Summer Herring at Shetland REGIONAL NEWS Boris Johnson Gives the Kilkeel Midwater Trawler Voyager… Brexit Reassurances at Brixham
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Find us on Twitter £3.25 Join in the conversation 5 September 2019 Issue: 5479 @YourFishingNews TURN TO PAGE 2 FOR THE FULL ACTION ON NORTH SEA COD REPORT Summer herring at Shetland REGIONAL NEWS Boris Johnson gives The Kilkeel midwater trawler Voyager… Brexit reassurances at Brixham With the North Sea herring fishery now focused on grounds to the south of Shetland, a succession of pelagic boats landed short trips of top-quality MSC-accredited fish at Lerwick PM Boris Johnson discusses Brexit with local towards the end of last month, reports David Linkie. skipper Jake Grantham on the quayside at Brixham. Most skippers were searching for marks between Fair Isle and Orkney. Prime minister Boris Johnson spoke of ‘huge The Co Down midwater trawler Voyager N 905 and the opportunities’ for the UK fishing industry after Peterhead vessel Quantus PD 379 were among the boats that Brexit during a low-profile visit to Brixham landed herring to the Pelagia Shetland processing factory at towards the end of last month, when he met local Gremista last week, where a number of Norwegian vessels skippers, vessel owners and agents. have also discharged fish recently. Boris Johnson’s visit to England’s top fishing Two Shetland pelagic vessels, Antares and Research, took port was viewed as ‘very encouraging’ by local their first herring of the year last week, when other local crews stakeholders, who were given the opportunity were rigging out to join the summer fishery. to voice their concerns about the future of the Herring processing in the three pelagic factories at industry after Brexit. Peterhead – Denholm Seafoods, Lunar and Northbay Pelagic See page 3 for the main report. – continues to operate smoothly, with skippers co-ordinating their fishing activities in line with the requirements of the shore … and the Peterhead vessel Quantus landing North Sea sector to ensure quick turnaround times. herring to Pelagia Shetland Ltd. (Photos: Sydney Sinclair) REGIONAL NEWS Distributors of Marine Electronics with Dealers throughout UK & Ireland mantsbrite KP-8299 SERIES Magnum Pro HD Chart Controller 2kW & 4kW DIGITAL RADARS FREE BUILT-IN ONWA UK & IRELAND K-CHART . 4 x Fully Customisable Function Keys MDC-900A Series KP-8299 Chartplotter ONLY . Stores 30,000 Marks/Events . 8.4” Colour Display, 2kW or 4kW Option . Stores 1000 Tracks . 17” or 25” Radome or 3ft Open Array KP-8299A . Optional Remote Control Chartplotter with Built-in FROM Package with 17” Neovo Class B AIS MDC-2000A Series Display & C-Map UK & . 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All Prices exclude Duty & VAT E & O E packages available – contact us FROM Contac t Us For Your Local Dealer, Tel: 01621 853003 Fax 01621 850877 Email [email protected] Web: www.mantsbrite.com \\EINSTEIN\marketing\Advertising\Fishing News\Lous\2019\September 2019.doc 2 NEWS Visit us at fishingnews.co.uk and on Twitter @YourFishingNews 5 September 2019 Industry plans to cut N Sea cod catches Meeting with Danes and Norwegians Industry leaders are engaged with their counterparts in Denmark and Norway to develop measures to reduce fishing effort on North Sea cod, reports Tim Oliver ICES scientists have advised told Fishing News. seasonal closures to protect that there should be a cut of “There was an appetite to do aggregations, some small two-thirds in the TAC in 2020 as much as we can to recover permanent closures, and because the stock is under the cod, and there was a big real-time closures to protect pressure. The industry aims to emphasis on equivalence. The unexpected abundances of cod come up with a programme of view expressed was, ‘This can’t in areas beyond where skippers measures that will persuade be just us; this has got to be would normally find them. the EU that fishermen are everybody.’ There has to be a “We’ll be looking at additional cutting back seasonal significantly on closures, looking cod catches, We believe the current scientific at current and so head off seasonal closures pressure for a advice in terms of FMSY TAC to be to see if they’re big TAC cut. unmanageable still appropriate – A heavy “ do they need to TAC cut would be larger, or at a be particularly significant in collective approach. different time of the year?” the context of the landing “We believe the current There had been concerns obligation, because a big cut scientific advice in terms that it would“ be difficult for in cod quotas could choke the of FMSY TAC to be EU legislation, to implement North Sea demersal fishery unmanageable.” industry-agreed measures, to “As ever, Big Jessie in the Harbour Bar’s quick well before the end of 2020. He emphasised that past be put in place quickly enough. UK industry leaders say experience with efforts to But after a meeting with the to spot a business opportunity.” that any measures to cut rebuild cod stocks showed Commission, it emerged that back on cod fishing must that heavy TAC cuts did not it could be done through the conservation regulation, and closed half the North Sea, be international, and not necessarily work. new technical conservation if we crash out and we’ve got with decommissioning and just be UK measures. They Last week’s meeting was the regulation that came into force control of our waters, it applies everything that followed. met their opposite numbers second that the SWFPA had on 14 August, via a ‘delegated to everybody,” said Mike Park. “So we’re keen to be from Denmark and Norway, held with the Danes. A previous act’. “Going back to 2006 and sure there’s a bottom-up who are also concerned at meeting was held following the If this approach passes the cod recovery plan showed plan. The industries will talk the scientific advice, at the loss of MSC certification for successfully through the that cutting the TAC doesn’t to one another and their beginning of last week. The North Sea cod earlier this year Commission, own respective aim is to try to agree on a which affected both the UK and EU parliament governments, and programme of measures to Danish industries. and council, as The last time we allowed everyone will work keep vessels away from high “We wanted to put North Sea is expected, the together to produce densities of cod, that would cod into a fisheries improvement measures would the Commission to come up something that’s apply across the board to programme (FIP) supported by become EU law and with their own initiative, they both reasonable and countries fishing in the North an action plan, and we wanted would also apply to “ sensible. Sea. to come to some common Norwegian vessels in closed half the North Sea, with “We believe there’s Mike Park, chief executive agreement as to what that EU waters. decommissioning and everything a reasonable argument of the Scottish White Fish should be,” said Mike Park. Mike Park pointed to try to mitigate Producers’ Association “We thought it would out that this approach that followed the TAC reduction, (SWFPA), said that the be useful to bring in the covers both the UK especially if we agree association had held a Norwegians as well, because a leaving the EU and CFP with no necessarily reduce mortality. to put in place measures meeting the weekend before number of Norwegian vessels deal on 31 October, or a last- We’ve got to learn lessons from – they would balance the the meeting with Denmark use gill-nets in Scottish waters minute deal being agreed and the past, so that’s why we’re mitigation of the cut.” and Norway that had strongly to catch cod. The meeting the CFP continuing to apply looking at a range of other The“ three countries will now supported the international on Monday was a discussion during the transitional period. measures to keep vessels away produce their own reports, and approach. about, if we were going to “We’ve got both avenues from high densities of cod. there will be another meeting “This was a very well- introduce measures to protect covered in terms of binding “The last time we allowed in London on 25 September attended meeting, with 25 cod, what would they look like?” everyone in. If we stay in in the Commission to come up to discuss these and take the working skippers present,” he These could include 2019, we’ve got the technical with their own initiative, they process forward. EAPO president: ‘The European fishing industry finds itself at a critical turning point’ The European Association of current and future Common is a huge responsibility for the structured representation of The future of EU fisheries Fish Producers’ Organisations Fisheries Policies, including the new European parliament – the fishing industry must be representation was an (EAPO) has reviewed the impact of climate change and the particularly the members of the available to provide grass-root important topic at this year’s outcome of its annual general implementation of the Single Use fisheries committee – and for expert input from the sector, so EAPO AGM, hosted by meeting in Skagen, Denmark Plastics Directive. that these important the two Danish members on 27 June, and agreed a work Besides all these There is a huge responsibility institutions are well- (Danmarks Fiskeriforening plan for the second half of 2019. challenges, there is informed to make PO and Danmarks Pelagiske The presentation on governance the Brexit elephant for the new European parliament balanced legislative PO).