Latest: Fish landing obligation: the Council approves the political agreement between institutions

The Permanent Representatives Committee - Coreper - approved on 20 February 2015 the final compromise text on the implementation of the landing obligation for fisheries or "omnibus regulation". 

The Council and the European Parliament reached on 29 January 2015 a provisional political agreement on the "omnibus regulation" at a second informal trilogue meeting on the issue. 

Once the final text will be available, the regulation will be on the agenda of the European Parliament and of the Council for its final adoption. 

A central objective of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the progressive elimination of discards in all EU fisheries through the introduction of an obligation to land all catches. The "omnibus" regulation contains a package of amendments to existing control and technical measures regulations to implement the landing obligation agreed under the reformed CFP. 

The Council and the European Parliament agreed on a number of points aimed at simplifying the provisions and reducing administrative burden for fishermen and control administrations. In addition:

• An annual report on the implementation of the landing obligation will be prepared by the Commission on the basis of available information transmitted by the member states, Advisory Councils and other relevant sources
• The principle that the development of parallel markets for undersized fish should be prevented is confirmed
• A pragmatic solution for the storage of fish on board of fishing vessels was agreed.  

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/02/20150220-fish-landing-obligation/

Fishing in Brittany - from L'ile de Sein in 1968 and sardine fishing from Douarnenez

Off the Breton equivalent of Land's End and the Raz de Sein lies the tiny island of Sein - where much of the island is a few feet above sea level...

forty miles away in the Bay of Brest lies the once huge port of Douarnenez which, when this film was made, boasted a now long-gone fleet of distant water trawlers - this film follows a night spent sardine fishing - the nets almost certainly made by @LeDrezen who supply the fleet of Newlyn Cornish sardine boats with their nets.

Govenek of Ladram Whitby bound.

@eastcoastavocet @Maximusfishing we are going to Whitby for our DTI ... 5 year safety certificate!
— Govenek of Ladram (@GovenekOf) February 22, 2015

 

The Govenek of Ladram is bound for Whitby in the North Sea...

her VesselTracker AIS route shows how she has now passed through one of the world's busiest shipping lanes...

after successfully negotiating the traffic separation scheme in the English Channel - north bound boats coming from the English coast have to cross - at near 90º - in order to join the correct shipping lane - just like a dual carriageway there is 'no-go' area between the two lanes which is why they are referred to as traffic separation schemes.

Saturday stroll around the harbour.

 Pleasant morning for a stroll round the harbour...

with a few familiar boats back in port...

looks like more than a few hours work on the chain mat...

time for a cuppa for the boys on deck...

gig practice with the world championships not many weeks away...

bring on summer...

40 gallon drums of chain links, for the beam trawl mat at over half a ton each...

inshore gear, nets and pots...

wash...

and brush up while tide is going out...

today's Tonkin bargains...

accommodation in the Art Deco style...

 along the prom...

will soon have some company it seems.

Something fishy going on in natural treasure trove

This story, from Martin hesp at the Western Morning News, could be repeated the length and breadth of the UK's coastline in order to bring to the public's attention the farcical system of fish quota managment we have ended up with since negotiating the Common Fisheries Policy.

This week I acquired some fish. No big deal, you may think, but it was a lot of fish. So many, I physically couldn’t lift the box out of my car. So that, in itself, was something special. These were sea fish and it’s not often a land-lubber Exmoor boy comes home with a boot groaning with marine creatures. However, I write about my haul here because the story behind these fish was something special. Crazy, idiotic, illogical, but special.

I’ll be vague when it comes to how I got them, because I don’t want to get anyone into trouble. Most readers will know there are strict regulations concerning the catching and landing of fish. The rules, of course, are there for good reason. If there was a free-for-all at sea, the oceans would soon be empty of life. Some fishermen may balk at this, saying they are the best people to safeguard the future of fish because healthy stocks represent their own future. And I am sure that there are many Westcountry fishermen who could be trusted to act as the stewards of the sea. However, there are always rogues, there are trawler-operators from other countries who play by different rules, and there are desperate people who would do anything to earn a few quid. Nevertheless, the current regulations concerning quotas are crazy – as has been so eloquently highlighted by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his Fish Fight.

So this week, when I was near the coast and I heard a fishermen claim that one sea-area was alive with haddock, I couldn’t help but take an interest. He put it like this: “There’s so many you could walk across the surface of the sea.”  He also told me: “My boat has a monthly quota for haddock – and we fill that quota in the first four hours of fishing every month.” After that he must seek other species which are either not under quota or where he has a shortfall in his capacity. In doing that, he cannot help but catch more haddock – which cannot be landed and have to be chucked back dead.
By-catch rules will change soon when a new network of red tape is cast out of the EU to tie our fishermen in knots. Many operators fear the new rules even more than existing ones, because they will be prevented from going out to sea the moment a quota is reached. No more hunting for other species. By-catch will become a thing of the past because Westcountry fishermen will be forced to sit on the quay twiddling their thumbs. Or forced out of business altogether. Which is why I am writing this. If there is one thing I love it is seafood – and I cannot believe it is beyond the wit of man to both care for, and harvest, the wealth of our seas.

Now imagine a middle-aged journalist borrowing a boat and rowing offshore to meet a trawler that was going about its lawful, but shamefully wasteful, business – chucking fresh, gleaming haddock back dead into the waves. Imagine the fishermen not noticing the journalist in the rowing boat and accidentally throwing the fish into an open box in its stern. Actually, imagine what you want – as long as you know no money changed hands. There were quite a few residents of one Exmoor valley who were most grateful that those fishermen were so casual when ditching dead fish. I ran out of haddock recipes. It was all very delicious and I was glad to be able to feed neighbours and my own family for free with nutritious food that was otherwise destined to pollute the sea. But this is not a jolly story.

None of what I’ve said above is in the least bit sustainable. The fishermen told me EU policymakers would be much happier in future if there were only a handful of giant super-trawlers fishing the seas because it would be so much easier to monitor who was catching what. That is the exact opposite of the way it should be, which is local fish for local people. It does, however, dovetail with the present situation which sees so many Westcountry fish being instantly exported.

We ought to be doing more to buy, eat and celebrate our fabulous local seafood. If an entire community loves something – if an entire region is passionate about some treasure it is blessed with – then that is the real route towards a sustainable future in which we all make sure that our natural wealth is nurtured and cared for.

Sourcecourtesy of: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Martin-Hesp-fishy-going-natural-treasure-trove/story-26058008-detail/story.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#ixzz3SMHj1yzQ

Follow us: @WMNNews on Twitter 

#FishyFriday finds French fishers on foot!

Enjoy the Google Translation - you get the drift!


Foot Fishing enthusiasts repossess the foreshore widely discovered by the tides. In Crozon peninsula (29), we followed two agents of Maritime Affairs for control operation. In two hours, fifty fishermen presented their baskets. Three minutes were written for undersized abalone. And the officers answered a lot of questions. 

Brittany yellow vigilance, risk of flooding in Finistere As we approach the peak Roscanvel, Olivier David and his colleague of coastal Unit Maritime Affairs - four agents in the Finistère - out of their car and sweep the strike with their binoculars. They did not come for nothing. The silhouettes on the rocks are numerous. "We regularly makes such controls. But the bulk of our business still remains the police fisheries with pros and Security pleasure. "

Bacteria on Saint-Jacques 

The first checks start. In a fairly relaxed atmosphere. "Hello sir, Maritime Affairs. You can see what you caught? ". The man runs with a smile. Certain to be within its rights. In his seal, six beautiful St. Jacques shells that were already salivating. "You're going to have to return them to the water. In the harbor, this species is contaminated with a dangerous toxin to health. Their fishing is prohibited here. " The man and his son who just Plonévez-Porzay (29), flabbergasted. "Tell it to the other fishermen approaching you," continued agents, aware that many, many people do not have access to that info. 

Further, a young man is too small monitor with abalone. He said he was not a regular in the strike and maintains that it did not know the legal size. "Give them to the water, ask her agents. You'll have more fun catching them in a few months. When they are bigger and they will be reproduced. " The controls are continuing. Speaking of abuse, a retired tells that rakes torque while. "I even started to water small abalone so they do not find it. They do not respect anything and did not even call the stones in place. They say it's Parisians stuff. "

This concept of resource conservation has yet a long way. As proof, the templates that some fishermen may have on them. Made by them - a single notch on a tool enough - or bought in maritime cooperatives. "Some are quite familiar with the regulations. They know that the text should be displayed in the town hall. " Others not, and do not seek to know. "Check winkles while you're there! 

" So regularly, after sorting the basket fishermen, agents demonstrate teaching by distributing a printed that lists the minimum sizes and quantities for many species. Sometimes too, they have to deal with irate people who make high. Like this woman verbalized feet in the sand and offers ironically controllers to check the winkles. "She is taken away. I found it was ten fifteen abalone which did not meet the minimum size, one of which was barely two inches instead of the nine required. She replied that she would sort it all home. They would have ended directly in the pan. " 

The report was sent to the administrator of Maritime Affairs, which proposes that before any prosecution, financial transactions wrongdoers fishermen. "It can go very far. Up to 1,500 € for the strongest abuse ". In the coming hours, the agents of Maritime Affairs will be very present on the coast. "We will be there throughout the weekend. And do it again for the great tides of March. " Then they resume their hunt for poachers true that act, band, especially at night. 

Another story © Le Télégramme - Plus d’information sur http://www.letelegramme.fr/bretagne/grandes-marees-vos-paniers-20-02-2015-10532144.php

It's the Safety Awareness course in Newlyn today.....

Risk assessment - "Le Kereon" Lighthouse - keeper relief.

Last days of a manned lighthouse - taking off the crew and their gear - in the days before someone in HR came up with the forms for 'risk assessment' - no life-jackets, hard hats or safety lines - all good until something goes wrong, or even worse two things go wrong - then you have a real problem and the blame starts.

Does not look like Le Kereon or Le Jumet lighthouse though? One for you Saffron ;-)