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Wednesday 12 December 2018

It's time to switch on Newlyn Lights this Friday!

Fire up the reindeers and come on down to the harbour for this year's awesome Newlyn Harbour Lights switch-on which starts at 6pm!

After Penlee Lifeboat delivers Santa safely to the quay all children will be given a free a raffle ticket then Father Christmas will pick the winning ticket and that winning ticket will get to turn all the lights on!

Before and after the Carols there will be plenty of drinks and mince pies galore!

Tuesday 11 December 2018

MMO to introduce VMS (Vessel Monitoring System) for the Under 10m sector.

Silvery Sea is a typical Cornish Under10m vessel

The MMO says that with the help of fishermen at ports across the UK, it has developed an app that can be used on a smartphone, tablet or computer to record catches.

Michael Coyle, MMO head of compliance and control, said: “We have been testing the prototype with users, and we will continue to do so as we develop the service. The app is designed to be quick and easy to use, as we want to minimise additional work for fishermen to comply with licence conditions.

“The indications are that it takes just 90 seconds to record a single-species catch via the new app.

“Our aim is to support the viability of the fishing businesses by making fishing sustainable long-term. To do that, we need to better understand the full impact of fishing on stocks.

“Introducing a requirement for under-10m vessels – the majority of the fleet – to record their catch, both quota and non-quota, would give us a much clearer picture of how much fish we are taking from our seas. It would also enable us to act more fairly and efficiently to conserve stocks at levels that support sustainable fisheries in the future.”

A consultation is about to start so the MMO can better understand how catch-recording will affect the under-10s, with a view to launching the change in 2019.

Answering criticism that small fishing businesses already have enough to do without introducing even more reporting, Michael Coyle said, “We understand how hard fishermen and people in the industry work. Our aim is not to introduce more reporting for its own sake, but to support our plan to develop a sustainable fishing industry for the future.

“The new recording arrangements will reduce the paper burden on fishermen. The existing process will be replaced and there will be just one recording requirement, which can be done very quickly via a smartphone.”

DEFRA is already consulting on the introduction of vessel monitoring (iVMS) for the English inshore (under-12m) fleet, and plans a phased roll-out between April 2019 and June 2021. Scotland will introduce iVMS for the under-12s in 2020 (Fishing News, 18 October, ‘VMS for under-12m fleet’).

Michael Coyle said that combined with data from iVMS, the catch-recording information can be used to trial new ways of managing fishing opportunities. This should:

Lead to fairer, more efficient fisheries management
Protect the rights of fishermen
Allow skippers to demonstrate their track record more easily
Prove that the UK is taking appropriate steps to fish more sustainably, which is key to positive marketing for commercial fishing.
The MMO says that fishermen and the industry are gearing up for a period of major change during the coming year, including Brexit, the discards ban, and new digital services from the MMO.

The consultation is expected to start early in January 2019.

NUTFA: ‘More questions than answers’

Commenting on the MMO proposals, New Under Ten Fishermen’s Association (NUTFA) leader Jerry Percy said there was no doubt that electronic vessel monitoring and catch reporting were coming for thousands of the UK’s under-10s.

“The MMO has not suggested any length cut-off point, to date, for smaller vessels, so all we can hope for is that it has a genuine consultation, listens to working fishermen, and recognises and reacts to the practical difficulties involved,” he told Fishing News.

“As ever, the devil will be in the detail, and the proposals already throw up many more questions than answers – not least, just why do small-scale guys need to record and report their catch before it leaves the boat? And just how are they supposed to gauge the weight of catch without scales, when the current system of supplying sales notes within 24 hours provides more accurate information?”

He said the MMO app promotion video makes reporting via smartphone look easy, using only three species – whereas the reality for many under-10s can be very different.

“Many will catch a variety of around 30 species, using a variety of gears and differing soak times, so the reporting process will take a great deal longer than the suggested few minutes.”

Referring to the linked plan to introduce VMS monitoring for the under-12m fleet (Fishing News, 18 October), Jerry Percy said one of the big issues for smaller boats is powering the iVMS kit.

“The MMO’s requirement for ‘type approval’ precludes the use of solar-powered equipment, despite its clear benefits for many under-10s. Past experience also illustrates the problems in getting kit fixed – and without a working iVMS, you will not be allowed to put to sea.

“Try explaining that to a small-scale fisherman who has to wait a week for a service engineer, when no type-approved supplier currently has a network of qualified engineers that can cover the entire country and guarantee a same-day service.”

He said that NUTFA and the Coastal PO – which have particular expertise in this field – will be ensuring that the voice of the under-10s, and common sense, prevail in the consultation process, and subsequently.

“UK officials are apparently confident that they are not envisaging any problems in the roll-out of iVMS to 2,380 vessels. What could possibly go wrong with a large-scale governmental computerised system… ?”

Brexit sweetener? - financial boost for fishing from Gove.

The UK government will table an amendment to its Brexit fisheries bill which will aim to "enshrine its commitment to secure a fairer share of fishing opportunities" for UK fishermen, it has said.

The amendment would place a legal obligation on the secretary of state, when negotiating a fisheries agreement with the EU, to pursue a fairer share of fishing opportunities than the UK currently receives under the common fisheries policy (CFP).

This, the government said, would overhaul the current system where UK fishermen have received a "poor deal that is based on fishing patterns from the 1970s".

"On average between 2012 and 2016 other EU member states’ vessels landed in the region of 760,000 [metric tons] of fish (£540 million revenue) annually caught in UK waters; whereas UK vessels landed approximately 90,000t of fish (£110m revenue) caught in other member states’ waters per year in the same time period."

As well as strengthening the law, the UK environment secretary, Michael Gove, announced £37.2m of extra funding to boost the UK fishing industry during the Brexit "implementation period".

This is in addition to the existing European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) funding, which at €243m over seven years is broadly equivalent to £32m a year, it said.

The government and devolved administrations (Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales) have already committed to match the EMFF funding with around £60m, so the extra funding will support more projects and the sector will benefit by a total of £320m, the government said.

Gove has also committed that the government will put in place new, domestic, long-term arrangements to support the UK’s fishing industry from 2021, through the creation of four new schemes comparable to EMFF to deliver funding for each nation. The devolved administrations will lead on their own schemes.

"We are taking back control of our waters and will secure a fairer share of fishing opportunities for the whole of the UK fishing industry as we leave the EU. The amendment to the Fisheries Bill will give legal weight to this commitment," said Gove.

"New funding will boost the industry as we become an independent coastal state, preparing it to receive a greater share of future fishing opportunities. The new schemes will be introduced after EMFF has closed in 2020. Details of these will be set at the 2019 spending review."

In England, the scheme is designed to:

support innovation -- in technologies to enhance economic growth, reduce environmental impact and improve fishing safety

improve port infrastructure -- so more fish can be landed in UK ports, and help the sector take advantage of new export opportunities after exit

boost coastal communities -- by providing benefits to areas that depend on a vibrant and profitable industry, and

help the sector adjust -- to new arrangements on access and fishing opportunities by improving capacity and capability to exploit new export opportunities and markets.

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation welcomed the amendment to the bill, and the commitment of extra resources for the sector to aid the UK's transition to an independent coastal state and beyond.

"Particularly pleasing is the rejection of French president Emmanuel Macron's suggestion that existing shares of fish be maintained post-Brexit, and the establishment instead of a platform for annual negotiations to move towards much fairer shares."

The industry remains adamant that there must be no link between access to UK waters and trade with the EU, it said. Fears had been growing among the UK fishing sector, as it became clear the text of the fisheries bill left room for such a trade-off.

Monday 10 December 2018

Monday morning's fish market in Newlyn.

Despite poor weather for the end of the week there was plenty of fish on the market this morning...

which included plenty of hake...

and a good shot of beam trawl ray...

a few big turbot...

and a brace of late season John Dory...

best for bass at this time of year, and these beauties are still alive-alive-oh...

that's one serious looking tub gurnard...

beamers are back in the black...

and chasing a few lemons...

plaice...

bidding book at the ready, megrim...

and Dover soles...

good sized cuttles with the St Georges...

making for keen bidding from the buyers...

just one...

of the netter Ajax's hake trip, the penultimate trip before the Christmas break...

with the sardine season over for some it's time for the netter Ygraine to start her white fishing season again...

last minute deck jobs on the deck of the beam trawler Sapphire III...

the shelterdeck of the Galilee is still taking shape...

just into port and the Little Pearl makes another landing of Cornish sardines...

each tub taken immediately to the refrigerated transport...

after they have been brailed ashore...

this part of the fish market...

is like Picadilly Circus at rush hour...

as forklifts ply their trade to and fro...

the landing continues...

as the Sapphire III heads for the gaps...

the sardines keep coming...

the last of the netters fleet to sail like the Ocean Harvest take ice...

as the waiting transport are filled with fish...

dawn breaks in the Bay as others in the fleet set sail...

watched by the ever-watchful Tom...

behind whom, the Newlyn Art Gallery's cafe has one of the best views in town.

Sunday 9 December 2018

Great British shellfish discussion on Farming Today.

Last year, the UK shellfish sector was worth £400,000,000.

In the current Brexit world we live in, BBC Radio 4 Farming Today's Anna Hill talks to David Jarrad from the Shellfish Association of Great Britain and Dr Callum Roberts about Great British shellfish.

Saturday 8 December 2018

Cefas Fisheries Science Programme update for 2019.

Cefas sampling Dover sole otoliths on Newlyn fish market.

Fisheries Science Partnership (FSP)

We want to involve more fishermen in commissioning science projects that will benefit the industry through improved fisheries data or stock assessments and through innovative ideas on gear technology.

To achieve these objectives, the programme will:

deliver demonstration projects that support implementation of Common Fisheries Policy reform, particularly on the landing obligation
provide information from commercial fishing catches on key stocks to supplement data sources traditionally used in ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Seas) assessments
investigate concerns raised by fishermen on scientific assessments or on fish stocks not currently assessed
investigate innovative scientific methods and/or more selective/environmentally friendly fishing methods
support the work of Regional Advisory Councils, e.g. Northwestern Waters Regional Advice Council.

The programme will mainly support projects in UK waters, focusing predominantly on the English fisheries and involve fishing vessels able to take part in the projects.

Seeking project ideas for 2019 to 2020

We are inviting FSP project proposals for the next financial year, 2019 to 2020. Project ideas should be practical, able to deliver a real solution, come from fishermen and meet at least one of the FSP objectives above.

The FSP panel will be particularly interested to see proposals that will help the implementation of Common Fisheries Policy reform, especially innovative approaches to the phased introduction of the demersal landing obligation. Examples include, but are not restricted to:

mixed-fishery and regional approaches
selectivity improvements (including new gear)
discard-survivability studies
spatial adaptations
emerging issues in support of the Advisory Councils (ACs).

Project ideas need to be practical, able to deliver a real solution and be completed during 2019 to 2020. Turning a proposal idea into a scientifically deliverable project is not always easy, so proposers may wish to contact our FSP Contracts Office who can refer applicants to a Cefas scientist for advice related to a particular idea.

The Fisheries Science Partnership Project Idea Form 19-20 (MS Word Document, 66.5KB) is available to help proposers construct a suitable project by prompting the essential required details.

Please note: Submission of a project is not a guarantee that the idea will be funded. Further, all project ideas deemed suitable are then commissioned through a competitive process.

Ideas for proposals for projects must be submitted to the FSP Contracts Office by Friday 1st February 2019.

Once a project idea form is received at Cefas, a check will be done to see if all the details have been provided (locality, time of work, vessel size and type, gear etc.) after which the proposer may be contacted for further details. Those project ideas which are confirmed as suitable will then be subject to a competitive tender process with the projects Invitation to Tender being published on this website. Invitation to Tender documents will be available for downloading from this website along with copies of draft contract and terms and conditions, they can also be obtained from the address below.

Please note that there are strict deadlines for tender submissions.