Merry Christmas!

 

Have your say on the future of UK Seafood Careers, by completing this short survey:

 

UK seafood sector survey

The survey aims to understand your experiences working in the seafood sector, including your recruitment into the industry, career aspirations, and the unique opportunities and challenges you face. By sharing your perspective, you will help the government gain valuable insights to inform future planning and support for the UK seafood sector.

Participation is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time. If after completing the survey you decide you would like to withdraw from this study and have your data deleted, you may do this at any time until the end of February 2025 by contacting Ipsos. Details on how to withdraw, including the email address for submitting your request, can be found in the Ipsos Privacy Policy. You do not need to specify a reason for your withdrawal.

The survey will take around 10-15 minutes to complete. Your responses will be kept strictly confidential, and results will only be reported in aggregate form. This means that no individual employees will be identifiable in the results of this survey.

For details about the legitimacy of this survey or to view Ipsos' privacy policy, please click here. You can also find Defra's Research Privacy Notice, which explains how Defra collects and uses personal data for social and user research, by clicking here.

The survey should be completed by individuals currently or recently employed in the fishing, aquaculture or seafood processing industries.

Thank you in advance for your time and valuable input. Your participation will play a key role in shaping future government initiatives to support a thriving UK seafood sector and its workforce. Ipsos, an independent research organisation, has been commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to carry out the survey.

To begin the survey, please click "Next" below.

CFPO - concern over real-world quota repercussions

 

Negotiations: Industry concerns mount over real-world quota repercussions

Fishing industry representatives from Cornwall have expressed mounting concern over negotiations for a UK/EU fisheries agreement for 2025. At stake for the southwest are total allowable catches and quotas for critically important stocks including sole, hake, pollack, haddock, bass, and spurdog.

There are no signs that an agreement is imminent despite a deadline set in the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement for 10th December. By this time last year most of the key decisions had already been made.

Industry anxieties centre on the fear that legal action, by Blue Marine and other environmental NGOs, has spooked UK ministers into avoiding necessary management correctives to headline ICES advice, where mixed fishery issues and socio-economic concerns feature. The EU seems reluctant to follow this hard line approach, hence the standoff.

Paul Trebilcock, Chairman of the Cornish FPO said, "The scientific advice includes a range of catch options consistent with maintaining stock biomass at sustainable levels and it is important for the health of fishing businesses and fishing communities that these are given due weight in the negotiations. Our concern is that ministers are prioritising avoiding NGO criticism over the welfare of the fishing industry. We have no doubt over NGOs' clout in the media and the colossal budgets that supports it. But avoiding management responsibilities carries real-world and political costs."

"Ministers need to be reminded that the outcomes from these negotiations carry real-world repercussions and that the fishing industry will be alert to any sign that the new government is playing fast and loose with its future for fear of criticism from NGOs which, frankly, can be guaranteed anyway. Farmers are not particularly happy with the government at present. Alienating the fishing industry as well would not be a clever move if there are ambitions to be more than a one-term administration."

"For most stocks, following the ICES headline advice makes complete sense. But the scientists do provide alternative options which are also consistent with sustainable outcomes to deal with precisely those stock situations that we currently face in the South West. It is these that are now apparently being ignored for wholly political reasons. That is not acceptable."

CFPO Newlyn, Cornwall. 2024

Final #FishyFriday for 2024!

Final landing for the year earlier this week and it's common practice that the job landing the trip falls to the skipper and mate to man the landing gear, Juicy and Nathan oblige aboard the St Georges...

looks like young Johnny is passing on bassing tips to Cod before he heads home...

as the last of the St George's fish come ashore - the boys hoping for good prices after Monday's £226,000 auction total which saw over 31 tons sold online...

won't be long before Rowse's latest addition to the fleet, the Michael Edward, will be picking up pots for the first time - in 2025...

if it wasn't for a longer than expected refit, Aaron and the boys wouldn't be in Newlyn on a Thursday night putting together a new seine net...

to go aboard the Acionna, loooking fitty after time in the Clyde...

meanwhile, its Dan the top sardine man of the night, first in with fish after three blank weeks, just what he and his crew needed in the run up to Xmas...

once in the tubs...

the sardines are immediately iced...

on the final #FishyFriday market this morning there's bass...

brill...

inshore lobster...

plaice...

red mullet...

ray...

of all sorts...

conger...

haddock...

and more bass...

and the tell-tale signs of cuttles drain away as Steve tallies up the last box of fish...

before the guys start the big clean up...

as the sun begins to shed some light on the proceedings...

as chief auctioneer and 4 star General factotum Ian...

closes down the auction screen the final full week of 2024 auctions...

breaks out the cupcakes...

and enjoys a few minutes with his crew, no doubt all looking forward to the day when they don't have to don their coveralls...

and the harbour takes on a more festive look...

with all the fleet safely tied up...

except for young Cod having a look for some end-of-year fish!

This week's Festive Haul!

A bumper week at Newlyn Fish Market, with plenty of festive cheer and excellent prices.

This week at Newlyn Fish Market has been a busy one, with a variety of species coming in daily. Let’s dive into the details of the past few days:

Monday's Market

• A Strong Start: Monday's market was well-stocked, with a total volume of 34.1 tonnes.
• Popular Picks: Bass, cuttlefish, and monkfish were particularly popular, with strong demand and excellent prices.
• Price Highlights: N2 Turbot (£41.50/kg), N2 Lemon Sole (£30.04/kg), and LM Mackerel (£12.99/kg) were among the top performers.

Tuesday's Market

• A Steady Supply: Tuesday's market saw a total volume of 24 tonnes, with a good mix of species.
• Strong Demand: Mackerel and monkfish were in high demand, with prices remaining steady.
• Quality Counts: The quality of the fish was excellent, leading to strong buyer interest.

Wednesday's Market

• A Smaller Catch: Due to tidal and weather conditions, Wednesday's market was smaller, with a total volume of 6.3 tonnes.
• Key Species: Cuttlefish, Dover sole, and monkfish were the main draws.
• Steady Prices: Prices remained stable, reflecting the good quality of the fish.

Thursday's Market

• A Festive Finish: Thursday's market saw a strong finish to the week, with a good variety of species on offer.
• Top Performers: Bass, cuttlefish, and monkfish were again popular, with excellent prices achieved.
• Price Highlights: N1 Monkfish (£25.04/kg), N1 John Dory (£26.20/kg), and N3 Hake (£14.00/kg) were among the top-priced items.

As we head into the festive season, the team at Stevensons would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We look forward to another successful year in 2025.

Newlyn weeders needed!

Breathing New Life into Newlyn’s Old Harbour

The first stage of restoring Newlyn’s historic Old Harbour has been successfully completed, with years of overgrowth cleared from the slips. This essential step paves the way for the next phase of the project: repairing and renovating the stonework.

Before restoration work on the quay’s structure can begin, the quay surfaces must be cleared of weeds to ensure a solid foundation for repairs.

As we prepare to tackle these exciting challenges in the New Year, we’re calling for volunteers to join us in celebrating this milestone and contributing to the ongoing transformation of this cherished local landmark. Whether you're a long-time resident or new to the area, your support can make a real difference. Together, let’s bring the Old Harbour back to life!

Fishermen in Cornwall, want a quick health check?

Fishermen in Cornwall, want a quick health check before the Christmas festivities? Pop to the quayside this week with @HealthyCornwall @thefishmish @seahospital

Defra chops the Cap! - Inshore agony over.

The quota cap for under-10 metre fishing vessels was introduced to address an imbalance between the available quota and the increasing number of vessels targeting quota stocks. This cap limited certain vessels to catching no more than 350kg of quota species annually. Its introduction was an effort to manage fish stocks sustainably and align quotas with vessel activity.

Over time, changes in quota availability, particularly following Brexit, altered the situation. The UK’s departure from the EU brought additional fishing quota allocations. As a result, trials were carried out between 2020 and 2022 where the quota cap was temporarily lifted to assess the impact. These trials showed that the restriction was no longer necessary, especially as small under-10 metre vessels were looking to diversify their fishing activities and better utilize the extra quota made available.

In March 2023, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) officially removed the cap for the remainder of the year, allowing all under-10 metre vessels to fish up to monthly limits similar to other vessels in the fleet. The removal aimed to provide economic opportunities for small-scale fishers and support coastal communities that rely heavily on these vessels.

After careful consideration of the responses to the consultation, the government has decided to proceed with the permanent removal of the cap. This will directly affect the 405 vessels that are currently subject to the 350kg quota restriction. Read the full outcome. The policy only applies to English registered vessels.

Following this decision the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) will permanently remove the cap with effect from 1 January 2025 and continue to review quota uptake by English under 10m fishers, and adjust monthly catch limits accordingly to make sure the quota limits are not exceeded Detail of feedback received. The consultation website can be accessed here.

A total of 34 responses were received, 30 via Citizen Space and 4 via email. Informal responses were also received verbally at face-to-face coastal meetings held during the consultation.

A summary of responses is included in the government response.