Never a dull moment in Newlyn!

Early Thursday morning and SAR are out after a swimmer got into difficulties off Longrock beach - luckily for the swimmer, they were rescued by a walker who managed to keep her afloat until the RNLI's IRB arrived - all's well that ends well...

yet another start to the day with gorgeous light...

filling the harbour...

and changing by the minute...

Newlyn has been ahead of the recycling game for some time now - all old gill nets go this way...

it's paint-up time for the Francesca...

Johnny doing his bit in the harbour punt to see that the Billy Rowney gets alongside the fish market safely...

under the watchful eyes of skipper Moseley...

living proof - according to the Cornwall Fish Producers Organisation's recent report, for every one fisherman's job at sea there are 15 ashore...

early Thursday evening and Richard has just landed the day's catch from the Still Waters...

as Dan 'the sardine man' Downing gets to break the spell and the 5 weeks long drought of sardine landings sees the first of his 35 tons put ashore along with landings from the rest of the fleet, those who had not opted to head east to Falmouth and beyond looking for fish - that's fishing all over...

always good to see the next generation of fishermen down the harbour helping out...

with Mr Pascoe tagging every one of is line caught bass...

after a very long day with the lines working in a huge ground sea off Cape Cornwall...

beam trawl squid...

and monk livers ready for the Friday's market...

which saw yet another spectacular light show...

fill the harbour...

and change almost by the minute...

with that mix of contrasting hues...

of colours on opposing sides of the colour wheel...

though, as the sun loses face, the colour temperature cools to blue hues...

as reflected in those Falfish tubs of sardines from the fleets previous night's efforts...

young Tom, having made it back from a trip away to the eastward, managed to get back in the Bay and fill the tanks just before daybreak was now in to land...

the boys on the Mayflower were lucky (and happy) enough to pick up a £3000 bluefin in their ring net, that's more than their catch of sardines was worth in total...

FishyFriday's market was another good mix of fish like these inshore lobsters...

that special mix of flats and monk from the big beam trawler...

and even a few greater weavers...

in the spreading drizzle and uncomfortable seas, the Inter-Nos heads for the gaps

hats off to the man with titanium legs and cahoonas of steel, for being the only small boat out at dawn this morning in this weather...

as the Charlotte Clare fills and ices her tubs of sardines...

they don't come more frsh than this, the octopus bloom is still only too apparent, good noews in the short term for the crabbing fleet but serious concern for next year as shellfish catches crash in many areas..

out with the pressure washer to clean off below the waterline...

the famous Star Inn is getting a makeover.

 

Changeable days in Newlyn - the weather wins again.

 

Enjoy a glimpse of life in England's top fishing port, the ever-changing weather, the ever-changing light.

Changes to Public Access in Newlyn

This was never going to be an easy decision for the Harbour. The simple fact is the harbour is a working port and, inline with every other industry that relies on vehicles and equipment to move and handle fishing gear, it is no longer a space in which the public should feel they can wander at will just because they always have.

It is not that many years ago when it was just the odd forklift and small lorry that was involved in servicing the needs of the boats. Today, the quay is home to bigger boats working bigger and heavier fosing gear. There are more forklifts, net over-ending machines have replaced crew hand-balling miles of gill nets on and off boats, twin-rig trawls have footropes too heavy lift by hand and the bigger crabbers cycle thousands of pots on and off the quay.

Things aren't what they used to be....

As of today, the harbour is putting into place measure to ensure the continued safety ofall harbour users.

Newlyn Harbourmaster announces Changes to Public Access to Newlyn harbour.

Newlyn Harbour is one of England’s largest and most historic fishing ports — a vibrant centre of our community and a vital part of the Cornish economy.

As the fishing industry continues to modernise, the harbour has become busier, with more vehicles, vessels, and people moving around the site. To protect everyone who works in or visits Newlyn Harbour, we’re introducing new measures to improve safety and manage access more effectively.

What’s Changing

Over the coming weeks, new signage and access controls will be introduced across the harbour. These updates are designed to make it clear which areas are open to the public and which are restricted to those working within the port.

Public Areas (Green)

• Old Quay, public car park, and most of the North Quay remain open to visitors as usual. 
• The North Quay may be temporarily closed from time to time while beam trawl vessels load warps for safety reasons.

Restricted Areas — No Public Access (Yellow)

• Net sheds, lorry park, seaward side of the fish market, and the end of the North Quay. 
• These areas are reserved for vessel owners, crew, and those directly involved in commercial operations.

Restricted Areas with Controlled Access (Red)

• Mary Williams Pier, pontoons, and slipway are designated as no public access zones.
• The pontoons and slipway already have gates, and similar measures may be added to the Mary Williams Pier in future.

Access Definition

For clarity, the public refers to anyone who is not a vessel owner, crew member, or someone directly involved in servicing a vessel on the quay or pontoon where they are located.

New Access Controls

Vehicle barriers at the entrances to North Quay and Mary Williams Pier will soon operate via Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR). Access will be granted automatically — or manually by harbour staff — to authorised users only.

Route Advisory

Please note that access to the public car park currently passes through a restricted zone. Until further changes can be made, visitors are encouraged to take the most direct route to the pavement on the opposite side of the main road.

Working Together for a Safer Harbour

We understand these changes may feel significant for some users, but they are an important step in ensuring the harbour remains a safe and efficient place to work and visit. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we make Newlyn Harbour safer for everyone. For more information, please contact the Harbour Office.

Jonathan Poynter,

Harbour Master

Impressions and light - Why the artists came to Newlyn.

At this time of year, often between bouts of bad weather, Newlyn hosts an ever-changing display of lighting conditions which is what drew the founders of what became known as the Newlyn School, a band of artists who embraced painting en plein air (painting the subject in the open not in a studio) that combined the styles of the flourishing French impressionistic movement with a degree of naturalism...

speaking of light, the hardy team from Newlyn Harbour Lights are hard at it every weekend getting the displays ready for the Xmas break...

1100hp to the left, 12 arm power to the right...

It's now Monday morning and a brace of crabbers in to land...

as another early morning light show floods the harbour...

and a market stacked out with plenty of fish...

in Bay 1 mainly hake form the Britannia V...

Silver Dawn...

Ajax

Stelissa

and the fly-shooter, Acciona...

Bay 2 was mainly full of quality flats and monk tails from the beam trawlers that landed over the weekend...

and some cracking plaice...

with spurdogs not plaguing all the netters this tide...

auctioneer Ryan is only too happy to be back sorting cuttles by hand after a busy week away sampling the delights of Sicilian cuisine...

ling, a good substitute for cod if your monger has it...

bonito tuna...

bream...

bass...

lobster, octopus and squid more than enough to make your average buyer happy...

and, yet more hake from the netter Ajax...

as the light changes again...

those cheeky little turnstones, always on the lookout for a few crumbs...

Wexford registered, Shauna Leon up on the hard...

they've got this landing thing sorted at South West Shellfish...

making life much easier for the big crabbers...

advertising your wars? - no need to go to all the expense of hiring models for a photoshoot when home-grown will do just as well...

loos like she's more than a few sea-miles under her belt...

the visiting Salcombe crabber,  Emma Jane about to land...

as the waiting transport turns up to take their fish...

looks like a good day's work to change over nets on the Fish Direct team.

NFFO Meets New Fisheries Minister at Critical Juncture for UK Fishing

The NFFO Executive met with newly appointed Food Security Minister Angela Eagle at DEFRA’s London offices this week, marking an important introduction at a pivotal moment for UK fishing.

 

Held just days before the 2026 end of year fisheries negotiations, the meeting set the tone for the months ahead and underlined the need for a pragmatic, evidence based approach to management and policy.

Representatives from across the NFFO membership, covering both inshore and offshore fleets around the entire English coast, presented the breadth of industry priorities and perspectives. NFFO CEO Mike Cohen opened by emphasising that this is a defining period for decisions on fishing opportunities, sustainable management and ensuring there are growth opportunities and a focus on national food security. Decisions made in this year’s annual negotiations will shape how the sector and government work together in the years ahead.

Balancing Science, Economics and Communities for 2026 fishing opportunities

Regarding the North Sea, both cod and mackerel were priority talking points and members warned that increasingly rigid ICES modelling leaves little room for practical judgement and management options, creating year to year volatility that undermines business confidence, investment and long-term food security. The NFFO called for a management approach that uses science wisely but not blindly. While the North Sea faces volatility in some key stocks, the South West is showing encouraging and ongoing recovery for pollack, spurdog and bass. Members called for alignment of pollack management with French recreational rules given the new ICES advice now incorporating recreational catches, which will speed up recovery for an important fishery, and more pragmatic bass measures to match the improving scientific outlook.

Working with eNGOs: Finding Solutions, Not Fighting Battles

The NFFO membership highlighted its growing record of constructive collaboration with eNGOs, in contrast to the noise of anti-fishing campaigns from the extreme end of the spectrum. Examples shared with the Minister included Clean Catch, which brings together science, industry and NGOs to develop practical bycatch solutions, and the Spurdog recovery, where partnership work successfully rebuilt a stock once under severe pressure. That same collaboration is now turning to new management scenarios in response to a growing population. These examples show that progress comes through partnership and pragmatism, not polarisation. Further thoughts were shared on how this should be applied to future management of marine protected areas and fisheries management plans.

Inshore Pressures and the Need for Joined Up Management

Inshore representatives set out the urgent need for better alignment between IFCA and MMO around parts of the coast, calling for a shared culture of consistency, transparency and practicality in management decisions. The message was clear: new fishing opportunities must be created and shared fairly to maximise benefits for coastal communities.

Inshore and non-sector reps also highlighted the intensifying spatial squeeze, as renewable energy development, MPAs and continued EU fleet access to 2038 leave limited space for domestic vessels to operate.

New Funding for fishermen

Looking ahead, the NFFO urged that the Fisheries and Coastal Growth Fund deliver tangible benefits at the quayside, supporting:

Training and skills development

Science partnerships

Technological innovation

Sector growth and resilience

A Constructive Start



The meeting set a positive and open tone between the NFFO and the new Minister. The Federation will continue to work closely with government as negotiations and domestic policy evolve, ensuring the voice of the fishing industry is heard clearly and constructively at every level.

Chris Ranford