Lucky live lobsters and langoustine

Anyone getting a chance to visit the FishExpo at the AECC, Aberdeen this week can check out an innovative approach to solving a fishy logistical problem - how to transport fish out of water - well shellfish anyway!

Lobster Pod was designed by husband and wife team marine biologist Keith and Errin Todd - both with substantial experience of inshore fisheries and all things shellfish.

The Lobster Pod is a novel, patent pending live shellfish vivier system. It has been scientifically proven to increase survival to over 99%. The quality of the shellfish is improved by utilising a unique controlled atmosphere system which creates the optimum conditions for lobster, crab, langoustine and other shellfish species. The system is palletised to make road and container transport even more efficient.

They have have just launched the LobsterPod website with more information here:

Ahoy there!

Almost all the fish on the market this morning is top quality inshore fish form the smaller members of the loial fleet who enjoyed a good day's fishing yesterday as the sun shone...

still not around in any great numbers, these John Dory fetched top dollar prices...

and the Imogen III had a big (for an inshore trawler) of megrim soles normally found in quantity in deeper waters, young Roger must have ventured further afield than normal...

this turbot is in top condition - look at the full meaty body cross section...

while the Ajax put ashore a good run of hake...

to keep the buyers on their toes...

with many of the fish in the 2-3Kg grade...

and even more in the 4-5kg grade boxes...

some of the buyers reached for their phones to check on the latest price form other markets...

a sure sign one of the Scottish prawn boats put ashore their whitefish - these boats do not tail the monk like the local boats do...

another day,another day closer to the great Sardine kick-off...

which Baden might not notice while passing the few shops in the viallage...

new to Newlyn it's Becky Cornish's Cornish barber's shop the Cornish Barber...

for a close shave and to look good after a hard week at sea pop into the Cornish Barber opposite the fish market...

across the Bay the sun has yet to burn off the low-lying cloud...

while the Gry Maritha waits for her next sailing orders to the Scillys...

nearing completion, the Ygraine sports her brand new mizzen sail...

looking good from the sharp end...

the home of all good local pirates and ne'er do wells!

Crystal Sea II bound away @ThroughTheGaps

Classic sail in the Bay

The sailing ship Georges Stag makes her way out of the Bay to the Scillys...

while the beam trawler Cornishman positively glows in the evening sun...

resplendent in her new coat of paint after returning from the Dutch shipyard and a major refit...

with some interesting new kit on the deck...

including this huge deck fish pounds...

and an interesting flush deck hatch...

on the New (Mary Williams) Quay is an ultra contemporary looking catamaran from CTruk Boats...

while a classic example of a varnished Scottish woddedn built hull graces one of the pontoon berths...

along with a host of sailing craft as the season gets underway...

Tamar Class relief lifeboat Taylor Freeman has a resting place for the night...

champing at the bit - the four biggest boats in the local Cornish Sardine fleet lie in anticipation of the season to come - everyday they will be listening to the boat-to-boat radio and shoreside conversations of other fishermen to see if there are any signs of the fish appearing in the Bay......

the netter Ajax landed her trip of hake to the market for sale in the morning...

while the Replenish, the biggest of the visiting prawn boats from Scotland waits to go back to sea today...

not far behind the Crsytal Sea II as she heads for the gaps...

and out into open water past the Mount...

while her fishing pal, the Tranquility goes stern on to the end of the quay to run her trawls ashore for repair...

three inshore boats get their fish ashore...

while over in Penzance harbour the Happy Return has returned from a day's sailing in the Bay...

in dock, the beamer James RH gets some serious attention paid to her hull.

Looks like traceability has taken a step further in the USA - trace your individual lobster back home!

If you've ever wondered where the seafood you are eating comes from, you're in luck.

With the help of your smartphone you can now find out who caught the lobster you're boiling up for dinner.  Colemans grocery stores are taking part in the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union's (FFAW) Traceability Project, which lets shoppers know where there food originates before it ends up on their plate.

Judy Bennett, public relations Colemans Judy Bennett of Colemans said the company is very excited to be offering the new program. Lobsters and halibut at Colemans now come with small orange tags, which lets people know where the fish was harvested and who hauled it out of the ocean. 

"You basically scan the QR Code with your phone, and it takes you directly to the website www.thisfish.info," said Judy Bennett, public relations person for Colemans.

"Up pops the website where you can key in the number and you have a complete history of the fisher who caught your lobster - where he caught it, the name of his vessel and a little biography on the fisher, which is just so exciting for us."

Following the fish from the ocean to the plate

The FFAW put the program together to bring the buyer and the fisher together, and Coleman's unveiled the program last week.

Bennett said not only can people look up who caught the fish, they can get in contact with the harvester as well.

"The website is very interactive and you can actually e-mail the fisher after you've gone on the website and give him your comments on what you thought of his product," she said.

"A Swiss chef who opened up a box of lobster in his restaurant scanned the tag with his smartphone and then e-mailed the fisher to say, 'I've eaten your lobster, I really enjoyed it and and from now on I am only going to buy Newfoundland lobster from now on'."

Traceability Project The Traceability Project allows shoppers to scan their food, and find out information such as what it is, where it came from and more. (CBC)

Behind the counter at Colemans, seafood manager Harvey Sampson said a day doesn't go by without people asking where their fish comes from. This program now takes care of that question for them.

"At least people know where our product is coming from," he said.

"It's local and customers do appreciate it."

Right now the tag is only on lobster and halibut, but there is hope that will change and include all seafood sold at Colemans.

A day in the life of inshore fishing and lobster potter girl Pamela

The Girl Pamela is one of Newlyn's inshore fleet of boats that works a range of fishing gear over the course of a year. This ranges from pots to fish for brown crab and lobster to gill nets to fish wrecks for fish like pollack and ling to tangle nets for monk and spider crab. The boat may also use handlines with feathers for mackerel or pollack boards to fish big white fish over wrecks or rough ground.

Classic ship + classic ale!

The good ship Bessie Ellen called in to Newlyn this morning to take on refreshments...

in this instance, two barrels of IPA (India Pale Ale was brewed specifically to survive the long sailing times from England to the Indian continent)...

brewed by the Harbour Lights Brewing Company...

and stowed safely on deck...

along with some cracking fresh langoustine courtesy of the Scottish prawn trawler Maracestina.

Photos courtesy of the Bessie Ellen FB page.