The Anthology of Rural Life - Photographic Archive at Newlyn Art Gallery

The project will be open on Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th between 10am - 12am.

Open to all!

The Anthology of Rural Life is a collaborative photographic project whose intention is to produce a record of life in rural communities across Europe. So far work has been produced in Cornwall, south west Finland and the Italian Alps with new work being planned for eastern Poland in July 2017.

The project has involved working in partnership with, amongst others, the Cornish Studies Archive, Arts Council England, SARKA (the Finnish National Museum of Rural Life), Plymouth University, the Institute of Contemporary Photography, Milan and the University of Life Sciences in Warsaw.

As part of our residency with the Transitions programme we would like to invite x3 groups of individuals from the local community into the Newlyn Gallery on Tuesday 21st, Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th of February between 10am and 12 am.

Photographer Colin Robins is on hand to talk about the archive...

There will be an opportunity to view the exhibition of ARL work, to speak to the photographers, discuss the work on show and to get involved with editing a journal of the work which can be taken away and kept by the participants.

and your selected prints can be arranged and taken away in book form.

We are very aware of the history of the involvement between artists and the Newlyn community which goes back to the Newlyn School of Painting of the late nineteenth century. It seems apt and appropriate to acknowledge that history with this contemporary community project.

Deep-sea trawler skipper, Mevagissey.

Colin Robins, one of the photographers says:

"Ideally we would like to have representatives from three distinct, but related groups:

• Retired fishermen and/or wives of retired fishermen

• Those involved in the contemporary fishing industry

• Women from the local Newlyn community (perhaps wives of working fishermen)

The ARL’s involvement with the Newlyn Gallery will allow for the interaction of members of the contemporary fishing community with a project that documents rural life now. The intention will be realised through discussion about the work within the gallery and the physical engagement of working with photographs (editing, sequencing and binding) which will then be taken back into the Newlyn community.

One of the significant things for us is the history of artist's interactions with the Newlyn (fishing) community which of course goes back to the C19th & is commemorated at Penlee House in Penzance. The Newlyn Gallery was established as a showcase for 'Newlyn School' painting so seems an appropriate venue to explore this relationship today. However we're keen to kind of reverse the trajectory and have the community look at us rather than the other way around."

NFFO encourages vessel owners to make the most of EMFF

The NFFO is encouraging fishing vessel owners to make use of the EMFF funds not only to gain early minimum compliance with the upcoming codes but to improve the vessel safety beyond that which is required. Changes in the new codes where EMFF money can assist are vessels under 15m which will require an EPIRB with a built-in GPS receiver. However, if the vessel is less than 10m or operates single handed, owners can instead opt for a PLB with a GPS receiver for each crew member. An open vessel between 7m and 15m, or a decked vessel between 7m and 10m will also now be required to carry a liferaft.

Crew of the Robert Louise with EPIRB and Liferaft from previous NFFO initiative.

NFFO Safety and Training Officer Robert Greenwood, who is also the chairman of the FISG Promotion of Safety Group commented: “The biggest improvement in terms of safety isn’t necessarily going to come from the equipment but the requirement for emergency drills. If every vessel did regular emergency drills they not only would be prepared in case the worst ever happened, but they would also be raising awareness of what and how an accident could occur – hopefully this awareness will reduce the chance of an accident.”

The FISG members are all keen to ensure that for these particular items there should be a two year phase-in period to help owners reduce the cost of the equipment. The phase-in period allows EMFF money to be used to help with the cost of the items which remain non-mandatory during the phase-in period.

“This is a great example of the type of co-operation that occurs as a result of the Fishing Industry Safety Group,” Robert Greenwood said. “Although not a requirement, it is recommended that all vessels carry both a vessel mounted EPIRB and PLBs for everyone.”

“EMFF offers a great opportunity to improve safety and we will help any members with their needs, as I am sure all federations and associations will. This year we have a focus on man overboard and have worked with Fibrelight to develop an affordable man overboard ‘dummy’ which is now available from ADEC Marine where members can receive a 12.5% discount on all sales, servicing and hiring,’ he said.

“I would encourage owners wishing to submit an EMFF application to consider adding MOB prevention, mitigation and rescue into their plans.”

Cornish fishermen can contact Chris Ranford at Seafood Cornwall Training (SCT) for more information.

Tuesday's market, full of quality fish again.

Although just the two beam trawlers are indicated on the landings board...

the inshore netter, New Harmony landed a good shot of monk...

and bigger netters like the Gary M and Charisma landed bigger shots of large white fish like pollack, haddock...

and whiting...

while the beam trawlers supplied megrim, Dover and lemon soles along with monk...

at this time of year bass head inshore in numbers for their favourite spawning grounds off Plymouth, the Lizard and Land's End...

with a few black bream just tagging along...

a good run of MSC Certified hake filled the western end of the market along with other inshore fish...

outside the market, the Bonnie Grace makes ready to catch a few hours fishing close inshore ahead of the impending gloomy forecast for the rest of the week. - maybe one day someone will do some research on how significant the weather is in the business of fishing for a living

Monday morning - biggest market this year.

A tad misleading with the netters Britannia V, Ajax, Lamorna, Little Pearl  and  New Harmony missing off the landing board...

as Monday's market is by far the biggest for the year...

top quality inshore fish from the Lizard...

numero uno megrim soles from the beamers...

along with monk - megs and monk make up the bulk of any beam trawl trip...

along with smatterings of Dover sole - the boats would land many more of these fish but under the present rigid quota system the boats are forced to dump tons of Dovers almost every trip - and it is not a fish easily avoided...

every ray has a unique, QCode like mark...

plaice come with orange and red spots

none of your £40,000 landings of cuttles in Newlyn needed to break port records, all eyes will be on the St Georges when she lands to see if Billy can wrestle the record back from relief skipper, Juicy, no pressure Bill ;-) ...

the frilly brill...

the not so frilly thornback ray's tail...

ahead by a short nose...

what to look for in fresh fish, bright, shiny eyes and blood-red gills...

black bream beauty...

Roger must have been smiling when these guys dropped out of the cod end on to the deck...

along with these cracking red mullet...

the other end of the market with nearly 1,500 boxes of big white fish...

so much fish that some of Ajax's trip was squeezed between the two market ends...

and the rest helped fill the rest...

and a good run of larger sizes was evident...

even the fridge was packed...

 with mainly handline mackerel...

cod is often referred to as 'green', not hard to see why when it is this fresh...

and added bonus for the beam trawlers are big prime flat fish like these turbot...

not a breath over the harbour this morning...

and, apart from the sad and sorry Excellent,  the only boats in port are those between trips...

as one of the shore crew make their way down the quay...

signs of an industry with enough faith to invest in new builds for the future, with the port's largest sardine boat nearing completion in the foreground for Stefan Glinski and Rowse's latest big crabber being fitted out and all lit up...

Newlyn is one of the port's who pioneered recycling old fishing nets - though a new startup company, @FishyFilaments is developing some amazing technology to convert these old nets into the raw materials used by 3D printers - you can do your own bit to help the environment by supporting the venture via their crowdfunding page - a great cause championed by a local business with the support of the fleet...

a step nearer the bus pass for Rose!

BTW this was fishing news from the far west of Cornwall post 6,500!

Typical early morning in Newlyn.

Short video mashup of Newlyn waking up - can be viewed in HD.

#FishyFriday in Newlyn and the market is full of the finest fish

The boats they came 4X4, four beam trawlers and four inshore trawlers...

filled the market this morning...

with the ever-present haddock...

and even a good dose of pouts...

but it was megrim soles that made up the biggest part of the beam trawler trips...

along with monk tails of course...

with plenty of rays on Newlyn fish market this #FishyFriday morning...

the biggest of the beamers landed the biggest of the fish including these huge turbot...

along with a trio of brill...

some very fine ling, which, by the way make perfect fish for fish cakes and fish pie...

along with several boxes of big ray wings from the inshore trawler, Millennium...

a fishy tail, but which one?...

sometimes conger eels just look plain mean...

it is hard to imagine how these 'claspers' at the base of the tail on a male ray with their razor sharp hooks buried within the folds of skin figure in more intimate moments of a ray's love life, but they do...

red mullet, a favourite fish for BBQs found throughout the Mediterranean...

what about a scallop or two dozen...

plenty of mackerel on both coasts...

never mind Norwegian Skrei - here is some top quality Cornish cod to match our Scandinavian cousins' any day...

another fishy tail, but which one?..

still no sign of any real quantities of squid on the grounds...

the beast that is the tub gurnard - a must-do-dish when baked in salt...

Keith Floyd's 'King of Fish', the bass...

looks like Roger on the Imogen III needn't get his JD trawl on the net drum just yet, early days as this beautiful fish prefers the summer months before it comes close inshore - presumably to bask in warmer waters...

hardly a ripple this morning...

as the gulls head off in search of breakfast...

another day roping up new pots for the Rowse boys...

as the latest sardine boat, Pelagic Marksman to join the fleet nears completion of her fitting out and begins to see her deck gear and nets put aboard...

the old pilot's office is quiet enough...

as skipper Don on the Filadelfia takes on fuel...

not quite as busy as in the late 1970s and 80s but the harbour is still home to a considerable number of small inshore boats, punts and toshers...

who fish in the most sustainable and environmentally friendly way for high quality fish like crab and lobster...

having shot the net a few hours ago, @Cornish_lobster picks out enough mackerel which when salted down will provide enough bait for his pots in the coming lobster season...

but a few of the bigger boys will just have to go home for supper!