Barbie time - scallops in butter & lemon zest!

Sapphire bounders

Under skipper Mike Corin, the beam trawler Sapphire sails Through the Gaps at the start of another trip. She'll be due to land back in Newlyn for either Friday or Monday of next week - depends on fishing and weather conditions.

Sun shines on Saturday

Calling all net boats, net bins for sale........

spend an evening with Pete Goss talking boats in support of the St Ives Jumbo Association next month......

back based in Newlyn again, a giant of the seas........

not the usual sea bird silhouette.......

more work to be done aboard thew Mount's Bay lugger, Happy Return.......

gangmaster Mike keeping an eye on things.......

plenty of pint still needed for the Gry Maritha........

fixtures and fitting time abord TO60..........

who rides high in the water without any ballast aboard........

not a theatre.

Huge industrial scale?

Here's one of the two 9 metre beam trawls that are towed by the Newlyn beam trawler Billy Rowney.......

Presenter, Monty Hall describes the trawl gear used by the boat as "fishing on a huge industrial scale"......... 

at 30 metres how does that compare? that's not a huge industrial trawler........

this is a huge industrial trawler, one of around 30, licensed by the EU to fish off the West coast of Africa.

"Noakchott / Mauritania, 27th of February 2012 – A report released by Greenpeace today highlights the industrial-scale overfishing by European vessels in West African waters as a result of failed European Union (EU) fishing rules (1). 

At the same time an international Greenpeace team aboard Arctic Sunrise started its campaign in Mauritania in order to document, profile and protest against European super trawlers emptying West Africa’s waters. The extent and effects of these giant European factory trawlers on the region’s fish stocks and coastal communities are devastating, as the international Greenpeace team reports from Mauritania. http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/oceans/Greenpeacewitnesscostofoverfish...

As a revealing example Greenpeace investigations focus on the Pelagic Freezer-Trawler Association (PFA), a group of companies with 34 vessels under Dutch, German, French, UK and Lithuanian flags, which have obtained millions in subsidies from the EU and European governments. An estimated €142.7 million of European taxpayers’ money was paid to secure fishing rights for PFA vessels in Mauritanian and Moroccan waters between 2006 and 2012. The PFA fleet also received €21 million to increase and modernise its fishing operations between 1994 and 2007. “It is a big decision, but it is unavoidable if we want to secure healthy fish stocks and a sustainable fishery in the years to come: We need to scrap parts of the obese European fleet and fish less, so fish stocks can recover. If overfishing continues like this we will all lose, especially local fishermen who depend on fish as a main source for food”, says Tom Grijsen, Greenpeace oceans campaigner aboard the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, currently in Mauritanian waters. 

Millions of Africans depend on fish caught by local fishermen, but as a consequence of overfishing by the sizeable European fleet stocks are further decreasing. As a result local fishermen are forced to fish further out at sea because the accessibility to stocks for the coast is diminishing. Working conditions have become increasingly dangerous and fishermen face the risk of collisions with industrial trawlers, which causes besides damage, also increased killings of local fishermen. “The European fleet is unfairly competing with artisanal fishermen. It would take 56 traditional fishing pirogues one year to catch as much fish as one super-trawler can capture and process in a single day”, says Grijsen, and continues: “This year governments in Europe have the chance to fix the EU’s broken fishing rules. It is not too late to agree a new rulebook that tackles overfishing and fleet overcapacity head on.” 

European governments and fisheries ministers need to assume responsibility now by putting in place a new Common Fisheries Policy (2) that tackles Europe’s bloated fleets, starting by scrapping the most destructive and oversized vessels, including factory trawlers operating in the waters of developing countries. It is vital to stop the subsidised plunder of Africa by abolishing all direct and indirect subsidies that support these destructive and unsustainable fishing practices. "Greenpeace will remain actively campaigning for a radical reform of the CFP, as this is our last chance to turn the tide on overfishing", concludes Greenpeace oceans campaigner Tom Grijsen. 

Credit: Pierre Gleizes / Greenpeace

Cuttlefish in Tomato in Wine sauce - nice one Sophie!

 Cuttlefish are one of those fishes from the sea almost guaranteed to provoke a 'yeuk!' reaction from many if not presented in a prepared sanitised form, which is a real shame because just like squid, they are delicious when cooked well........

 after pulling out the head and insides - using two fingers pushed down the 'backbone' - the next job is to remove the membrane from the outside of the body - takes a little practice to 'pick up' the membrane from an edge.......

 be sure to look for the ink sac - easily identifiable by the shiny silvery lining as seen above....... 

 pop the sac into a small pot of water - if the sac is really big reduce the amount used by half (can be frozen and used next time to prepare pasta nera (black pasta) - the strength of flavour from one of these sacs will easily do a whole dish for 4........

 the ink itself is gritty to touch when being squeezed from the sac (if you must, wear your marigolds - just don't snap the wrist)........

 once mixed you now have a pot of sepia ink - and yes, if you are inclined, you can use it as ink to write or draw being as that is exactly what it has been used for for hundreds of years.......

 take of the tentacles from just above the eyes - squeeze out the beak........

 after the initial cooking stage which involves sweating down onion and garlic (try shallots and/or red onion as well) a tin of toms and a good glass of red wine and a squeeze of tom puree or dried tom puree or chopped dried toms the dish is then covered and stewed gently for a good hour........

 this recipe comes from Sophie Grigson, who at one time was a regular visitor to Newlyn.......

 serve on a bed of pasta (nera if wanted) along with peas or broad beans and some hot ciabatand most ta rolls...... 

and if you can get hold of a copy, highly recommended is her book too, written with better half William Black - one of the best fish cook books going - and a bargain from the charity shop at £1.49!

Top Newlyn fish are special!

Post pier party painting pics

Just one of many shots taken during the morning session of this year's Painting Party on the Old Quay in Newlyn - in this photo, local artist Bernard Evans is just putting the finishing lines in his study of the luggers in the harbour...

here's the same work a few hours later nearing completion.