Tag Archives: Isle of Man
50 years plus: Zephyr PL 6
Janbill was built at Miller’s yard in Sto Monans as a copy of the 56ft Jeniska, although she was two frames shorter, at about 51ft. She was built alongside True Vine KY 7, which had an almost identical hull – although Janbill had a forward wheelhouse for stern trawling and True Vine didn’t. Both were launched on the same day – 29 March, 1974. Janbill was built for Eyemouth skipper Willie Dickson, the name coming from his and his wife’s names. She was fitted with a Mastra winch, a Carron power block and a Volvo Penta 290hp engine. She started work fishing the North Sea for whitefish, registered as LH 103. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:55
Classic Boat Review: Frey CT 137
Launched as Boy Ken TT 70, this Noble’s stalwart was built for scalloping – as well as prawn trawling and herring and sprat pair-trawling – and 52 years later, she’s a fixture of the Manx scallop fleet. Being a west coast sort of person, there is always a sense of allegiance in writing about those very few boatbuilding yards on the west coast. In the postwar era of fishing vessels, you can almost count the west coast yards building in wood on one hand. And always it is the Girvan yard of Alexander Noble that stands out as the leader of the field. By Mike Smylie, Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:34
Incredible herring haul means viable Isle of Man fishery ‘could be a reality’ for the first time in 25 years
Local fishermen have successfully caught the allocated 100 tonne quota of herring in Manx waters within weeks of receiving Government support to diversify. Three local crews took advantage of the financial support provided by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture following new UK quotas earlier this year. Clare Barber Mallocated 100 tonne quotaHK, Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister said: ‘It’s been a real success story.’ The recent catch has led to great optimism across the industry that a commercially viable Manx fishery could be a reality for the first time in 25 years – especially as the quota could quadruple by 2026. >>click to read<< 14:28
Isle of Man fishermen thrilled at ‘landmark’ herring catch
A group of Manx fishermen who have begun to catch herring around the Isle of Man, the first to do so for 25 years, have said it feels “amazing”. The first boat has started landing the fish following a post-Brexit deal between the UK and the Manx government. Boat owner Adie Kinrade said the return of herring fishing was a “little piece of history” as the fishery had been “huge” in the island’s past. Environment Minister Clare Barber said it was a “landmark” moment. “The quotas are a once-in-a-generation opportunity and I can’t wait to see more Manx boats fishing for herring in the coming years,” she added. >>click to read<< 12:17
Brexit revives historic herring fishing after 25-year hiatus
The Isle of Man’s historic herring industry is being revived after a quarter of a century thanks to a post-Brexit deal with the UK over fishing quotas. The island’s fishermen will be able to land four times as many herring as before and will also be allowed to catch 235 tonnes of langoustines, worth a total of more than £2 million per year to the island’s economy. The Manx fishing industry was brought to its knees by the European Union Common Fisheries Policy, which placed strict limits on the size of catches in the 1980s. >click to read< 16:49
Size of fishing fleet cut as Isle of Man king scallop season opens
Fewer boats will take to Manx waters for the start of the Isle of Man king scallop season as part of efforts to protect the fishery’s future. Sixty vessels have been authorised to fish by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA), which is down from 75 last year. The cut in the fleet’s size is part of a plan to make the fishery sustainable. DEFA member Michelle Haywood said boat numbers had to be limited or there would “not be enough to go round”. The king scallop fishery, which runs each year from November to May, has opened with an allowable catch of 2,049 tonnes, mirroring the previous season’s total. >click to read< 07:10
Landing undersized lobsters costs fisherman thousands of pounds
A 77-year-old fisherman from Port Erin has been fined £10,000 for landing undersized lobsters. David Graham Quillin, who owns the vessel ‘Our Lads’, admitted having caught 17 lobsters which were under the legal limit in size. Overall, he had caught 189 lobsters but 17 were found to be under the 18mm legal size. The prosecutor added that the offence may have been down to Quillin’s eyesight and that his son was measuring the lobsters since the incident. The court heard that Quillin, who lives at Bradda, has no previous convictions. >click to read< 08:00
Isle of Man’s teenage fishing apprentice’s joy at UK award win
A Manx teenager is celebrating after being crowned Trainee Fisherman of the Year at a UK national ceremony. Isla Gale said she was “so happy” to receive the accolade at the Fishing News Awards in Aberdeen last week. Currently an apprentice on local vessel the Shannon Kimberly, she aims to be the island’s first female skipper. Isla was inspired to get into the industry after watching her father, who also works in the fishing industry, from a young age. >click to read< 12:38
Scots journalist shines light on abandoned Scottish-built trawler dumped by its drunken English skipper
She had been built in Cockenzie, East Lothian in 1937 and was sold to a fisherman in Tarbert, Loch Fyne, but her full history remained a mystery. Now, however, Jeremy (Jay) Cresswell, emeritus energy editor at The Press and Journal (P&J) in Aberdeen, told us after seeing our original report: “I am that fisherman in Tarbert! I had her for five years, she was a great boat.”,, Now, she is being reborn, and Cresswell said he was delighted >click to read< 10:39
Call for the return of historic 232 year-old boat Peggy to Castletown
Peggy is the only surviving vessel of its kind and one of the few remaining boats from the 18th Century. Calling for the return of the schooner to Castletown, Tony Brown said there was “no enthusiasm” from Manx National Heritage (MNH) to do so. Built in 1789 for Captain George Quayle, who was an MHK for 51 years, the vessel remained hidden in a walled-up cellar following his death. After being discovered it was given to the Manx Museum in 1941, and the site was opened as a Nautical Museum 10 years later, with the boat in situ. The boat was lifted out for conservation in 2015 amid concerns over the ongoing corrosion of the structure by the incoming tides in the cellar. >click to read< 12:19
Isle of Man: A perfect storm for our fishing industry as Coronavirus hits markets
’We all just felt we were coming out the other side after such unsettled weather earlier in the year, with all those storms when the fleet weren’t getting out, but with this new crisis it really did escalate,’ said Nick Pledger of Port St Mary-based Island Seafare. He went on: ’The fleet are virtually tied up at the moment. All the key markets, northern Italy, northern Spain, France and the UK are among the worst affected areas. ’There is a local market of course for scallops and queenies but it’s not nearly enough to sustain our fishing fleet. As processors, we can’t keep taking it off the boats and putting it into cold storage.’ >click to read< 16:26
Fishing Crews Urged To Avail Of Safety Training After Dramatic Irish Sea Rescue
RNLI fishing safety manager Frankie Horne has urged the fishing community to avail of safety training that is on offer for their crews and to ensure that their safety equipment is up to date. It comes after the skipper of a fishing vessel that sank late last year off the Isle of Man has attributed their rescue to the safety training the crew had undertaken previously and to their lifejackets (PFDs), which were fitted with personal locator beacons (PLBs). >click to read< 13:22
Manx scallop fishermen told to diversify fishing fleet for prawns, squid or white fish
Queen scallop fishermen are being invited to apply for grants to diversify into fishing for prawns, squid or white fish. The move comes as the island’s scallop industry comes under pressure over declining stocks. Major cuts in catch quotas were announced at the beginning of the queenie season in July and then all areas of the fishery except East Douglas were closed to allow stocks to recover. Now island queen scallop fishermen are invited to make grant applications to enable fisheries diversification. >click to read< 11:56
Major restrictions imposed on Isle of Man queen scallop fishing
Fishing for the shellfish – which is a key income generator for Manx fishermen – has been restricted to one area off the east coast,.. The move follows a 40% reduction in the volume of scallops that can be caught. An annual survey showed stocks were at their lowest since 1993, although that figure was disputed by fishermen. >click to read< 11:16
As Wind Farms Overwhelm The Irish Sea, Isle Of Man Seabird Populations Plummet
Since the world’s biggest wind farm went up in the Irish Sea, Herring Gulls are down 82%, European Shag down 51%, and Razorbills down 55%. The list goes on…Isn’t there a conspicuous connection? The Isle Of Man wildlife charity Manx Birdlife has reported a shocking 40% decline in the populations of many species of seabirds around the island’s coast. The worrying figures emerged following a comprehensive census that took place over two years. Whatever the reason for the sharp decline of the birds, it illustrates that something has gone very wrong. Wind Farms? >click to read<18:08
Scallop boat skipper and owner fined for breaching Isle of Man fisher regulations
A Kirkcudbright scallop boat skipper and its owner have been fined for breaching Isle of Man fishery regulations. Anthony True was caught fishing for king scallops in the 21-metre Kingfisher within three nautical miles of the island without a permit. Manx rules only allow vessels of 15 metres or less to fish for scallops inside the three-mile limit. Mr True and owner John King, of West Coast Sea Products Ltd, pleaded guilty when they appeared before the Deputy High Bailiff in Douglas. >click to read<19:39
Kirkcudbright scallop fishermen set to be hit by Isle of Man law changes
Fishermen at Kirkcudbright are likely to be hit by law changes on the Isle of Man. The Manx Department of the Environment, Food and Agriculture have ruled that all boats fishing for scallops in their waters must report to their ports every day. The requirement – due to come into effect on January 8 – could have a devastating effect particularly at Kirkcudbright, which is the country’s top scallop-landing port. click here to read the story 12:47 
Isle of Man catch limit imposed after ‘fishing race’ concerns
Starting on Tuesday, a daily 1,400kg (3,086lbs) limit will be in force for the next six weeks in order to tackle current “unsustainable” fishing rates. An unusually big harvest of king scallops off the island’s west coast has recently attracted fishing boats from all over the British Isles. Manx fishermen said they were unable to compete with such larger vessels. The Isle of Man’s king scallop season runs between November and May. Fisheries minister Geoffrey Boot added: “In the first six days of the 2016-17 season, almost 800 tonnes of king scallops were landed – almost a quarter of the catch recorded last season. Some vessels were landing in excess of 8,000kg a day. Read the rest here 16:06
Isle of Man: King scallop licences cut to conserve the stock
Measures are being introduced to ensure the sustainability of the island’s king scallop fishery. From the start of the 2016/17 season on November 1, the number of licences issued by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) to fish for king scallops within the island’s seas will be reduced. Eligibility will be determined by vessels’ track record of fishing for king scallops over the last few seasons, with vessels’ size taken into account. Explaining the need for the measure, Richard Lole, chief executive officer of DEFA, said: ‘In recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of vessels fishing for king scallops in Manx waters and a corresponding increase in the catch. ‘In 2015/16, 4,500 tonnes of king scallops were landed in the island, worth £4 million at the quayside. ‘At the same time, indications are that stock is under increasing pressure, prompting concerns over the sustainability of this valuable fishery. ‘The new measures will protect those vessels that can demonstrate a historic interest and dependence on the fishery while safeguarding the fishery in the long term.’ At the same time, the first stages of a new inshore marine zoning plan will also be introduced by DEFA. Read the story here 08:51
