlyn Harbour her skipper informed Coxswain Patch Harvey that the vessel had ’no reverse’ and couldn’t go astern. At this time the wind was still gusting NW 8. In view of the safety implications of this failure, Coxswain Patch Harvey assessed the situation and made a decision to raft the crabber alongside the lifeboat. She was then brought safely through the gaps and berthed alongside.

RNLI Coxswain Patch Harvey said, “This was a six-and-a-half hour shout in extremely poor weather conditions, following on the back of Mondays equally rough service to the stricken yacht. I have complete admiration for my volunteer crew’s at Penlee. They willingly left their families and warm cosy homes, heading out into the darkness to go to the service of others. A great shout by both lifeboats and crews”.

The 15m crabber had finished her day's work and was steaming to a safe area to dodge for the night before continuing to haul her pots in the morning, Scotty, the crabber's skipper commented, "In 30 years at sea I've never been hit by such a wave, it came out of nowhere, like a wall"