Lyme Bay fishermen - ‘The Last Custodians’

 

Embark on a cinematic journey through the rich maritime history of Lyme Bay as ‘The Last Custodians’ unveils the untold stories of inshore fishing and the resilient fishermen who navigate the waters across the four ports of Beer, Axmouth, Lyme Regis and West Bay in East Devon and West Dorset. 

Filmed amidst the captivating backdrop of the four bustling ports it casts a poignant spotlight on the challenges and triumphs of those who depend on the sea, weaving a narrative of tradition, sustainability, and the indomitable spirit of coastal communities.

There's a good connection with the Lyme Bay and Newlyn as one of the boats featured was a well-known sight back in the days of the Dreckly boys - Kevin Penny's Bess seen here heading for the gaps in 2015...

and then out into Mounts Bay in the erly hours.

Fishers trained to dissect fish to gather data Fisherman

 

Otolith taken from a pollack

Fishermen in Devon and Dorset are being trained in a new science to help better understand fish stocks. The project in Lyme Bay is teaching dozens of fishermen to dissect a specific bone in fish which can be used to detect its age and rate of growth. The aim is to provide as much data as possible to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to secure fishing rights after a ban on pollack fishing a year ago which fishermen said would be damaging for the industry.

Concerns had been raised that a similar situation could happen with other fish species without sufficient data around fish stocks. 'Rings in a tree'

About 50 fishermen have taken part in the training programme, which involves analysing the otolith bone located in the head of a fish.

Fisherman Stephen Andrews said the bone contained a series of rings, which "show you the age and how fast it grows".

He said: "They're just like the rings in a tree, it's more or less the same principle. "It isn't just about pollack, it's about all fish we catch in Lyme Bay because most, if not all, fish stocks are data deficient."

The bone, once collected, is sent to scientists to examine under a microscope.

Photographs and measurements are also taken, along with details such as water temperature and signs of spawning.

Two otolith bones on a yellow chopping board. They are white in colour and look like little curved shells.

About 50 fishermen have taken part in the training programme, which involves analysing the otolith bone

Dr Bryce Stewert, from the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth, said: "If you are able to take samples of fish and work out how many individuals are in each different age class, that tells you something about the health of the population."

Project coordinator Mandelai Wolfe said the data had to be collected in a "compliant manner" that could work with the government's current data collection processes. She added: "Once they're trained fully, then we're looking for partners to start collecting that data and feeding it in."

The fishermen and biologists said they hoped similar schemes could be rolled out in fishing communities around the region.

'Particularly damaging' Defra said the quota on pollack had been reduced to zero to preserve stocks, but the move angered fishermen in south-west England.

Ben George, who fishes from Sennen Cove in Cornwall, previously told the BBC he never once "dreamed it could be a total ban".

He said: "It's particularly damaging for the small inshore fisherman because they can't diversify easily now to anything else. "It makes up 30 to 40% of my earnings, whereas [for] some people, it might be 80, 90, maybe 100%."

Dogs run amok in Newlyn.

Dawn breaks to reveal the sardine boat Vesta on the hard...

evidence that dogfish are all over the hake grounds this morning with big landings of dogs from netters like the Britannia V...

roe now being landed, early sings of spawning whitefish...

seems there are plenty of spiders still around...

and squid too...

some are monsters...

although the netters are chasing hake...

it is dogs filling their nets...

and not only the netters...

trawlers like the Crystal Sea are catching them too...

along with quality flats and JDs...

while monk tails...

and lemons were plentiful too...

the lights lifted a little...

to reveal even more squid...

and cuttles...

good sized monk provide plenty of livers, which does make a good monkfish liver paté...

another netter buried in dogs...

no matter where they fished, north, south and west!..

sardines aplenty for the local restaurant trade...

there's no hanging around for the porters...

especially when there are some prime fish like these line caught bass to be shifted...

that's on less hitch for the trawl fleet to worry about, though all the pieces of torn net attached are no doubt from French trawlers from years ago when most worked nylon trawls...

for a few minutes the dawn sky goes through some subtle changes in hue...

offset by Ocean Fish's company colours...

the boats down the Mary Williams pier...

and the North pier add to the lightshow...

at the same time, local artist, Clare Bowen had been hard at work capturing the Trevessa IV up on the slip starting before there ewas any light in the sky...

the Barnabas will soon be able to enjoy ...

a fully working old quay - this weekend gone saw a team of volunteers from the local community hard at work clearing the parapet of weeds, the first of many opportunities for volunteers to bring back the old harbour area into regular use, especially as a base for local luggers like the Barnabas......

the sun now just broken the heavily clouded horizon...

cast light over Sandy Cove boatyard...

allowing Tom to keep an eye on things...

alongside Newlyn Gallery.

 

The huers would have been shouting!!

Back in the days of seine fishing for pilchards, 'huers' (lookouts) took up their positions in lookouts along the Cornish coast looking for signs of pilchards, most likely diving or wheeling gulls. They would have been very exited in Mounts Bay over the last few days as sardines have been in abundance.

For most of December and into the New Year the Newlyn sardine fleet sailed, weather permitting, only to find no sardine fish marks in Mounts Bay. The fish to all intents and purposes had disappeared. The fleet sought fish all the way along the south coast, from Falmouth to Mevagissey and as far as Plymouth – with some success but ultimately, landings were well down as compared to previous months. 

The spawning season for the fish is largely over and at this time of year the high fat content – crucial for canning – begins to drop so changes in behaviour are inevitable. The Christmas break also meant that the two local processors that take most of the fish landed were also running at limited capacity.

However, the start of the New Year has seen the return of shoals in fishable waters in Mounts Bay and the fleet have been working at near full capacity to take advantage of the un-seasonally fine weather.

Sustainability

It should be noted that, last year, the entire Cornish sardine catch was less than 10,000 tons from an estimated stock of 450,000 tons representing a harvest rate of just over 2% - many pelagic fisheries around the world harvest up to 30% of the total stock per year. The fleet takes weekly samples from their catches to help the scientists at Cefas with their data collection - an event almost unique in UK fisheries management. See the Cornish Sardine Management Association website for more information.

 

Several boats in the fleet are now using shore pumps to deliver their catches ashore.

Chilly #FishyFriday in Newlyn

With the netting fleet all at sea and toughing out some uncomfortable conditions it was down the the beam trawl and trawl fleet to supply the market with most of the fish this morning...

though that didn't stop a smattering of inshore caught species being landed like this set of strange bedfellows...

even a few spider claws made it to market...

along with bass...

and pollack...

the bigger boats helped fill the gaps with some big ling...

and John Dory from the Spirited Lady

lemons from the Billy Rowney...

that was landed alongside the market yesterday...

 by this top trio...

with no net fish on the market it was down to all three trawl boats to keep the hake market supplied...

a handful of inshore boats made it to sea and landed a smattering of mackerel...

while young Will toughed out the day to put some well-earned bass bucks ashore.

The "Handbook of Fish Species Exploited in the EU".

 

This comprehensive guide offers an illustrated overview of key marine and freshwater species that are significant to the EU fisheries and aquaculture sector. You'll find detailed information on each species, including their biological characteristics, fishing and farming practices across Member States, and important EU conservation measures. Plus, the handbook provides the names of these species in multiple languages, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in aquatic life in Europe. 

The handbook highlights several significant EU conservation measures aimed at protecting fish species exploited in the EU. These measures include:

1. Allowable Catch Limits: The handbook indicates the allowable catch for various species, which helps manage fish populations and prevent overfishing.

2. Minimum Size Regulations: It specifies minimum size requirements for certain species to ensure that fish are allowed to reach maturity before being harvested, promoting sustainable fishing practices.

3. Species-Specific Conservation Measures: The handbook outlines specific measures tailored to the conservation needs of particular species, which may include restrictions on fishing during spawning periods or designated protected areas.

These measures are crucial for maintaining the sustainability of fish stocks and the overall health of aquatic ecosystems in the EU 

Read the full document below which can also be found on the EU website: