Find us on Twitter £3.25 Join in the conversation 21 February 2019 Issue: 5451 @YourFishingNews TURN TO PAGE 2 FOR THE FULL PULSE BEAMING BANNED REPORT Mackerel fishery draws to a close in poor weather REGIONAL NEWS The Peterhead midwater vessel Pathway steaming towards Barra Head last week… Renamed Jolanna M joins Fraserburgh prawn fleet The latest addition to the Fraserburgh prawn fleet, the 19m twin-rig trawler Jolanna M BF 29, fished its first trip this week after being bought by Shaulora LLP, reports David Linkie. Named after skippers Graeme Buchan’s son Josh and Graeme Smart’s daughter Melanna, together with their friend George West’s son, Matthew, Jolanna M was built by Macduff Shipyards Ltd in 2017 as Asteria BRD 250 for the Asteria Fishing Company Ltd. Of 16.48m registered length and 7.2m beam, the fully-shelterdecked Jolanna M is powered by a Caterpillar C18 ACERT main engine (447kW @ 1,800rpm) driving a 2,000mm-diameter propeller through a Reintjes 7.409:1 reduction gearbox. Mitsubishi 6D24TC and S4KT auxiliary engines are also fitted. … en route to The winter mackerel fishery for the making its last Scottish pelagic fleet drew to a close mackerel landing last week when the last two shots of the season at were landed at Fraserburgh and Peterhead. (Photos: Peterhead, reports David Linkie. Ryan Cordiner) As the mackerel continued to swim quickly along the edge of the deepwater towards Ireland, the main marks were located southwest of the Outer Hebrides. Last week, several midwater trawlers rigged out for the blue whiting fishery, before leaving northeast Jolanna M BF 29, berthed in Fraserburgh harbour Scotland to start fishing in the vicinity before sailing for its first trip after being renamed. of the Porcupine Bank west of Ireland. (Photo: Ryan Cordiner) The first blue whiting of the year were landed at Killybegs last week from two Norwegian vessels. REGIONAL NEWS Our quality has been catching Douglas Bowman 07768 336213 since 1983 Stuart Cameron 07801 526960 INVERNESS Anderson Street, IV3 8DH 01463 229400 PLYMOUTH Sutton Harbour, PL4 0LH 01752 204731 gaelforcegroup.com GLASGOW Hillington, G52 4JU 0141 941 1211 2 NEWS Visit us at fishingnews.co.uk and on Twitter @YourFishingNews 21 February 2019 EU bans pulse beaming from July 2021 42 licences to be withdrawn this year Electric pulse beam trawling effort will be slashed by 50% this year, and the method will be banned from July 2021, reports Tim Oliver EU co-legislators agreed on the ban last week as part of an UK bans pulse beaming independently of EU overall agreement on changes EU vessels will no longer of a no-deal Brexit, or after to the complex EU technical be able to carry out electric any implementation period measures regulation. pulse fishing in UK waters included in a deal. The pulse ban will be phased after Brexit, fisheries minister Fisheries minister George in, with 42 of the current 84 George Eustice announced Eustice said: “There are pulse fishing licences to be last week. serious concerns about withdrawn this year, and the A statutory instrument pulse fishing, and it is wrong remaining 42 by July 2021. (SI) laid in parliament last that the EU has allowed it Six vessels will be allowed week (Wednesday, 13 to happen. We will stop EU to continue research into February) will ensure that vessels pulse fishing in UK pulse fishing after 2021, EU technical measures can waters, safeguarding our and must follow a protocol apply in the UK after Brexit. marine environment and validated by the European But it removes the current keeping our seas sustainable Commission’s scientific body. derogation from the overall for future generations.” The Commission said it will EU ban on electric pulse In addition to technical ‘continue to follow ongoing beam trawling that has conservation measures, the scientific developments allowed 84, mainly Dutch, SI will ensure that retained “Hanging those electric eels on the foot-rope should get closely’. vessels to use the method. EU law regarding regional round these tiresome bloody pulse-fishing regs.” The agreement also allows Although the EU has fisheries management member states to immediately agreed to ban pulse trawling, organisations and the North prohibit or restrict the use of the UK legislation means that Sea multi-annual plan is less seabed disturbance. These of innovation when our work pulse fishing within their coastal the UK will be able to ban operable in the UK after we aims remain high on the agenda, on innovation, supported by waters. Three UK-registered pulse trawling in the event leave the EU. but we have to stop using pulse scientific research, has been vessels use pulse-beaming gear. trashed in response to a gear – two English and one “It has been scientifically campaign based on emotion.” Scottish – and DEFRA said it the circumstances, this is great plaster solution’. proven that we cut fuel by 46%, EU fishermen’s organisation was working with the MMO and news. “A ban on pulse fishing we fish more selectively, and Europêche was also against Marine Scotland to review their “There is no doubt that pulse makes no sense,” said Dutch the lighter gear means less the pulse ban. MD Daniel licences. fishing was seriously damaging organisations VisNed, De seabed disturbance. And yet Voces said: “Europêche regrets In a separate development, the seabed and marine life. It’s Nederlandse Vissersbond and an emotional lobby succeeds in the negative socio-economic DEFRA introduced legislation not just the fish they’re catching, EMK. pulling the plug on innovation, implications generated by in parliament last week, on the they’re exposing all the marine “Fishing with pulse gear which is incomprehensible. this political decision which same day as the EU agreement, sub-life. Then other fish come delivers what civil society The European decision-making will affect 600 fishermen and that will ban pulse beaming in along and eat it, like birds demands – lower by-catch, system has failed. their families and lead to an UK waters, regardless of EU following a plough. The ground is lower fuel consumption, and “We should not be thinking economic loss of €21.5m.” regulations (see above right). sterile where these vessels have The technical measures been working. agreement, reached in “The grounds will recover, but Brussels streamlines tech regulations Strasbourg on Wednesday last it will take time – they will recover The ban on pulse beam overview of results and habitats, and for avoiding week (13 February) between from the edges, like mould.” trawling was just one part of a higher accountability by the by-catches of non-commercial the EU Commission, Council Tom Brown also welcomed much bigger overall agreement operators. The agreement and sensitive species. and parliament, is provisional the UK ban on the method in its on a new technical measures is also good news for The Commission made the and will have to be formally waters. regulation that will decentralise cetaceans and seabirds, proposal for a new technical adopted by both the European The French BLOOM and simplify existing rules. with the extension of the regulation in 2016. The aim parliament and the Council, group, which spearheaded It will give fishermen ‘a obligation for member states was to create a more flexible though this should be a the campaign against pulse stronger say in deciding on the to introduce mitigation management system, giving formality. beaming, welcomed the ban, best measures for sustainable measures to avoid by-catches more power to the regions The ban on electric pulse but said it remained concerned fishing adapted to their specific of seabirds, whales, dolphins to customise technical fishing follows a long campaign that 42 pulse beamers would still needs’, said the Commission. and porpoises in all sea conservation measures in their by inshore fishermen’s be able to fish for another two The new rules streamline areas, when justified by own sea basins. associations in the UK and the years. They said this could still the technical measures that scientific evidence,” said the Barrie Deas, chief executive EU, and by NGOs, notably the do significant damage to small- determine how, where and Commission. of the NFFO said more details French-based BLOOM group. boat inshore fisheries. when fishermen may fish, as EU fisheries commissioner and clarity about what was They argued that pulse fishing BLOOM director Sabine well as determining the type of Karmenu Vella said: “The agreed would be available was decimating inshore fishing Rosset said: “A two-year gear, catch composition, and new technical conservation early this week, but it appeared grounds and leaving them transition period from today is far ways to deal with accidental measures present an important that a lot of controversial barren. too long for small-scale fishers. catches. step forward in delivering on a issues were pushed through. The ban comes 13 months They have been suffering from It also condenses a number concrete EU commitment to a He said there appeared to after the European parliament unfair competition from industrial of regulations into one single sustainable fishing sector and be a more “results-focused first voted to enforce a ban on vessels fishing illegally for years.” text, which should ease the protection of the marine approach” in the approach to pulse fishing on 16 January last She called on member states to interpretation and facilitate environment. use of small mesh nets, but year. immediately ban pulse fishing in compliance. “The agreement gives member states would be able One of the worst-affected their own coastal waters. The regulation introduces stakeholders and fishermen to adapt the rules as long as areas in the UK is the Thames quantitative indicators to a tool to determine what the the result is lower selectivity.