Thursday 14 July 2022

Supermoon sardines.

Wednesday 13 July 2022

RIP Pussen, the feral harbour cat.

For those who have lived and worked on the harbour in Newlyn over the past 10 years, the sight of a black and white feral cat hunting for rats in the rocks by the RNLI boathouse wouldn’t have been a strange sight. She had a great bounty there which kept her fit.

The hunting ground

But as for her main food supply she depended on the many pigeons that housed in the wall face on the way to the net sheds opposite Trelawney fish shop. It was in this location that I was lucky enough to see her engage in what she did best.

Pussen pose

I rigged gillnets in the end shed which gave me a front seat to the act. I called her to me almost daily after that but she showed no interest until I saw her pass one day and offered her some fresh ham from my lunch. This she accepted from a distance and turned up regularly after that, head to one side looking at me from 4 metres away. After a month or so the distance between us lessened until one day she was sat in front of me in the shed. It took another few weeks before she allowed me to stroke her and then the friendship began in earnest.

Fred and Pussen

Like every new addition to the family, a name was needed for her. At the time I was reading Ulysses by James Joyce whose main character’s cat was called The Pussens which I though quite apt as a celebration of my Irish heritage.

From then on she had proper cat food which I bought at the local Co-op and eventually ‘moved in’ to the shed that winter where she had a nice warm bed and a dry home. Her rent was paid by a constant supply of rats of which we had plenty. But after a month the population of vermin lessened and moved home to safer ground. Over the following 8 years she still had an occasional gift for me in the form of a headless pigeon or some of the aforementioned rats. Comically, when I turned up at the shed some mornings she was always vocal on entering the shed and was great company watching me rig nets; always appearing out of nowhere as soon as she heard the kettle boiling, which telegraphed a possible morsel from my sandwich.

I often spotted her hunting in the rocks by the boathouse. On calling her name, which she had got used to after a few weeks (or maybe the brogue of my voice) she would come running across the footpath to the shed at a great pace, a trick that could have won me many bets with the lads when I told them that she comes to her name from 50 yards. Their surprise was always good to behold as she got closer letting me know she was just there. She was always wary of people and only came to me and my partner Liz and my son Jude who loved her dearly.

Net-setting in the net-shed.

For the following years she was great company until I noticed a change in her about two months ago. Two weeks ago I took her to a vet in town where I registered her. They diagnosed her with kidney problems and they gave me medication for her. Unfortunately she didn’t rally at all and her quality of life and her health deteriorated. She stopped eating and lay about in the same spot talking to me every time I looked at her. It broke my heart to take her to Mounts Bay Vets who eased her pain and left her at peace. So any of you who are wondering where the black and white cat has gone, rest easy knowing that she had an amazing life in the net shed with Irish Freddie and made many friends from a distance. So many of the guys have told me stories of her hunting prowess so it falls to me, and Larry to impart the news on a wider scale.

Freddie Bates, adopted cat companion.

Tuesday 12 July 2022

Can you help Rebecca help the industry? - a shout out to fishermen, merchants and chefs.

Here's a shout out for support from, primarily fishermen but also fishmongers, merchants and fishy chefs! Research student Rebecca is looking for contributions from any of the the above in the creating of a film to champion the cause for greater fish consumption, especially less well-known species caught by fishermen in the Under10m small-scale sector.

For any fishermen willing to contribute remotely follow this guide,

for any merchants or chefs willing to contribute remotely please follow this guide.

Filming is taking place primarily in East Anglia and along Eastern Coast to North Yorkshire. BUT, Rebecca is keen to make use of Zoom or self-recorded videos and hear the views of anyone in the fishing industry in answering a few questions.

The film aims are to:

Understand (especially younger people) fish consumption.
Diversify seafood consumed by understanding the issues of our preference for the 'big 5' and promoting consumption of under-loved species
Encourage the preparation of fish and increase fish consumption to the recommended NHS amount. As consumers have low confidence in preparing fresh fish, highlighting how to prepare fish/ recipe ideas can encourage consumption
Supporting and promoting small scale fishers to create sustainable coastal town economies. Fishermen often get bad press, with many people choosing to not consume fish due to the lack of trust in its sustainability. Seeing those who are doing it right and educating on the benefits of sustainable fisheries can encourage sustainable consumption. The video will serve as advertising for local businesses also.
Educate and bring awareness to promote more sustainable consumption
Understand the barriers to sustainable consumption and production

Who will be interviewed?

Fishermen: Talking about identity, difficulties faced (Brexit, Covid, fuel prices, competition, management and governance), what an ideal sustainable fishery would be, misconceptions of the fishing industry, the importance of a people in the fishing sector etc.
Students: On their fish consumption and perspectives on sustainability
Fishmongers: talking about business and supply, how it and consumer preferences have changed over the years, how we can prepare other fish, recipe ideas
Chefs: filming cooking local lesser-known species such as whitebait to encourage consumer confidence in preparation / purchasing.
Others: Researchers / advisors / academics / retailers who wish to speak on the sustainability of UK fisheries.

Who is making the video?

Rebecca Mulhern, research assistant at the University of East Anglia. Please get in touch if you are interested. Filming between 11th – 25th July.

Email: R.Mulhern@uea.ac.uk or becksmulhern@gmail.com (personal)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RebeccaMulhern Phone: +447881248169

End goal of the video?

Short video, uploaded to YouTube. Shared on Pyramids of life and other research groups websites and twitter. Possibly other business and tourism websites. Possibly UEA and University of York’s websites and social media.

For more information on the project please look at the website: www.pyramidsoflife.york.ac.uk

and listen to the podcast: www.easternarc.ac.uk/podcasts/episode-21-pyramids-of-life/

Monday 11 July 2022

Millpond Monday morning in Newlyn.

Blue skies reflected perfectly in the harbour this morning...

as young Mr Pascoe heads back to his berth...

with all the inshore boats like Tom's newly acquired Guardian providing welcome supplies of top quality inshore fish like these John Dory...

while the netter Ygraine put ashore a solid trip of hake...

ray wings a-plenty from the inshore netters..

while the big beam trawler, Billy Rowney scraped a few congers, one day someone will be brave enough to shoot a few thousand hooks for these tasty eating fish and corner the conger market - huge quantities were caught by the long-lining fleet up until the early 1980s wen gill nets became the preferred method of fishing for many..

red mullet always cut dash...

mainstay of the summer beam trawl fishery - Cornish sole...

there are two kinds of monk, easily identified by the black lining of the belly, and those without...

looks like the run of sardines has increased since last week's false start to the season proper...

though mackerel are still proving elusive even for top handliners...

visitor, Harvey Grace...

back from her one year service in Den Oever, Holland...

the Enterprise will be champing at the bit to get a trip in, if only to pay the cost of the fuel bill steaming to and fro' the Nederlands for her makeover...

an entire fleet of gill nets, stack 'em high.

Sunday 10 July 2022

Training for new recruits needs to be extended says Seafish.

Simon Potten, Head of Safety and Training, discusses how local engagement and more training could be the key to making the fishing industry safer. During Maritime Safety Week (4-8 July) which was a great platform for raising national awareness of safety in the commercial fishing industry. We have been supporting Maritime Safety Week since it was started by the Department for Transport in 2018.

In those five years there have been 23 deaths on commercial fishing vessels in the UK. Unfortunately, most of them came in 2021 when we tragically lost 10 fishermen. The worst year in over a decade for lives lost.

Which is why I think Maritime Safety Week is more important this year than ever before.

So, what can we do to make the fishing industry safer?

There are two areas I want to use the platform of Maritime Safety Week to highlight. Only by raising awareness of the challenges faced by those working in the fishing industry can we convince those in power to provide the support the industry needs.

1. More local engagement with the fishing communities

Improving the safety culture in the fishing industry can only be achieved by those who do the job; changing their attitude and behaviours and adopting safer working practices. It cannot be achieved through regulation and enforcement alone.

We are part of the Fishing Industry Safety Group (FISG), a pan-UK group which includes us and representatives from:

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Marine Accident Investigation Branch

Scottish Fishermen’s Federation

National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations

Northern Irish Fishermen’s Federation

Welsh Fishermen’s Association

RNLI

Shipbuilders and Repairers Association.

Its purpose is to identify and address the most significant causes of casualties and loss of life in the fishing industry.

The fishing industry in the UK is diverse with a multitude of different types and sizes of fishing vessels. A “one size fits all” approach to fishing safety does not work and local knowledge and experience is vital to engaging fishermen.

In 2017, we worked with the fishing industry in Northern Ireland to set up a regional safety forum. All members are local but the forum connects with the Fishing Industry Safety Group to share information, issues and ideas. The success of this forum has inspired other regional safety forums/committees to be established over the years. However, they need more engagement from the local fishing industry to be effective.

If you work on a commercial fishing vessel, get in touch with your nearest regional safety forum. Find out what they are up to and how to get involved. If there isn’t one near you, speak to us or your local fishing federation or organisation about setting one up.

The South West Fishing Safety Committee worked with Seafood Cornwall Training to support the hire of Clive Palfrey as a Safety Advisor.

The Welsh Fishing Safety Committee supported delivery of a project to give free Personal Flotation Devices with Personal Locator Beacons to all commercial fishermen in Wales. Below is a list of the current regional safety committees. This includes a new safety forum in North East England which is holding its first meeting during Maritime Safety Week.

Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Fishermen's Safety Forum - Home | Facebook

Wales: Wales Fishing Safety - Home | Facebook

South West England: South West England Fishing Safety Forum - Home | Facebook

Scotland: Scottish Fishermen's Federation - Home | Facebook (There is no dedicated Facebook page for the Scottish Fishing Safety Group but the SFF is a core member)

North East England: North East Fishing Safety Forum - Home | Facebook

2. Better training for new entrants coming into the fishing industry

In my opinion, one of the foundations needed for a safer fishing industry in the future is improving the training provided to new entrants.

It cannot be right that someone can start work in the most dangerous industry in the UK with just 1-day’s training in Basic Sea Survival. I would like to see every new entrant provided with a fully funded training programme that provides them with all the knowledge, skills and certificates they need to work safely in the fishing industry.

Starting all new entrants off on a professional footing like this, would go a long way to helping embed safe working practices and an improved safety culture into the workforce. Fishing vessel crew need to be professional seafarers, no different to those working in other maritime industries.

We are currently funding delivery of our 3-week Introduction to Commercial Fishing course which gives those just starting out in fishing a much richer foundation before they start work. Delivered by our network of Approved Training Providers, it includes the four mandatory safety training courses that are legally required to work on a vessel.

Other recommended options for new entrants include:

12-week Maritime Studies - Trainee Deckhand course available at the Scottish Maritime Academy (part of North East Scotland College) in Peterhead

12-month Diploma in Sea Fishing available at the Whitby & District Fishing Industry Training School

18-month Fisher Apprenticeship that is being launched in South West England later this year (contact us for further information)

I hope everyone can use Maritime Safety Week to have more important conversations about safety at sea and I pray that next year’s fishing safety statistics show a positive outcome from this engagement.

Saturday 9 July 2022

Free fishing courses for fishermen in Cornwall, based in Newlyn.

Course Dates

15 Day Introduction to Commercial Fishing on 04/07/2022
Sea Survival STCW on 21/07/2022
GMDSS VHF Short Range Certificate on 29/07/2022
Safety Awareness Experienced Fishermen on 05/08/2022
Health & Safety New Entrants on 06/09/2022
Firefighting on 07/09/2022
Sea Survival STCW on 08/09/2022
First Aid STCW on 09/09/2022
Safety Awareness Experienced Fishermen on 16/09/2022
GMDSS VHF Short Range Certificate on 30/09/2022
Firefighting on 05/10/2022
Sea Survival STCW on 06/10/2022
First Aid STCW on 07/10/2022
Stability for Experienced Fishermen on 13/10/2022
Advanced Stability on 14/10/2022
5 Day Watchkeeping & Navigation on 24/10/2022
MCA AEC1 Diesel Engine Course on 07/11/2022
Health & Safety New Entrants on 15/11/2022
Firefighting on 16/11/2022
Sea Survival STCW on 17/11/2022
First Aid STCW on 18/11/2022
GMDSS VHF Short Range Certificate on 25/11/2022
First Aid STCW on 14/12/2022
Sea Survival STCW on 15/12/2022

Friday 8 July 2022

Fabulous #FishyFriday here in Newlyn.

Cracking start to the day in Newlyn...

with SC Certified hake from the Ocean Pride...

and Stelissa landed overnight...

name this fish...

plenty of summer turbot to go round...

and some cracking big red tub gurnard...

and mullet...

to go with that summertime favourite...

John Dory...

a solid landing of lemons came courtesy of the Venture...

a pair of ray wings...

very early season sardines...

and mackerel made up just a few of the 57 species of fish landed - there's not another market in the UK that regularly brings such a wide range of fish to the market...