#FishyFriday fish of the day - week 5 - the Bothak

 

The bothak - more commonly known as the pouting. Bothak in Cornish means swollen or bumped and refers to the pout's peculiar habit(along with ling) of puffing out a film over the eyes on being taken from the water. The flesh is delicate and is best used as a part of a fish soup or stew though deep frying is an alternative.

They are caught mostly commonly by trawl or beam trawl though the gill netters will pick up only the largest. Every trawlerman has experienced the excitement of hauling aboard a full 'bag' (cod-end) of fish in  anticipation of a big boost to the wages only for the big haul to turn out to be a bag of bothaks - which make less money than almost any other white fish at auction!

Prins Benhard - Day 15 - "Route terre"

 

"The tide is now over. The sailors make the caustic soda: the whole ship is cleaned. Once the fishing operations are over and all the catches frozen and stored in the hold, the Scombrus makes "land route". The entire crew then set about cleaning the ship: white tornado (trade name for a French cleaning product) notices on the deck, at the factory, on the bridge, but also in the refectory, galley and cabins. It is a gleaming ship that will dock the next day in the port of Ijmuiden.

Discover the images of the herring season in the English Channel on the France Pélagique page and on the dedicated page of the website: https://lnkd.in/e8cBt_pS

Newlyn at its best, another stunning sunrise.

Early morning manouvres...

under an-evermore glowing sky...

in just 1° with the Shetland seiner, Acciona up on the slip...

there's always a few lucky ones keeping warm in Fishermen's Arms...

JMW Turner would have loved the scene...

with that fire in the sky...

a reminder that the Newlyn Christmas lights big switch on is this Friday...

if only restaurant Argoe served breakfasts on mornings like this they would be queuing around the harbour...

just to sit and reflect on the day to come.

 

Prins Bernhard - Day 14 - healthy herring stock?

 

Do the resource management plans put in place by stakeholders allow stocks to be preserved and, if necessary, restored?

"At one time, it was found that the North Sea herring stock was not doing very well. Management plans began to be put in place. It can be seen that, most likely as a result of these management plans, the stock has been able to increase again and become healthy again."

Listen to Niels Hintzen, Director of Research at Wageningen University, stock valuation expert and member of the ICES Advisory Board, on the LinkedIn page of France Pélagique and on the dedicated page of our website (https://lnkd.in/e8cBt_pS).

Fishing for cuttles? - all you need to know.

 

Abstract

Cuttlefish are an important global fisheries resource, and their demand is placing increasing pressure on populations in many areas, necessitating conservation measures. We reviewed evidence from case studies spanning Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia encompassing diverse intervention methods (fisheries closures, protected areas, habitat restoration, fishing-gear modifications, promoting egg survival, and restocking), and we also discuss the effects of pollution on cuttlefish. 

We conclude: 

(1) spatio-temporal closures need to encompass substantial portions of a species’ range and protect at least one major part of their life cycle; 

(2) fishing-gear modifications have the potential to reduce unwanted cuttlefish capture, but more comprehensive trials are needed; 

(3) egg survival can be improved by diverting and salvaging from traps; 

(4) existing lab rearing and restocking may not produce financially viable results; 

(5) fisheries management policies should be regularly reviewed in light of rapid changes in cuttlefish stock status. 

Further, citizen science can provide data to reduce uncertainty in empirical assessments. The information synthesised in this review will guide managers and stakeholders to implement regulations and conservation initiatives that increase the productivity and sustainability of fisheries interacting with cuttlefish, and highlights gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed.

What’s been happening with inshore fisheries management this autumn?

What’s been happening with inshore fisheries management this autumn?

 

 On World Fisheries Day our Head of Fisheries Management shares an update on recent work undertaken through Future of Our Inshore Fisheries. World Fisheries Day takes place annually on 21 November. It focuses on the importance of supporting fishing communities across the globe and maintaining the world’s fisheries for generations to come.

When decisions are being made about the management of fish stocks, it’s vital that local fishers have their voices are heard alongside wider stakeholders. This collaborative focus has been at the heart of Future of our Inshore Fisheries (FOIF), an industry-led project with the long-term aim of transforming how inshore fisheries are managed. It brings together active fishermen, industry leaders, policy makers and researchers to share knowledge and lay the foundations for an effective fisheries management system in the UK.

Work on FOIF has been progressing since the kick of conference back in 2019. Here are some updates on the latest activity being delivered this autumn.

FOIF logo with fishing gear in the background

Stakeholder engagement on shellfish Fisheries Management Plans gets underway

Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) are evidence-based action plans which set out measures and objectives for keeping stocks at sustainable levels, or restoring them to sustainable levels where needed. They also detail how fishing is managed, by stock, fishery, or location. FMPs are a new approach to fisheries management in the UK and need stakeholders involvement throughout.

Six frontrunner FMPs are currently being developed. We are working on FMPs for crab, lobster and whelk fisheries in English waters. This work is being co-ordinated through FOIF industry-led advisory groups – the Shellfish Industry Advisory Group, Crab and Lobster Management Group and the Whelk Management Group.

As part of the development process we’re running a roadshow of stakeholder engagement events. A programme of online and in-person events is underway with meetings taking place up until mid-December. We strongly encourage anyone with an interest in these fisheries to attend an engagement event as this is your opportunity to contribute to work that will help improve the management of our crab, lobster and whelk fisheries.

Finfish Industry Advisory Group meeting provides updates on work

The third meeting of the Finfish Industry Advisory Group (FIAG) was held on 18 October 2022, with interesting debate and discussion around a range of topics.

The session opened with information from Defra regarding the ongoing consultation on managing flyseine vessel pressure on demersal non-quota species.

The meeting also covered work on finfish FMPs. Three frontrunner plans are currently being developed, all of which have a non-quota species element to them. Delivery leads provided updates on FMPs in development for:

Bass in English and Welsh waters;

Channel non-quota demersal species;

Southern North Sea and eastern Channel mixed flatfish

The session closed with information on the ICES advice for spurdog in 2023-24. Gwladys Lambert from Cefas and Fishing Into the Future’s Emma Plotnek shared interesting presentations about the species.



The FIAG continues to grow and new members are always welcome.

Find out more

More information about FOIF is available on our website from the link below: 

• Read about Future of Our Inshore Fisheries

Information on what Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) are, which plans we are helping to develop and opportunities for stakeholder engagement is available on our website from the link below:

• Read about Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs)

Information on industry-led groups supporting fisheries management is available on our website from the links below: 

• Read about the Shellfish Industry Advisory Group

• Read about the Crab and Lobster Management Group

• Read about the Whelk Management Group

• Read about the Finfish Industry Advisory Group

• 
  

Prins Bernhard - Day 12a - Hauling and shooting.

 

"Shooting is the action of putting the trawl in the water. The haul is the action of getting him back on board. »

"À filer!", "À virer!": these two calls frame all fishing operations on board the vessels, and mark the beginning and end of a haul. Julien, the mate of the Scombrus, explains what these two manoeuvres consist of very concretely, which require perfect coordination of the bridge and bridge teams.

Embark. Discover the images of the herring season in the English Channel on our LinkedIn page France Pélagique and on the dedicated page of our website -  (https://lnkd.in/e8cBt_pS).