REGIONAL NEWS End of Shout Era on Brixham Fishmarket REGIONAL
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Find us on Twitter £3.25 Join in the conversation 6 June 2019 Issue: 5466 @YourFishingNews TURN TO PAGE 2 FOR THE FULL SHELLFISH FLEET WARNING REPORT Selective gear attracts Thailand fishermen to Brixham REGIONAL NEWS Fishermen from Thailand watch selective gear being End of shout era on worked on the Brixham beamer Barentszee last month. Brixham fishmarket The last traditional shout auction was held on Brixham fishmarket on Monday of this week, before a seamless transition saw the first Auxcis ‘web clock’ electronic auction conducted the following morning (Tuesday, 4 June), reports Phil Lockley. ‘Moving with the times’ and introducing a web clock electronic auction was announced by Brixham Trawler Agents almost a year ago (Fishing News, 7 June, 2018), since which time extensive testing and fine-tuning of an already well-advanced customised system have continued with the specialist Belgian e-trading company Auxcis. The web clock electronic system allows for remote buying as well as for those who wish to have a physical presence and buy via wifi on the market floor. Details of Brixham’s first electronic auction will be included in a feature on England’s top landing port in Fishing News next week. Hauling the trawl on skipper/owner Brixham recently hosted a consortium of fishermen, vessel Richard Fowler’s owners, merchants, shore firms and others from Thailand to day-boat Rebecca. demonstrate how profits may soar if Thai trawlermen adopt selective gear, reports Phil Lockley. This is the second time that a delegation from Thailand has visited the South Devon port to learn more about the UK fishing industry. Thai fishermen were heavily criticised in 2013 by the television chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, when he highlighted how many trawlermen in Thailand fish with non-selective, small-mesh nets and land almost everything for fishmeal – which is then converted to fish pellets to nurture the huge Taiwanese trade of farming freshwater prawns. With the help of the Seafood Task Force (sponsored by many worldwide firms), hard work is underway to bring about The last traditional shout auction took place on Brixham changes to the Thai fishing industry. Brixham skipper/owner Richard Fowler also demonstrated fishmarket on Monday morning. Westcountry vessel owner Waterdance Ltd allowed the latest design of trawl gear on his day-boat Rebecca BM its skipper Shaun Gibbs to demonstrate the operation of 24. selective gear aboard the beam trawler Barentszee BM 361. Further details in Fishing News next week. 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All Prices exclude Duty & VAT Contact 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\June 2019.doc 2 NEWS Visit us at fishingnews.co.uk and on Twitter @YourFishingNews 6 June 2019 ‘Shellfish fleet growth must be stopped’ Strong demand and high prices for shellfish are driving an unsustainable increase in catching capacity in the shellfish fleet that must be addressed, reports Tim Oliver This was the warning voiced by shellfish sector representatives to fisheries minister Robert Goodwill at the recent AGM of the NFFO, where shellfish catching and marketing issues were a major topic. Trevor Bartlett, a Devon- based shellfish vessel operator and processor, told the minister: “In recent years, the demand for brown crab and whelks in the Far East has seen prices paid to fishermen hit highs we’ve never even dreamt of. “As a result, orders for new offshore vessels have been Anne Freeman, head of domestic fisheries policy at DEFRA (left), at unprecedented, and latent the top table at the NFFO AGM in Fishmongers’ Hall, said that a DEFRA capacity licences have been shellfish management team has been set up. bought up for considerable sums.” measures were inadequate, they had a high survival rate He said it was estimated and that there was no national when returned to the sea, and that in 12 months’ time, UK collaboration around the UK. measures such as V-notching, the crab landings will be at least There were different minimum banning of the landing of berried “All this damn careless talk about high demand and big 20% higher than in previous landing sizes in different areas, lobsters, and the use of escape prices is just making the little b******s shy.” years, due to the extra catching as well as inside and outside the hatches in pots – though the capacity. But until recently, six-mile limit, even though catches latter were controversial – helped the shellfish sector had been were being sold in the same conservation. team was looking at overall and ‘we need to leave the EU looked on as ‘the poor relation’ markets. “We must continue to capacity in the shellfish sector, and in an orderly way’. However, in stocks management, science Stressing the importance of encourage the shellfish industry there was ‘a lot of work to do’. there were contingency plans to and data collection, and the only the EU market, he said that 98% – the big threat would be a “We will be taking action to provide catch and health export management tool currently in of Bridlington’s lobsters were no-deal Brexit, which would be a make sure fishing is sustainable,” certificates in the event of no place in the offshore fishery was exported to Europe. He said that problem for exports,” he said. A she told delegates. deal. a minimum landing size. when the UK becomes a third lot of preparatory work had been John Balls, chairman of North He said he hoped that MPs He said that action was now country after Brexit, he did not see done on catch and veterinary Devon Fishermen’s Association, would ‘come to their senses, well overdue, and essential the current regulatory system for certificates needed for exports, raised the issue of the security and vote for the withdrawal to ensure the fishery did not third-country exports to the EU but he was concerned that with of shellfish exports to the EU. He agreement that would enable become unsustainable. He working for live exports – there a no-deal Brexit, there would be asked what the government’s us to get to the next stage of urged the minister ‘to delegate a was too much bureaucracy, and it disruption at the ports. Live crab stance was on the protection of negotiating the details’. team to pick this up as soon as was ‘unworkable’. and live lobster were the most lorries carrying shellfish exports, A no-deal Brexit would be bad possible’. The minister said that shellfish vulnerable of exports to delays and their drivers. “Is there a for fishermen, agriculture, and Gary Hodgson, a shellfish stocks in his constituency area from logistical and documentation contingency plan in place?” he any other area in his ministerial processor in Bridlington and (Whitby and Scarborough) were problems. asked. remit, he said. There would be chairman of the NFFO’s shellfish healthy, and prices were buoyant. But he said that overall stocks The minister said that the short a whole range of issues to sort committee, agreed that the He said that a trade agreement were good, and he was optimistic answer was yes, and that there are out, and that was the point of shellfish sector was secondary was necessary to prevent a about the future of the sector. 2,500 people in DEFRA working the implementation period. to the whitefish sector in terms potential 20% tariff on exports Anne Freeman, head of the on Brexit. Exports were a key area, “We need long-term trading of management, and told the of whelks to Korea that would domestic fisheries team at DEFRA, and a no-deal Brexit would not be agreements and frictionless minister it had suffered ‘20 years depress the market. said that a shellfish team had been good for the industry. trade,” he said. of mismanagement’. Shellfishtended to be the most put in place specifically to address With a deal, there would be an See pages 6 & 7 for further He said that conservation sustainable species because management in the sector. The implementation period, he said, details of NFFO AGM. No deal or no Brexit more likely with new PM New IT tool to fight IUU fishing Political observers believe likely, particularly if Brexiteer referendum might reconsider The European Commission launched a new tool to fight illegal, that Theresa May’s Boris Johnson becomes the it the best way to avoid a unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing at the Seafood Expo in resignation has made both a new Conservative leader and no-deal outcome, which Brussels last month. no-deal Brexit and no Brexit prime minister. would put the whole Brexit It is the EU’s first IT tool, called ‘CATCH’, and has been developed to at all more likely, reports Tim EU Commission process at risk of being streamline the checks of seafood products entering the EU market.