From Santa to sardines!

 

Skipper Danny Downing brining home the catch...

and landing astern of the Inter-Nos ,both boats full to capacity and hopefully a return to more consistent fishing at the start of 2026.

Mapping Fishing Effort through AIS Data

This research examines the feasibility of using Automatic Identification System (AIS) data as a high-resolution alternative to the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) for mapping fishing effort across the European Union. While VMS has traditionally been the primary tool for spatial fisheries research, its use is often limited by confidentiality restrictions and a low temporal resolution, typically transmitting data only every two hours. In contrast, AIS data is publicly accessible and provides updates every few seconds to minutes, potentially allowing for far more precise mapping of fishing activities.

The sources detail three primary areas of investigation:

• System Adoption: Following EU regulations in May 2014 making AIS compulsory for fishing vessels over 15 metres, the study found a 75% uptake rate within the EU fleet by August 2014.
• Methodology: Using the Swedish fleet as a case study, researchers developed a data-driven approach to distinguish between fishing and "steaming" (transit). This involves using an Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm to identify bimodal speed profiles, where lower speeds indicate active fishing.
• Validation and Resolution: The method was validated against detailed Swedish logbook data, demonstrating that AIS can produce fishing effort maps with a resolution of 1 nautical mile or less, providing a significantly more detailed view of environmental impacts than standard reporting.

Despite these advantages, the research highlights ongoing challenges, including discontinuous signal coverage in offshore areas and the current inability of AIS to provide direct data on catch volumes or species, which still necessitates integration with traditional logbooks.

The following materials—including a mindmap, slideshow video, and infographic—illustrate these technical processes, adoption statistics, and the comparative strengths of AIS in modern fisheries science.

Merry Christmas!

 

That's it for the fish for 2025!

All quiet in the harbour on Christmas Eve.

These guys couldn't have foreseen the coming...

of these fish in such numbers that they would be fishing for them exclusively for most of the year...

while the beam trawl fleet continue to land less common fish like these tub gurnards...

in addition to their more traditional fayre of monk...

and lemons...

and these which go to be used as bait by the crabbers now tirned to fishing for eight-leggers...

time to clear the market for the last time...

land for the last time...

and put up the rest of the decorations.

 

Newlyn market report: A week of strong landings and impressive prices!

Here's a rundown of the week in Newlyn for landings.

The week kicked off on Monday with a substantial 41 tonnes landed by six netters and the inshore fleet. MSC Hake dominated with a hefty 29.2 tonnes, alongside notable amounts of Mediterranean Octopus (4.4t) and Haddock (2t). Early prices were particularly strong for N2 Monkfish, reaching an impressive £30.28/kg, and N3 Megrim sole which fetched £9.05/kg.

Mid-week saw consistent activity. On Tuesday, a stern trawler, two netters, and the inshore fleet brought in 12.9 tonnes. MSC Hake again led the way with 4.2 tonnes, complemented by 1.2 tonnes of Pollock and 0.9 tonnes of Cuttlefish. Good prices were reported across the board for all species auctioned.

Wednesday proved another busy day, with three beamers, four part-trip netters, and the inshore fleet contributing 24 tonnes. Mediterranean Octopus (3.8t), Megrim sole (3t), and Monkfish (3t) were among the highest volume species. Price-wise, Wednesday delivered some of the week's most eye-catching figures, with N1 Turbot rocketing to £49.62/kg and N1 Red Mullet not far behind at £27.49/kg. N1 Monkfish also continued to show strength at £31.72/kg.

Almost wrapping up the week, Thursday's sale saw 21.2 tonnes landed by two beamers and the inshore fleet. Megrim sole was the top volume species at 4.3 tonnes, with Mediterranean Octopus (1.9t) and Monkfish (2.7t) also making significant contributions. Once again, strong prices were achieved for all species throughout the sale.

Overall, it's been a busy week at Newlyn, showcasing the diverse range and quality of seafood coming into the port, and the consistent demand that drives these excellent prices.

Winding down for the Xmas break, last landing of the year for the St Georges

The fuel man is on the case...

the guys are on the gear...

and up in the wheelhouse, young Jimmy is keeping an eye on proceedings

all the netters are in tied up after their final tide of the year...

as the St Georges makes her final landing...

another eventful one for skipper Phil...

and the guys down below in the fishroom...

good to see their on-board diet is all for keeping scurvy at bay...

and it looks like they've just taken delivery of next year's tide table from the old firm, a break with tradition as this year there is no featured boat - something the guys will be happy about as, in the past, being featured on the annual tide table meant you would fall foul of the 'curse of the calendar' as almost certainly you'd immediately be tied up for months with a massive breakdown!

 

Capturing the importance of English fishing grounds

 

Why is Defra doing this?

Many conversations and decisions are happening around how marine space should be used, especially with competing priorities such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and offshore wind. These decisions often rely only on environmental and economic data, but the UK Government are now exploring how to consider data related to why fishermen value certain fishing grounds for reasons other than for money – in other words, the social and cultural values of fisheries. These values might include things like family ties to fishing grounds, places of safety during storms, and love of coastal landscapes.

‘Mapping what Matters’ is the next step in how to recognise and take account of the socio-cultural values tied to fishing grounds in England. The project has been designed with the close involvement of a working group of fishermen.

This is a Defra project collaborating with different organisations. This includes the Defra social science team, a team of consultants from ABPmer, some individuals from the fishing industry providing support & guidance, and Fishing into the Future, who are helping with outreach and project engagement.

Why should you take part? By telling us the reasons for where you fish and why, these reasons are considered in planning decisions on marine spaces in England – decisions ranging from offshore wind development to MPA selection to Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs).

You will also have the option of accessing a high-level version of the map for your area, combining the contributions of multiple fishermen, to submit as evidence to consultations, such as local planning decisions.

How can you take part?

The project is currently in a pilot phase, so that we can road-test our data collection process. We are carrying out the pilots in Brixham and Yorkshire during winter 2025/26. All fishermen – whether active or not – in these two areas are encouraged to participate.

Click here to find out all you need to know about Brixham

 
You can take part by coming to one of the drop-in sessions we will be holding close to quaysides. We’ll soon be providing more information about the times and locations of the drop-ins, with these to be planned around fishing activity.

At the drop-in, you will be asked to draw on charts any fishing areas that are important to you for non-economic reasons and to comment on why each area matters to you. The process should only take about 20 minutes in all.

If you can’t attend one of the drop-ins or would prefer not to participate in person, you can do so by post or over the phone instead.

What will happen to the information you provide? 

The information you give us will be converted into digital form, made anonymous, and combined with that of other contributors so that it cannot be attributed to you.

The final result will be a map of areas that fishermen consider important for reasons that go beyond economic ones – so even if an area does not significantly contribute to the economy, but sustains livelihoods in a local community or is important for other reasons, it can be considered. The map will be an important resource for decision makers to better understand the impacts on fishing communities of marine spatial planning and prioritisation, offshore wind development, MPA selection and Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs).

How was the project designed? 

We conducted a design phase of the project in early 2025, in which a working group of active fishermen, an advisory steering group, and the project team worked alongside Defra to co-design a framework for the data collection.

As per the working group’s recommendations, we are first conducting a ‘pre-pilot’ with a small group of fishermen, to test the method on a smaller scale and enable it to be fine-tuned before running the full pilots in Brixham and Whitby.

Once the method has been fully tested and agreed by the working group and steering group through the pilots, the plan is to roll the project out more widely to anyone fishing commercially in English waters through more local drop-in sessions and postal contributions.