Sole searching.

Derricks raised, the Brixham beam trawler,  Julie of Ladram makes her way to the gaps...

to land a big trip of Dover sole...

 from the Bristol Channel...

with big tides most of the fleet are in and landed...

though the crabbing fleet stop for nothing...

one visiting scalloper Debbie V...

while on the Julie it's all eyes down the fishroom guiding up the boxes...

where even if skipper Shaun doesn't exactly look over the moon...

relief skipper Nathan Marshall seems happy enough despite the fact that, unlike his old skipper Billy Worth's new Ocean Fish flagship Enterprise... 

Nathan can only land four not eight boxes at a time, so his 167 boxes of Dover sole and 223 of other mixed fish while take a while to put ashore...

for Monday's market in Brixham (the trip made much lees than expected - on a normal market it would almost certainly have been the port record)...

not that Nathan's two boys seem over impressed either, they just want Dad home...

but not before the job is done...

some parts of the fleet are turning orange...

that's two lorries bound for Brixham...

the Ivan Ellen is back ready to relieve the relief boat...

Crystal Sea has her doors ashore...

busy enough down the quay...

yet again the flags in the harbour...

fly at half mast...

Monday sees a hazy start to the day...

with plenty of top quality inshore fish up for auction...

there's a good mix of white fish...

the odd cod...

but big trips of rays for the inshore trawlers who have the knowledge and ear to target them...

this time of year is when many species spawn on selected grounds, hence the boxes of big roes from fish like pollack and cod...

hake, however are a different kettle of fish, they spawn from around February all the way through to July......

at this time of year there are more profitable fish to target than cuttles...

name that ray...

pollack are plentiful at this time of year as they head for their favourite spawning ground...

while these little chaps...

get much attention form the Belgian and local beam trawlers that have quota for them in the Channel - and the Navy's fisheries protection boat has arrived on the scene to referee proceedings.....

the Immy stuck to targeting ray...

while Ocean Fish's new Enterprise made the long steam down to the deep waters SW of Newlyn to target the increasingly popular Cornish aka, megrim sole...

and a good few boxes of monk...

all the inshore boats had good shots of grund fosh...

while Brackan on the Spirited Lady decided to hunt for haddock...

and the New Venture landed a very impressive 12 boxes of Dovers...

now if only I had known...

there's a few mackerel around at the moment...

and the odd bass...

and an even more lonesome black bream...

lemons are always worth picking up...

our annual Canadian visitors, the turnstones, pick over the market scraps...

and everyone is happy in their work it seems, that's what happens when you work smart not hard.

Live shellfish exports to the EU - who knew what and when?

Seems someone somewhere didn't do their homework.

The EU shellfish issue has further exposed the total incompetence of those who campaigned for Brexit and, having ‘taken back control’, now find themselves in positions of power. In what must surely rank as one of the most humiliating letters ever received by a UK government minister, DEFRA Secretary George Eustice has had to be schooled in his own advice by EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides.

Former UKIP member Eustice had written to Ms Kyriakides on 8 February, claiming to have been “surprised that the Commission has changed its position” on the question of importing live, bivalve molluscs for depuration from waters classified as ‘Class B’ into the EU.

The minister argued that the trade should be allowed to continue, suggesting the EU had somehow sprung a ban on Britain’s shell fishermen.

“We can see no scientific or technical justification for this change and the news was conveyed to us rather casually and after the event. This is not in the collaborative and cooperative spirit in which we wish to work together going forward”, he complained.

EU Commissioner Stella Kyriakides wrote back (below) two days later, gently reminding the hapless Eustice that he himself has personally written and signed a letter to stakeholders on 10 December setting out the precise position, the one he was claiming to have been ‘surprised’ by, with crystal clarity. 

Eustice had clearly either not read or not understood his own advice to UK stakeholders.

Imagine, writing a letter of complaint, only to be shown your own letter from two months earlier as evidence that there was nothing to be complained of.

Pointing out the EU was only applying the same rules that had been in force when Britain was a member, Kyriakides’ response contained this ignominious paragraph:

“This was rightly pointed out in your letter of 10 December 2020 to UK businesses updating them on the Border Operating Model and specifically on Prohibitions and Restrictions applicable following the end of the transition period on 1 January 2021. In your letter, you correctly underlined that the export of live bivalve molluscs from Class B production areas for further depuration in the EU would not be allowed.”

There it was under his very own signature:

See the relevant section of the advice from Eustice to fishermen on 10 December below. Extract from George Eustice’s letter to stakeholders 10 December 2020 The EU Commissioner ended her letter:

“I hope that this clarifies the EU requirements that have applied for many years to the import of live bivalve molluscs from third countries into the EU, and which do now apply to such imports from Great Britain and the UK Crown Dependencies.”

Former Labour MEP Richard Corbett said:

“The hypocrisy and incompetence of Tory Brexit ministers is jaw dropping. They wanted Brexit, told us ‘Brexit means Brexit’, and now complain about the consequences of Brexit!

“Did they not think that the EU would continue to apply its rules – rules that Britain helped create as a member? Did they believe that walking out of the EU would mean that it would waive its rules in favour of a non-member?”

It seems that not only did MP George Eustice know last year that the UK shellfish industry would encounter export problems but the rest of UK govt knew this months ago and appears to have tried to hide the fact. Ten weeks ago Eustice circulating a researched briefing with warnings to Government colleagues on the impossibility of exporting (live shellfish untreated) after 1st January 2021.

Expanded Seafood Response Fund for the UK’s seafood and aquaculture sectors.

Government has announced enhanced financial support for the seafood industry with cash grants for seafood and aquaculture businesses across the UK.

In January, the Government made available £23 million for seafood exporters that suffered a financial loss because of delays related to the export of fresh or live fish and shellfish to the EU during January 2021.

Having listened to concerns from fishing businesses across the UK, Defra will now be expanding the eligibility criteria to target catching and shellfish aquaculture businesses which have been affected by a reduction in demand from the hospitality sector in the UK and abroad, as well as disruption of exports to the EU. These expanded criteria will mean more businesses can get the support they need.

The scheme, which is similar to last year’s Fisheries Response Fund set up in response to the coronavirus pandemic, will open in early March and provide a grant payment to cover up to three months of average business fixed costs incurred between January and March 2021. It will help catching and shellfish aquaculture businesses with costs such as insurance, equipment hire and port fees.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: 

Our fishermen are at the heart of many of our coastal communities and we recognise the impact of coronavirus and the end of the transition period on them. This expansion of our £23 million support package will ensure many more businesses can benefit from government support.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to the closure of critical markets, and this has been exacerbated by issues faced by exporters at the border. We will continue to ensure we are listening to our fishing and seafood industry as we work to resolve these issues, and work with them to build up the industry in the months and years ahead.

UK Government Minister for Scotland, David Duguid said: 

Over the last few months, we have been listening to the seafood industry and have continued to monitor the impacts that the pandemic and export disruption has played on prices, exports and the market.

I am confident in the quality of Scottish fish and seafood but for many fishing businesses the lack of demand in the hospitality trade in the UK and further afield has had a real impact on market prices.

While we continue to take steps to beat this virus and work with the sector to resolve export issues - this expanded support scheme will help the many small and medium sized fishing businesses that support so many of our coastal communities.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis said: 

The fishing industry plays an important role in Northern Ireland for its people and communities, supporting around 2,000 jobs.

This expansion of the government’s £23 million response fund will ensure that the fisheries and aquaculture industry in Northern Ireland receives the financial and practical support it needs.

Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart said: 

The expansion of the Seafood Disruption Support Scheme highlights the UK Government’s commitment to Welsh exporters who are currently facing a uniquely challenging period.

We want to back our fantastic Welsh businesses and I encourage all who are eligible to apply for this support.

The main features of the scheme are:

• For the UK catching sector, the fund will be open to under 40m vessel owners with fishing licences and who have a track record of fishing in the winter months. 

• The scheme will offer support to UK shellfish aquaculture businesses, support will be provided on average ongoing costs based on Full-time equivalent (FTE) employees per business. 

• Businesses who have received a grant under the recent Seafood Producers Resilience Fund in Scotland will not be eligible for the UK scheme. 

• The Marine Management Organisation will administer the fund across the UK on behalf of Defra, contacting eligible registered owners and licence holders directly with details of how to apply, starting in early March.  A single payment will be made to cover a proportion of fixed costs over a three-month period from January to March 2021. 

The funding follows targeted support to help exporters with new processes. This includes the Seafood Exports Working Group, meeting twice a week to troubleshoot issues raised by the industry; and a newly established Scottish Seafood Exports Task Force.

The UK fishing and seafood sector is also set to benefit from significant government investment with a £100 million fund to help modernise fishing fleets, the fish processing industry, and rejuvenate an historic and proud industry in the UK, on top of the £32 million that will replace EU funding this year.

The Government also continues to seek urgent resolution to export issues, including the EU ban on the import of class B live bivalve molluscs and will explore further ways producers can continue to export this valuable seafood. UK mussels and oysters are highly sought after, at home and abroad. The sector has been highly impacted by Covid restrictions, and now barriers to trade imposed by the EU.

There is also wider support from the Government to the sector including the on-going Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the furlough scheme and the recently launched SME Brexit Support Fund to help businesses deal with export requirements.

Published 21 February 2021 From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, David Duguid MP, The Rt Hon George Eustice MP, The Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP, and The Rt Hon Simon Hart MP Fishing boats in harbour The

Fishing into the Future

 

Some great news for the future of the fishing industry in the UK, read on:

Fishing into the Future (FITF), an independent UK charity led by people working in the fishing industry, has formed a partnership with the Fishmongers’ Company. The partnership includes a substantial grant to implement a three-year work programme that builds on their innovative learning and leadership initiative. This work is being coordinated by Fisheries and Seafood expert, Emma Plotnek, who has been brought on board to take on the role as FITF’s Programme Manager.

Education, education, education.

The major initiatives enabled by this grant will build on the charity’s education and leadership programme as well as strengthen an established peer-learning network. Since its inception, FITF has been instrumental in delivering unique learning opportunities designed to equip fishermen, scientists and fisheries managers with the knowledge, connections, and confidence to work together towards effective fisheries management, for a sustainable and prosperous UK fishing industry. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, FITF is currently focused on building relationships and knowledge remotely through an online network and series of digital interventions and events, aiming to restart face-to-face activities later in 2021.

Crystal Sea SS118  in Newlyn.

Fishing into the Future’s Chairman, Dave Stevens, owner and skipper of the demersal trawler, Crystal Sea SS 118, remarks on the importance of charity’s work and the benefit the support from The Fishmongers’ Company will bring:

“Improving regular communication between stakeholders is fundamental if we are to build trust among industry players, but on top of this we aim to increase the impact of these conversations by improving how we talk and listen to one another. When you compare a fisherman’s background with that of scientists and policy makers, we have a very different formation and experience, which puts us at risk of not making ourselves heard - or lacking the technical language to communicate what we know best through experience. Thanks to the support from the Fishmongers’ Company, we can continue devise and deliver solutions to help communication, build transparency and foster co-management that is nurtured by collaborative data collection and science.”

Fishmongers Hall, from London Bridge.

Support from funders such as the Fishmongers’ Company, and the voluntary input from FITF’s Trustees is vital to prove the concept that viable solutions to complex problems can be achieved through building knowledge and understanding among people working in UK fisheries.

Additional time and expertise is provided by Alison Freeman, Fisheries Programme Manager on the Fisheries Team at Fishmongers’ Company. She added “At Fishmonger’s we support a wide range of projects, grants, and convening to build and safeguard a prosperous and sustainable fishing industry that benefits its users. This collaboration aims to help build a transdisciplinary approach to fisheries management that emphasises the need for collaborative problem‐solving among stakeholders.”

Through additional funding from Seafarers UK, FITF has hired fisheries and seafood lead, Emma Plotnek, to coordinate this new programme of work. Emma is currently focused on strengthening and developing FITF’s network to improve knowledge, cohesion and collaboration within the UK fishing sector. This includes preparing events and tailored workshops, so that a representative pool of people within the catching sector can participate in management, science, and business scenarios. Emma adds: “Once the value of this work is fully appreciated, we hope the work delivered by FIFT will become integrated into the foundations of a prosperous UK fishing sector, based on effective dialogue, collaboration and a mutual understanding. “

The Charity’s work depends on engagement from a fully representative body of supporters and if you would like to find out more about Fishing into the Future they can be contacted on the phone, via email or on social media:

emma@fitf.co.uk

07311812105

Facebook: @FishingintotheFuture

Twitter: @fishing_future

Fishing reports on trawling from Farming Today this week.

 

Radio 4's Farming Today ran a series of reports specifically focussing on various types of trawling in the UK.

Monday: Farming Today starts a week-long look at trawling; how it works, how the industry could be affected by Brexit and what happens now the UK has more control over what happens in its waters. We start the week by speaking to Bryce Stewart, a fisheries biologist and associate professor at the University of York. 

Tuesday: Ahead of his speech at the National Farmers Union Conference - this year hosted virtually - the DEFRA Secretary, George Eustice, answers questions in a wide-ranging interview covering topics from the compensation for seafood businesses effected by export delays to the future of farm payments. And the Marine Management Organisation is consulting on plans to prevent bottom trawling on the Dogger Bank and three other Marine Protected Areas. 

Wednesday: Heather Simons finds out how fish markets have been impacted this year by the COVID pandemic, and by the UK leaving the EU. 

Thursday: A look at how dredging for scallops can be made more sustainable. Plus we discuss what a recent ban on Pulse Trawling might mean for scientific fishing innovation. 

Friday: The owners of a Hull-based trawler, which catches about 1 in 10 of every fish we buy from the chippy, warn they will be forced to stop fishing unless the government sorts out quotas. The Kirkella forms most of the UK’s distant waters fleet - she can take 12 tonnes of fish in one haul and then process and freeze it in an onboard factory. But since Brexit the UK has no fishing deal with Norway, in whose waters The Kirkella fishes. It all used to be negotiated by the EU, now the UK has left, we need our own agreement - which hasn't happened yet. Jane Sandell from UK Fisheries which owns the trawler, says unless that changes, The Kirkella and its 100 crew members are in trouble. She's seeking reassurances from the fisheries minister Victoria Prentis who says there should be a deal in the next couple of weeks.

BBC Farming Today on Sounds.

George Eusrace, less than generous with the truth?

George Eustice was being deceptive on TV. I have read the Fisheries section of the TCA and undepurated shellfish export isn’t mentioned. This omission means the UK would abide by current EU regulations if it isn’t in Exit Legislation.

Eustice claims the EU “said” there wouldn’t be an issue with exports like it was an agreement they had whilst chatting over a pint. And he said they said there are Export Health Certificates which would cover unpurified bivalves. He is either lying or ignorant. The only EHC which covers bivalves specifies they need to be purified or fit for human consumption. There’s no ambiguity on this certificate and no Health Officer would sign an EHC to allow export of my oysters which have not been purified and are therefore not legally safe to eat yet. 

Eustice is being absurd suggesting there was a ‘one size fits all solution’ which Europe ‘said’ was fine This issue is not about public health. It is about industry warning that there would be huge problems if Govt didn’t acknowledge and fix them. Apparent Gentleman’s Agreements isn’t governance. 

There needed to be adequate bio security measures agreed on paper The TCA didn’t cover this issue so quite simply it fell into Third Country rules even though Eustice was warned and now he is blaming others for his apathy and ignorance.

Courtesy of Twitter feed.

Brexit and fishing, seven weeks on.

BBC1's Countryfile ran a short piece by Charlotte Smith who investigated whether Brexit is delivering all it promised for the UK’s fishing industry. 

Julie of Ladram steaming for Newlyn last week.

Among others, she caught up with Sprat aka Mike Smith aboard the Brixham beam trawler Julie of Ladram who featured on Countryfile during the first lockdown. Make up your own mind.