Fine rain heralds in #FishyFriday in Newlyn.

Late landings in light rain from the netters Ajax and Silver Dawn...

with a few boxes of turbot from some, occasionally the white underbelly of turbot has the same pigmentation as the upperside...

hake fishing has been slow for much of the year with water temperatures seeming to favour some species and not others...

many species of fish sport spots...

the lesser known and less often landed sand soles, easily mistaken for Dovers...

there's two sides to every turbot...

from the inshore super eco-friendly handline boats come these brilliant bass...

and pristine pollack...

while this tub gurnard...

displaying the amazing pectoral fins is possibly the largest ever landed on the market at Newlyn...

shagreen ray, once used to decorate small objects...

while blondes are just more fun...

name these fine fleshy fish...

young Mr Wilcox practising his two-step moves on the auction floor...

crawfish, beasts from the deep...

the summers is still seeing limited landings of mackerel from both sides of the Cornish peninsula...

even the Dory king is finding finding them a challenge...

a brace of brill for Tom...

it's all in the numbers for merchants as Mr Smart checks in with base...

skipper Tristan aboard the Silver Dawn all set to move...

as two of his Ghanaian crew let go the bow rope...

two top inshore boats share the early morning fish talk...

as the boys on the Ajax take off damaged hake nets...

still no signs of sardines for boats like the Golden harvest....

a visiting inshore trawler...

just a tiny segment of the sardine net yet to be mended...

things are looking busy in the Canners Slip boatyard...

fresh stores make their way in to the latest restaurant Argoe which is due to open for its first paying customers next week...

while out in the bay the Trinity vessel Galatea is busy servicing a buoy in the calm waters of Gwavas Lake.

 

Please take the survey for the Cornish Fishing & Seafood Strategy 2021

 To chart the course of the Cornish Fishing Industry for the next 20-year journey we need your help...

Cornish Fishing Industry Survey

The survey is open to anyone (including crew/skipper/owner) involved in commercial fishing from a Cornish port.

Back in 2000 the Cornwall Fisheries Taskforce published a 20yr-plan to prioritise the strategic investment of Objective One funding in the Cornish Fishing to best equip it to adapt and prosper during in the period 2000 to 2020.

In 2021, following the UK Exit from the EU and global recovery post-COVID pandemic the industry faces new challenges and opportunities across all sectors of the industry. As part of its plan to address these issues the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation (CFPO) has engaged with the Cornwall Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise (CIoSLEP) to develop a new Cornish fishing strategy. It is hoped this will guide the public sector in Cornwall and provide a clear call to action on the national stage.

To draw up this plan we need to hear the views, thoughts and insights of you – the stakeholders – so if you have an interest in the Cornish Fishing & Seafood industry and its future please take five minutes to complete this short survey.

If you have further comments then please e-mail the project team: cornwallfishingstrategy@gmail.com and we will arrange a call.

To put the current request for feedback, thoughts and ideas in context, in 2000 The "Objective One Partnership for Cornwall and Scilly" created the 

"CORNWALL & ISLES OF SCILLY FISHING INDUSTRY TASK FORCE STRATEGY 2000 – 2010".

The mission was to ensure the long term economic viability and sustainability of the region’s fishing industry and fishing communities and to increase the value of fish to Cornwall by 40%. 

The Fisheries Task Force had identified eight key strategic projects, under the sectors identified below, which would be taken forward in 2002. These projects were to:

1. Commission an ocean recovery plan to identify the future sustainability of all fish stocks in the fishing grounds used by the regions vessels, the economic impact on Cornwall and to identify future conservation measures (gear techniques / closed areas etc). 

2. Provide a dedicated training advisor / coordinator for West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. 

3. Undertake a socio-economic analysis of the fishing industry.
4. Develop a self-financing resource centre. 

5. Provide infrastructure improvements and new premises for fish processing.
6. Develop a Seafood Cornwall quality scheme/kite mark. 

7. Develop infrastructure projects identified by the Newlyn Regeneration study. 

8. Investigate and encourage the provision of a plant to process fish waste.

The document recommends:

• simpler and more regional-oriented rules maximizing the work contribution of Regional Advisory Councils members be applied in the European Union's (EU) Common Fisheries Policy;

• a better use of fishermen’s information in fish stock evaluations; improved communication with the regional fishing industries on pinpointing fleet needs for increased profitability and selective decommissioning;

• improved transparency on quota ownership information useful for future individual business planning;

• and financial assistance in helping the industry apply to the Marine Stewardship Council or other organisations for certification validating the sustainability of certain fisheries. 10

Invest in Fish

Invest in Fish South West is a stakeholder led project launched on April 2004, that seeks to develop a regional strategy for managing fisheries in the Celtic Sea, English Channel and Western Approaches that improves fish stocks in a way that will benefit the marine environment, regional economy and local communities. The project has released four reports in May 2005.

• Imagining Change: A Survey of South West Fishermen - by Invest in Fish South West ¾ The Motivation, Demographics and Views of South West Recreational Sea Anglers and their Socio-economic Impact on the Region by Nautilus Consultants ¾ Analysis of the Interactions between Fishing and Marine Mammals by The Sea Mammal Research Unit, SMRU

• Analysis of the Legal and Institutional Policies Relating to South West Fisheries by The Institute of European Environmental Policy (IEEP)

Relevant biological, economic and social data collected from these reports will also be inputted into the Invest in Fish South West's bio-economic model being developed by The Centre for the Economics and Management of Aquatic Resources at the University of Portsmouth, Cemare, and The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, CEFAS. 

This bioeconomic model is aimed at testing the social, economic and environmental implications of different management options on behalf of Invest in Fish South West. 

One controversial issue at the time concerned the Government's attitude to FIFG funding. 

FIFG funding

The past record of UK matching funding compares very poorly with many other countries, and FIFG money is correspondingly low. This is at least partly the result of the imposition of Treasury spending rules.

The result of the Fontainebleau Agreement is that it’s in the interest of the Treasury to keep the 60% back rather than having no control over the 100% spent. The agreement has therefore provided a disincentive for the UK to draw down EU funding.

The full document can be seen here:

Skippers and owners - your chance to shape the future of fishing;

Fishing vessel owners and skippers are encouraged to take part in our annual survey of the UK fishing fleet. This year’s survey begins on Monday 5 July and will run throughout the summer. Fishing industry leaders have called on owners and skippers to take part.

The annual socio-economic survey asks questions about the financial performance of fishing businesses and demographics of their crew. It gives owners and skippers the chance to share how their business has faired in the last 12 months through changes such as the pandemic and Brexit. All responses are treated as confidential, with no figures from individual vessels revealed.

The Covid-19 pandemic meant that last year’s survey had to take place by post and online. However, the easing of restrictions means that researchers will visit ports and harbours over the summer. Our field researchers Juan Carlos Paredes Esclapez, Oscar Wilkie and Joe Cooper all return to work on the survey for a third year. They will follow local guidance and health and safety protocols as they meet vessel owners and skippers.

Commenting on the launch of the 2021 fleet survey, Marta Moran-Quintana, Economic Analyst, said:

"We’re delighted that our fleet researchers will be able to meet owners and skippers face to face again. Normally about 70% of the fishermen we meet in ports agree to complete the survey. We hope that owners and skippers will again be willing to spare some time to chat with Carlos, Oscar and Joe about their businesses and crew.

 

The fleet survey provides data which is useful to the industry at all levels. From national federations seeking to influence government to individual owners making decisions for their business. It’s only by speaking with all types of fishing businesses that we can provide accurate, comprehensive and current data for the industry."

 Marta Moran-Quintana, Economic Analyst 

Industry figures from across the country have called on vessel owners to take part in the survey. Mike Park from SWFPA, Harry Wick from NIFPO and NUTFA’s Jerry Percy are among those who have spoken out in support of the survey. They have recorded short video messages which highlight reasons for fishing businesses to take part. These will be shared from our social media channels in the coming weeks.

Individual fishing businesses who take part can opt to receive a free benchmark report. This compares their vessel’s economic performance to similar vessels which can help identify areas where improvements can be made. They can also be used as evidence in grant or loan applications. Vessel owners who requested a benchmark report after taking part in last year’s survey should receive it next few weeks.

Our Economics of the UK Fishing Fleet report for 2020 will be published later in the year. The full economic performance dataset has already been released and our Fleet Enquiry Tool has been updated. 

The data shows that the total operating profit of the fleet last year fell by almost a fifth (from £264 million in 2019 to £214 million in 2020.) Turnover, which had been above the £1 billion mark for the previous three years, fell to £843 million. The results are based on last year’s survey results as well as preliminary landings data.

How can I take part in the survey? 

Vessel owners and skippers who are willing to participate in the fleet survey are asked to email fleet.survey@seafish.co.uk with their name email and/or phone number port of operation.

This will allow a meeting with a researcher to be arranged in port or by a telephone or video call.

Loads of prime day boat caught fish in Newlyn - before the rain comes.

 

Red mullet in tip-top condition from the Ocean Fish star ship Enterprise...

how is it that spurdogs always look like and old man who forgot to put their top set of dentures in?..

cod, the unmistakable hue of 'green'...

Newlyn fish auction can seem almost tropical at times...

the market was end-to-end with boxes prime inshore trawl fish from the day boats after a weekend of fine weather...

with the local boats landing monk...

and this mystery fish...

the odd box of octopus...

plenty of tub gurnard - the perfect fish for your BBQ when wrapped in wet newspaper with the belly stuffed full of fresh herbs like fennel and tarragon...

you'd need some platters not plates to serve these cracking turbot whole...

the ever handsome hake...

both main auction halls were full this morning...

today's 'name that fish' challenge...

good to see young Mr Worth landing a bog shot of lemons...

to go with his Dovers...

while the handliners went for quality not quantity...

with some mackerel and plenty of pollack to keep them busy...

while the Stelissa was the only other netter to get a landing in over the weekend...

before the ever-cheerful Magic waived his wand and disappeared over the horizon with Trelawney Fish's morning purchases...

looks like it's a full makeover in progress for the inshore trawler Southern Spirit currently up on the slip...

with a whaleback almost the size of a small trawler there's plenty of room for members of the 'shitehawk' brigade to decorate it with their guano - hence the built-in 'shit shower' in action on the Enterprise...

the smell of sardine shoals arriving must be in the air, that's five sardine nets on the quay now

someone must be happy to have retrieved an entire string of pots lost over the winter...

though not likely to be from these larger members of the crab fleet...

also towed up from the deep, one anchor...

local art work on view...

crab landing time for the Nicola of Ladra...

that's a lot of boat below the waterline...

classic sailing ship Irene at rest.