#MMO Fish landings by value - Newlyn slips to third place!

The amount of fish landed at three largest fishing ports in the Westcountry has increased by 10% in the last year, new figures have revealed.

The annual UK Sea Fisheries Statistics 2013 report published by the Marine Management Organisation showed that the both the region’s fishing industry and the fish stocks are healthy.

The MMO report showed that the amount of cod, haddock and whiting landed into Newlyn, Plymouth and Brixham increased by 10%, showing that fish stocks are “healthy and being fished at sustainable levels”.

The figures show Plymouth had the second highest quantity of landings in England last year, with 11,600 tonnes of fish including shellfish landed during 2013, with a value of £13.5million.

This figure was second only to Brixham, which saw 13,500 tonnes of fish landed with a value of £24million.

The third largest landing quantities in the South West were in Newlyn.

Fish landed at many South West ports is often transported to be sold through Plymouth Fisheries, England’s second largest fresh fish market based at Sutton Harbour.

While the figures published by the MMO show a small decrease in overall landing figures nationwide, the amount of demersal fish being landed – fish living on or near the seabed and feeding on the bottom, including haddock, cod and whiting – has increased by 10% to its highest level in 10 years.

The amount of demersal fish landed into the three major South West ports now stands at 13,300 tonnes – an increase on the figure for 2012.

Pete Bromley, harbour master of Sutton Harbour and manager of Plymouth Fisheries, said: “With nearly all the demersal species caught in UK waters being sold through the auction system in the UK, this report confirms that fish stocks in the Western Approaches are fit, healthy, and being fished at a sustainable level, with landings equalling the allowable catch for most major species.

“In 2016, decisions taken as a result of the reform of the common fisheries policy will herald an end to the wasteful practice of over quota fish being dumped at sea, and with a promised increase in quotas, the future for the South West fishing industry is looking bright.”

Plymouth Fisheries is viewed by many as the fisheries hub of the region, sustaining over 600 direct and indirect jobs.

Overall, landing figures published by the MMO show a decrease on the figures for 2012, when Plymouth had the highest quantity of landings in England with 15,748 tonnes, and follow the national trend which has seen a drop of 1% in quantity across the UK, with the overall figures for fish landed by UK vessels down to 624,000 tonnes, and a 7% drop in value down to £718m.

Cpt Jim Portus, CEO of the South West Fish Producers Organisation, welcomed the MMO figures saying that Newlyn, Plymouth and Brixham are once again the shining stars of the industry.

He said: “While the figures from the MMO show the sustainability of the fishing industry and of the fish itself, next year’s figures may well show a downturn because of the turbulent weather we have experienced earlier this year which affected the fleets badly.

“The fishing industry is a 365 days 24/7 industry but when storms hit there is an interruption of service and business. When the price of fuel goes up the fishermen’s bottom line is impacted.

“These MMO figures don’t show the seasonal fluctuations but the picture is of continuing sustainability.

"The industry is still making money which is good for our region. But they also don’t show the cost of catching fish.”

Andy Beattie, acting chief executive of the MMO, said: “We continue to work closely with fishermen to help keep fisheries open for as long as possible, while ensuring stocks are maintained for the future.”

Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Newlyn-Plymouth-Brixham-enjoy10-rise-fish-landing/story-23005385-detail/story.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#ixzz3EVIs3edX 
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Static Gears: A Risk to MPAs? - NFFO

There is growing concern among the inshore fishing sector that some of the English IFCAs are contemplating more draconian restrictions on the use of static fishing gear than can be scientifically justified. From the first day that the MPA Fishing Coalition (MPAC) was formed, it has emphasised that a practical understanding of how fishing gears operate, what their environmental footprint is and whether or not they pose a risk, are key to implementing a rational management regime within the growing UK network of marine protected areas (MPA).

Potting occurs in many designated MPAs and at sites earmarked for possible future designation Apparent uncertainty – or lack of understanding – over the effects of static gears upon conservation features is leading some regulators in England to consider the inclusion of static gear within risk assessments for European marine sites and the newly designated marine conservation zones (MCZ). Any management proposals following this process are expected to come forward for inshore sites from 2015.

MPAC chairman Dr Stephen Lockwood said, "an understanding of the operation of these gears should reveal that it is highly unlikely such gears could have a significant effect on seabed features. With potting, for example, on the basis of some very conservative assumptions, MPAC has calculated that even in the most intensively fished areas, gear would come into contact with any specific point on the seabed at a rate of less than once in every 30 years. In practice, for most fisheries, the interaction rate would be significantly lower than that. Any higher levels of fishing activity are unrealistic as gear conflict would become such a problem that it would be impractical to fish, so the intensity of fishing effort becomes self-limiting.

"This analysis is consistent with findings elsewhere, such as from the FishMap Môn project commissioned by the statutory conservation body Natural Resources Wales. The project mapped levels of fishing activity around Ynys Môn (Anglesey) and compared it with the sensitivity of marine features of conservation interest. When this was combined with knowledge on the levels of natural disturbance for inshore sites, where static gear is predominantly used, then it became increasingly difficult to see how the supposed environmental pressures generated by these fisheries could compare with the natural environmental variability on surrounding conditions. The FishMap Môn project demonstrated quite clearly that with the simple collection and collation of local knowledge and information, marine managers can eliminate uncertainty and discount the need for additional management measures.

"The key to resolving this whole issue is ‘local knowledge’. It is vitally important, therefore that local industry throughout the UK gets directly involved with discussions with regulators on MPA management in order to show what risk the operation of fishing gears actually pose."

Static gear fisheries operate within numerous designated MPAs, as well as sites earmarked for possible future designation.

"In the case of English MCZs, many sites were selected by stakeholder groups in predominantly static-gear fishing areas on the basis that no additional management would be necessary for such fisheries. If that is to change, then the legitimate basis for the selection of many sites would fall apart,” Dr Lockwood said.

Full story courtesy of the NFFO.

Not many bands gig in oilies

Guy Cotton would have loved these guys decked out in his finest yellow apparel. The Rough Island Band hail form the Scillies BTW.

#FishyFriday is here again

Upon reflection...

two heads are better than one says the #hake...

head in a box...

mackerel and a few boxes of inshore fish made for a very quiet Friday market...

with yet another mystery member of the mackerel family being landed...

a not so #FishyFriday...

as the Elisabeth Veronique gets nestled in the cradle before going up on the slip...

no prizes for guessing what the huge Olivia Jean...

is fishing for...

and when it comes to gear on the boat everything is extra heavy duty like this trawl block that will hang from the outboard end of the derrick.

Fish talk from Craig in Newlyn

Man on the Beach is back in Newlyn!

Fish is star of the show at the Cornwall Food Festival

Cornwall’s popular annual celebration of local food and drink – this year billed for the first time as The Great Cornish Food Festival – will look at the contribution that the Cornish fish industry makes.

The three-day event begins on Truro’s Lemon Quay on Thursday, September 25, and the festival will be looking at Cornish seafood in a variety of ways – from live cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs to filleting masterclasses and a huge selection of fish-based street food to sample.

Festival Director Ruth Huxley says they are highlighting fishing because it has always been an integral part of Cornwall’s food industry.

“In recent research we found that people associate seafood more readily with Cornwall these days than the county’s iconic pasties and clotted cream – a measure of its significance.

“As we hope to impress upon visitors to the festival this year, by buying local, we not only reap the benefits in terms of being able to enjoy the freshest most delicious fish on our doorstep but we’re also helping to support the sustainability and longevity of an incredibly important local industry.”There will be the opportunity to gain a rare and personal insight into the industry from people like festival newcomers Newlyn-based Dreckly Fish – four dedicated Newlyn fishermen who fish every day from their own small day boats.

The Dreckly Fish team will be selling their catch at the festival as well as working with top chef Fiona Were of the Mullion Cove Hotel, to create the festival’s first ever seafood pop-up in the Croust Bar, serving delicious dishes such as crab bisque and lobster rolls.

Also taking part in the festival are Cornwall College’s Head Chef Mark Devonshire, who will demonstrate how to make Cornish Crab sushi, Padstow Seafood School’s Mark Puckey will reveal the art of fish filleting and chef Sanjay Kumar, along with children from Archbishop Benson School in Truro, will be cooking up his own version of Starry Gazey Pie using sustainable Cornish sardines.

On Saturday afternoon, Looe fish auctioneer Julian Clemens will be leading the bidding in a fast-paced fish auction in aid of The Fisherman’s Mission, the charity that supports fishing families at times of need.

One of the first to take to the stage at the Great Cornish Food Festival is George Pascoe of Philleigh Way Cookery School who appears on Friday, September 26at 10.30 am.

Visit greatcornishfood.co.uk/festival for more.

For the full story: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Fish-star-Great-Cornish-Food-Festival/story-22972335-detail/story.html#ixzz3EKVUNFd1 
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Enter the Don