Plenty of inshore fish on the market this morning in Newlyn.

Serene morning sees the Serene Dawn gearing up for the sardine season that is now in full swing...

also bringing some sunshine to the market, summer John Dory...

a huge plaice...

spider crab claws...

monk tails...

ray wings...

more monk...

and megrims...

while the inshore beam trawler Our Frankie Shan kept Dover supplies going...

more Dory...

and plenty of turbot destined for the best eateries...

the handliners have had some good runs of bass...

mackerel...

more bass...

and even more octopus just when the iuys thought they had seen the last of them...

at this time of year the grey mullet shoal up and increase in size...

after a good night's fishing the Pelagic Marksman took ice all set for this evenings sardine hunt...

good to see a wooden classic, the Phoenix undergoing repairs in the dry dock in penzance.

 

Jerry Percy on Farming Today talks about the new Fisheries Management plans

 

Jerry Percy

Jerry Percy speaking on Farming Today about the government's new Fisheries Management Plans and how they impact on the inshore fleet.

NUTFA is the only UK organisation specifically dedicated to the support, survival and development of the under ten metre fleet. The NUTFA Executive would like to thank all those who have put their trust in us to achieve all our aims for a viable and profitable under ten sector.

NUTFA is a non-profit making organisation and represents the under 10m and non-sector at local, UK and EU levels, defending their rights and fighting for their future. NUTFA represents all under ten sectors, quota and non quota, trawlers and netters, liners, shell fishermen and all other licensed fishermen trying to make a living from the sea.

UK and European fishing politics has been dominated for too long by the interests of the over ten sector, NUTFA represents the interests of the under ten sector at Local, Advisory Council (AC), European Commission and Parliament meetings as well as continuing to press for fairer recognition and a better deal from DEFRA and the MMO. Currently working tirelessly through the challenges of the uncertainty of the impact of Brexit and the navigating the challenges that will be faced by fishermen from 2021 onwards.

NUTFA, born from a need to right the wrongs of quota allocation, now fights for everyone within the sector on every issue that might affect them.

Sunday night, Monday morning.

The crabber, Harriet Eve passes down the Longships astern of a north-bound yacht...

just off Gwennap Head, the Cornishman is heading away alongside a DFDS carrier...

promising start to the week...

good to see the mackerel handliners in action over the weekend, though this morning the boats were plagued with joeys -very small fish - a good sign for the future...

and a late landing for the Pelagic Marksman anding sardines...

some of which went for auction...

along with some huge scad...

while the Huers got stick into bass...

it was the Layla May landing more mackerel...

seems the Mediterranean octopus season is nearing and end as catches tail off...

not so landings of dogs...

the beam trawler Cornishman put ashore the usual mix of flats like Dover sole...

lemons...

and megrims...

turbot don't come much bigger than this these days...

more dogs...

from the Silver Dawn to go with her landing of hake...

these guys look properly prehistoric, a stone bass...

a few coley...

and hale form the Britannia V...

and yet more dogs from the Stelissa...

small fish like mullet swimming in the harbour are a common sight in the summer months...

the end of-quay boatyard is busy...

looks like Barry didn't have too many mackerel this morning...

one UK, one French and one German yacht on the pontoon berths...

meccano kit ladders are all the rage...

some nice welding on the new mast...

visiting scalloper, BM10 Our Pamela Jill...

last of the tubs being filled with sardines from the Pelagic Marksman.

Fish of the week 31 - the superb sardine

Cornish sardines are here!

The Cornish season has just started...

for that iconic summer fish...

not to be confused with its near relative, the herring!

Sardine History

For several hundred years, the fishermen of Cornwall made and lost fortunes fishing for pilchards - also known as sardines...

Historically, almost all the Cornish pilchards caught were salted down, pressed and exported to Italy in wooden casks - the oil extracted was used for all sorts of purposes - and is today the main ingredient of WD40 - the ubiquity of this fish even extends to preserving human kind as an old Cornish poem embraces, 

Here’s a health to the Pope, 

And may he repent, 

And lengthen by six months 

The term of his Lent. 

It’s always declared Betwixt the two poles, 

There’s nothing like pilchards 

For saving of souls...

and this re-worked sea shanty, based on the poem, tells the full story of pilchards from the Choir Community of this important fish in song...

The fishery virtually died out in the 1950s, then, just a handful of boats fished for pilchards in the 60s and 70s, until the late 1990s, when Cadgwith fisherman Martin Ellis teamed up with Newlyn Fish merchant Nick Howell who owned British Cured Pilchards, the last remaining pilchard pressing factory in the UK to re-introduce pilchard fishing. 

Photo courtesy of the FISH Trust.

Martin, using an old ring net from the Mousehole boat Renovelle, spent several seasons exploring the abundant shoals of pilchards in an d around Mounts bay that had remained un-fished for 40 years...

unfortunately, for reasons beautifully documented in Jed Trewin's film, Troubled Waters it was left to others to successfully develop the fishery in the early 2000s.  

Under Nick Howell's visionary management, British Cured Pilchards re-invented itself as a working museum but it wasn't until Nick hit on the idea of re-branding the humble pilchard as the sardine after realising that pilchards, which had such a negative image in this country with people most strongly associating them with tinned pilchards in tomato sauce.

Photo courtesy of the FISH Trust

Most of these were produced by a small factory, Cornwall Canners in Newlyn for Shippams...

Photo courtesy of the FISH Trust

which can be seen - the white building that is now home to Trelawney Fish - in the background of this image of fishermen cleaning their drift nets of pilchards.

Eventually, the idea of Cornish Sardines was born but it took several years and a huge amount of work in the background before sufficient stock evidence was gathered for the MSC to give their coveted MSC Certification, along with European Protected Geographical Indication and the Cornish Sardine was born.

To manage the fishery sustainably into the future, the Cornish Sardine Management Association was formed in 2010 and to this day oversees fleet of less than 20 boats from Newlyn to Plymouth fishing with ring nets.

Eating sardines

As with all oily fish, grilling over charcoal is the simplest and most fun way to cook sardines - they take only minutes, the flesh falls easily away from the bones and the taste is to die for - a squeeze of lemon or drizzle of a simple herb infused olive oil is all that is needed to keep family and friends in good spirits around the BBQ...

alternatively, when the weather is not so predictable this versatile fish can provide mouthwatering variants like sarde in saor, a traditional Venitian sardine dish...

which, if you get the chance, head for the intimate atmosphere of the Sallotto di San Marco overlooking a bridge and canal - from where you can pick up a gondola before or after you dine - and admire some incredible Murano glass loudspeakers and overhead lights...

Catching sardines

Buying sardines

at this time of year, just as the sardine season starts and boats from the local fleet head out on the hunt for newly arrived shoals, local restaurants like Argoe and Bruce Rennie's The Shore in Penzance all have sardines on their menus once the season is underway - as do many other pubs and restaurants in cornwall....

and much further afield where the wait is finally over and being celebrated in the capital by our super-supportive fishmongers!

Of course,, if you're stuck for a local wetfish shop in your are anyone serious about tracking down fresh sardines should keep an eye on Morrisons and other supermarkets as the season goes full on - but make sure to check the label to see that they are MSC Certified Cornish Sardines and not imposters!

For wholesale supplies a good place to start is the Cornwall Sardine Management Association website where you can find out all you need to know about this superb fish.

2023 sardine season kicks off tonight!

First job of the evening for the sardine boats...

is to take ice - the ratio is around 30% of ice to fish by weight...

then both the Lyonesse...

and the Mayflower head out through the gaps 

and off to hunt for signs of fish marks out in the Bay...

As the Lyonesse steams slowly round the western shore and into the deeper water looking for fish marks. Tonight will be something of a shakedown for the boats making sure nets, gear and deck equipment are all working as intended.

Wolf Rock grounding, Mazarine update.

 

The Falmouth tug, Mercia continues to tow the stricken Mazarine around Falmouth Bay after she grounded on the Wolf Rock, south west of Lands End yesterday. The Galatea arrived in Mounts Bay yesterday evening.