Tag Archives: UK
Cocaine bust trawler remains wedged on sandbank off Wexford coast
Detectives with the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau stated in court that it was their belief that fishing trawler The Castlemore was “attempting a transaction” with the cargo ship the MV Matthew off the Wexford coast at the time it ran aground. Two weeks ago, a major salvage operation was said to have begun to recover the fishing trawler from the sandbank off the Wexford coast, however, it appears that all efforts to date have been unsuccessful and the trawler remains wedged in the sand. Sources suggest that the recovery of the trawler is becoming a bigger and more difficult task with every passing day and some reports even suggest that the vessel may now be buried up to its wheelhouse. >>click to read<< 08:35
Scientific Dispensation Request Granted for King Scallop Fishing Trial off South-East
The UK Marine Management Organosation (MMO) has granted a scientific dispensation to MacDuff Shellfish to carry out a two-day scallop fishing trial off the South East coast of England. The trial will take place before the end of October 2023 and will test the feasibility and potential benefits of shucking scallops at sea. Shucking is the process of removing the scallop meat from the scallop shell. Shucking on board a vessel immediately after catching is not currently permitted under UK law. Regulations require fishers to land whole scallops to enable effective enforcement of scallop minimum conservation reference sizes (MCRS). >>click to read<< 08:36
Drug dopes gave bogus ‘fishing trip’ reason to buy €400k cocaine trawler – then beached it after space tech move
The trawler beached off the Wexford coast while on a drugs run was sold to two “foreigners” in Castletownbere for up to €400,000 the day before. The 15-metre Castlemore had been on the market for three years, owned by a member of a prominent fishing family hamstrung by strict EU fishing quotas in the Co Cork harbour town. After a test run, a bill of sale was drawn up and the new owners quickly bought and installed a top-of-the-range Elon Musk SpaceX satellite system before they left Castletownbere. Within hours, the boat left Co Cork purportedly for Devon, but instead it’s believed it headed off to rendezvous with the mother ship laden with over 2.25 tonnes of coke. Photos, >>click to read<< 07:59
Consultation amid low crab and lobster numbers
Members of the fishing industry are being asked for their views to inform a plan to ensure crab and lobster are caught sustainably. It comes amid concerns crab and lobster populations could be “vulnerable” to over-fishing. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is running a public consultation on the issue. The consultation is part of the post-Brexit management of sustainable fishing stocks. Padstow inshore fisherman Johnny Murt said he was concerned about the impact of industrial fishing. He said he welcomed more regulation around lobster and crab fishing in Cornwall. Mr. Murt said inshore fishermen in Padstow had been forced to increase their gear in recent years to catch “an increasingly lower number of lobster and crab”. >>click to read<< 14:50
Trawler that ran aground off Wexford coast in suspected drug smuggling operation was bought days earlier in west Cork
The Castlemore, the 21-year-old twin rigger, had been bought by a local fisherman in Castletownbere in 2017 and used to fish for prawn and white fish off the southwest coast but the owner had been trying to sell the boat for the last two years and on Friday, the boat was purchased by an unknown buyer. The boat left Castletownbere late on Friday night or early Saturday morning and was reported to be headed for Brixham in Devon but local sources in Castletownbere suspect that the vessel headed off to rendezvous with another vessel which had crossed the Atlantic with a consignment of cocaine. The cocaine was then transferred from the boat that had crossed the Atlantic to the Castlemore in what is known as “coopering” so that when the other boat entered port and was checked by customs officials, they would find nothing while the drugs would be brought ashore by the trawler. >>click to read<< 09:14
Scottish Port Feels Force Of UK Fishing Storm
In Peterhead, a major port in northeast Scotland and Europe’s largest wholesale market for white fish, Brexit was supposed to offer “a sea of opportunity” for locals. Instead they have suffered a wave of complications and added financial costs in recent years, even before the impact of surging inflation. “Careful what you wish for, it hasn’t turned out as they promised,” Mark Addison says in front of his trawler, the Benarkle II, which is moored just behind Peterhead’s fish market. “It’s been the hardest three years,” he tells AFP. “Brexit followed by the (Ukraine) war was just a double whammy.” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent prices soaring worldwide, with the fishing industry hit hard by rocketing fuel prices and large cost increases for key equipment such as nets. Photos. >>click to read<< 08:34
Harbourmaster wants to sell sunken trawler for £1
A French fishing trawler which sank in a Devon harbour more than seven years ago could be sold for £1. The Saint Christophe 1 sank at Dartmouth in 2016 after Dart Harbour staff encountered “language difficulties” when speaking to the vessel’s five-man crew. A report found both parties were unable to understand one another when discussing the danger of the boat grounding on the falling tide. The vessel was refloated and towed to Brixham Harbour where it has been moored ever since. The trawler is now the responsibility of Torbay Council as the harbour authority, the Local Democracy Reporting Service, external said. Harbourmaster Rob Parson>>click to said the authority was trying to “get rid” of it. >>click to read<< 08:30
UK opens more opportunities for sustainable Atlantic bluefin tuna fisheries outside EU
39 tonnes will be used for a new trial commercial fishery which takes advantage of an increased quota share of 65 tonnes for 2023. The new trial commercial fishery for Atlantic bluefin tuna, delivered by Defra and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) on behalf of the UK Fisheries Authorities, is the first of its type in the UK for decades. Licence authorisations have been issued to 10 fishermen following an expression of interest process. Vessels will be permitted only to use low-impact rod and reel fishing gears which use lures, no live bait or chumming will be permitted. >click to read< 10:27
The EU and UK reach three agreements on fisheries management
The EU-UK Specialised Committee on Fisheries (SCF) reached three agreements for better fisheries management between the EU and UK. The agreements include a mechanism for voluntary transfers of fishing opportunities between the EU and UK, common guidelines for notifying management measures to the other party, improvements to the management of four shared stocks (lemon sole, witch, turbot and brill). Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said: “These agreements demonstrate that the EU and UK can work effectively together under the framework of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. These agreements will improve the sustainable management of our shared fishing stocks and support both our fleets. It demonstrates the success of our work together to normalise our new fisheries relationship and sets a strong basis for continued cooperation on shared management challenges.” >click to read< 10:42
‘Pirate’ ship which was attacked by Spanish fisherman sinks in Penzance harbour
A former fishing boat which was turned into a floating pirate shop has sunk in Penzance harbour in the wake of Storm Antoni. The sad demise of the vessel comes after a remarkable career which began in the early 70s when the Ar Bageergan – which means ‘the eye of the wind’ – worked as a tuna boat and crabber off the French coast, having been built in Brittany in the early 1970s. However she was later sold to a Newlyn fisherman who worked her until 2000 as a drift netter catching cod off the Irish coast, hake in the South West and tuna in the Bay of Biscay. Photos, >click to read< 09:35
Fisherman winched off trawler 25 miles off St Ann’s Head
The call was made to Angle Lifeboat just before 1pm on Thursday that a crew member had lost his finger on board a 38-metre beam trawler. The St Athans Coastguard Rescue helicopter was also tasked to assist with the fisherman’s recovery. “We reached the fishing vessel within around an hour of the call and transferred two of our crew members, who are casualty care-trained, on board to assess the situation,” said a spokesperson for Angle lifeboat. The casualty was transferred onto the lifeboat but following the helicopter’s arrival, it was decided to lower the winchman down to the lifeboat to assess and further treat the casualty. “Once the the paramedic winchman was on deck, it was decided to winch the casualty into the helicopter so that he could be flown to hospital for further care,” added the crew member. >click to read< 10:19
‘We are at 50% of the quota we had’: boss of UK’s last long-range trawler rues ‘squandered’ Brexit hopes
Just hours after docking, the latest catch – about 300 tonnes of frozen fish fillets – has already been transported in Kirkella-branded boxes to the fish market at Grimsby, to be weighed, graded and sold. While this may sound like a vast amount of fish, the UK’s only remaining “distance trawler” has returned home only half-full from its latest expedition. “The catch wasn’t so good this time,” says the first mate, Dean Jackson, 53, who is finishing up checks of the vessel on the bridge before enjoying some time at home with his family after about six weeks at sea. “Fishing is erratic,” he says. “We had four days when it was really good. But the problem when you get really good fishing is you’re at the mercy of the factory and processing.” >click to read< 12:27
£20.8 million funding boost for the Scottish fishing industry
The UK Government today (Monday 17 July) announced the latest Scottish projects to receive investment from the £100 million UK Seafood Fund. A total of £18.7 million is being awarded to 10 projects across Scotland through the Infrastructure Scheme to improve capability at ports, harbours, processing and aquaculture facilities. In addition, £2.1 million is being allocated to four Scottish projects through the Fisheries Industry Science Partnerships (FISP) scheme to provide vital research that will inform fisheries management. >click to read< 11:41
Suffolk and Essex fish industry revitalized by selling at Brixham
Fishermen on the Suffolk and Essex coast have begun selling their catches to a market 350 miles away and said the move has been “a game changer”. Brixham market in Devon now regularly collects fish from the east coast and sells it through its online auction. Those involved said it revitalised the fortunes of an industry whose expansion hopes were dashed after Brexit. But critics fear its success will make it harder for Lowestoft to set up its own fishing hub. Three times a week a lorry from the Brixham Fish Market visits a refrigerated lock-up at Southwold harbour in Suffolk.”It’s been a game changer for all of us,” said Fran French from Mersea Fishermen’s Association on the Essex coast. Photos, >click to read< 08:25
Gripes in Grimsby over Brexit fishing failure
Grimsby, perched on the southern side of the River Humber, near Kingston-upon-Hull in northern England, was built on the fishing industry. Some 70 percent of people in the town voted for Brexit, hoping that the UK’s departure from the European Union would boost its flagging fortunes. But seven years on from the landmark referendum, those who banked on a turnaround are disappointed, while those who feared it are not taking it lying down. At 7:00 am, the auction at Grimsby’s wholesale fish market in the heart of the town’s vast docks is in full swing. “We have mackerel. 1.5 (pounds) a kilo? 1.7? 1.8? 1.9?” shouts the auctioneer. >click to read< 08:27
Claims that seals are endangering the livelihoods of local fishermen
The seals are not native to this area but have bred and formed a substantial colony beneath the cliffs at Fairlight, where they are often sighted. Fishermen believe the seals have established themselves after being released back into the sea by the RSPCA centre at Mallydams at Fairlight, which has a seal treatment area including a pool. Paul Stanley and his partner Lucy Phillips fish from the small boat ‘Christine’ RX11. There’s a huge colony of forty to fifty under the cliffs at Fairlight. They are not a native species to this area, and they are doing massive damage to the fish stock, and to fishermen’s livelihood. If something like this happened on land, such as a dog let loose attacking sheep, it would be shot.” Photos. >click to read< 09:24
Take a look inside Shetland fishing crew’s 30% bigger boat
She made her maiden appearance in Shetland’s largest port last weekend. Skipper Chris Duncan described her as “top class”. And it is hard to argue, considering all the modern equipment and comfortable surroundings for the crew, as well as the distinctive red sweeping across the exterior. Measuring more than 260ft from bow to stern, the new Altaire is nearly the longest ship in the Shetland fishing fleet. But it is her width that makes the vessel such a standout. She currently has a crew of 12 but there is space for more on board. 5 photos, >click to read< 08:56
Government shelving HPMAs a ‘cautious win’ for industry
There remains concern from Shetland Fishermen’s Association, however, that an alternative could be worked up by government which may end up being similar to HPMAs. SFA officer Sheila Keith said one fisherman told her after news of the U-turn that the government had only kicked HPMAs into the “long grass” for a while. On Thursday the Scottish Government announced that after consulting communities it would be dropping its proposal for HPMAs. Keith commented that the SFA welcomed the news, but said it was a case of wait and see regarding what the government’s alternative “pathway” will be. She said the government has “basically just bought themselves time”. >click to read< 08:59
Recommendation made to MCA as man overboard investigation concludes
An investigation into the fatal man overboard incident on a Shetland trawler in 2021 has resulted in a recommendation being made to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to amend regulations around fishing boats having the means to recover an unconscious person from the water. No recommendations have been made to the owners of the Copious, 60 North Fishing (Shetland) Ltd, in light of the actions they have taken. Since the fatal accident the owners have brought in a replacement Copious, bought man overboard recovery equipment and upgraded lifejackets. Edison Lacaste, 45, died in the early hours of 18 February 2021 when he fell overboard from the Copious LK985 while the vessel was trawling 30 miles southeast of Sumburgh. >click to read< 17:19
UK government faces legal challenge over visa system for migrant fishers
Human rights lawyers have begun the process of bringing a judicial review against the Home Office, arguing that visa arrangements used to employ overseas crew are in breach of European human rights law. The so-called “transit visa” scheme was the subject of an FT investigation published on Thursday, which detailed the mistreatment of four Filipino fishermen who worked on British boats over the course of a year. Lawyers at law firm Leigh Day told the FT they had taken the first step 
towards legal action against the government, outlining their arguments in a letter to home secretary Suella Braverman. The government has two weeks to respond — although it can ask for an extension — after which Leigh Day will decide whether to issue proceedings in court. >click to read< 11:50
The fishermen
Jose Quezon’s hands moved like the parts of a well-oiled machine. It was April 1 2021, and the Northern Osprey, a 20m fishing trawler that sails out of Kilkeel, Northern Ireland, was in UK waters near the Isle of Man. The boat and its crew, four Filipinos and one British captain, had been at sea since dawn two days before. But Quezon had been at sea for the majority of his adult life. He had worked as a deckhand in the Philippines for 14 years and, since 2009, on British-flagged boats fishing out of UK ports. Technically, Quezon lived in the Philippines. But each year, he boarded a plane in Manila and flew to Belfast in Northern Ireland or Aberdeen in Scotland. When he arrived, his visa gave him 48 hours to transit through the UK to join a ship, which he’d live on for the next eight to 12 months. >click to read< 20:56
Cornwall fishing father and son illegally caught pregnant lobsters
Officials said Andrew, 30, and 54-year-old Leslie Burt may have even scrubbed the shellfish to remove their eggs so it was not apparent they had been carrying them. Pleading guilty to seven charges relating to catching lobsters and poor record keeping, the pair were sentenced at Truro Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday for also retaining and landing lobsters with mutilated tails in their boat Isabelle. On December 19, 2022, the fishing vessel Isabelle PW64 returned to the port of Padstow after a six-day fishing trip both inside and outside the Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) district. Cornwall IFCA officers conducted a routine inspection of the catch of crabs and lobsters and discovered 28 berried female lobsters and two lobsters with damage to their tails. >click to read< 08:40
Sunken Brixham boat raised in remarkable harbour rescue
A fishing boat which sank in Brixham harbour last week has already been salvaged and is treading water for repairs. Bleary-eyed Brixham residents were in shock when they saw the half-submerged boat taking on water when they woke up on Wednesday morning and the council has released a statement explaining how it happened and was cleared up. It sparked quite the reaction online with lots of pictures of the scene floating around. One involved in the chatter was John Pepper, who lives right above the harbour and saw it all happen from his window. >click to read< 10:52
Pipe Dream: The wind and solar power myth has finally been exposed
Many governments in the Western world have committed to “net zero” emissions of carbon in the near future. The US and UK both say they will deliver by 2050. It’s widely believed that wind and solar power can achieve this. This belief has led the US and British governments, among others, to promote and heavily subsidize wind and solar. These plans have a single, fatal flaw: they are reliant on the pipe dream that there is some affordable way to store surplus electricity at scale. Wind and solar need to be backed up, close to 100 per cent, by some other means of power generation. If that backup is provided by open-cycle gas or worse, coal, net zero will never be achieved: nor anything very close to it. >click to read< 09:02
New Twin-Rigger’s Efficiency and Comfort
Looking for a modern trawler with more comfort for the crew, as well as better steaming speed and fuel efficiency when towing, while staying largely with the successful and familiar layout of their previous vessel, Derek Watt and his son Philip went back to Macduff for their new Excel BF-100. Designed to operate from Fraserburgh, fishing primarily for nephrops in the North Sea, the new F/V Excel replaces vessel of the same name that Macduff delivered to the family in 2010 and which has served them well since. Staying with the general internal layout and working arrangement that has shown itself to work well over the years was a key factor in the design, developed by the owners with the yard and Macduff Ship Design, which would make the transition to the new vessel a painless process. Photos, >click to read< 13:23
Devon man forced to drive 1,000 miles a week to deliver fish
A Devon fisherman is calling on the King to resolve his predicament as he launches a petition against bylaws that prevent him from selling fish directly from his boat at Brixham harbour. Tristan Northway used to be able to do this from his boat ADELA MB79 due to a relaxation in these bylaws during the pandemic where he sold fish caught just half an hour from the harbour. Now the pandemic allowances are over and he is not allowed to sell at the harbour he has to drive 1,000 miles a week, he said, in order to deliver his fish nationwide. He said he goes as far as Stoke-On-Trent and Birmingham meaning sometimes he only just covers his costs. Photos, >click to read< 13:23
Will American fish save our chippies? Massive rise in the cost of cod and haddock is forcing firms to look for cheaper alternatives
A huge rise in the cost of cod and haddock, alongside a tariff on Russian white fish, is forcing firms to look for cheaper alternatives, including rockfish, also known as Pacific perch, and hake, which the US west coast has in abundance. They both taste similar to cod. Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers, visited Oregon last month as part of a delegation from the UK seafood industry. He said the huge surplus of fish in the US could ‘take the pressure off’ needing to find expensive supplies closer to home. >click to read< 12:01
Fisherman John ‘Jack’ Hale, of Lowestoft,102, has passed away
Born John Federick, the respected fisherman only ever wanted to sail and he became the proud owner of a boat aged just 10. An independent soul, he would go on to run a successful business in Lowestoft which would see him work alongside both his son and grandsons. He was also proud to have broken an inshore fishing record in October 1968 with a herring catch in his boat the Seafarer. “He also fished with his son, Mike, who fished with him from about the age of 12, and they went on to own boats together. “It became a real family business when two of his grandsons began their working lives fishing with them.” Photos, >click to read< 10:32
Teenage fisherman from Looe livid after crab pot thefts
Will Jaycock has his own 10-metre Fowey-registered fishing boat which he uses in Looe Bay to catch crab and lobsters. However, the 18-year-old discovered that some of his pots had been cut and raided for their content, annihilating days of work and hard toil in the process. He said it was impossible to prove who had done it but insisted it was unlikely to be other fishermen in the town. “It seems opportunistic perhaps from people on day boats or in their own little pleasure boats or kayaks or divers out spearfishing. It’s not other fishermen. It’s people with recreational boats.” >click to read< 10:10
Joy as new Altaire is launched in Denmark
The new 80 metre Altaire LK429 was launched at the Danish shipyard Karstensens Skibsværft, in Skagen, at the weekend. A large group of crew, family members, friends and invited guests travelled to Denmark for the occasion. The large pelagic trawler was ordered in December 2020 and will based at the Collafirth Pier. At 79.95 metres in length and a beam of 16.60 metres, Altaire is powered by a Wärtsilä 12V31 main engine driving a two-speed gearbox and a 4200mm propeller. 2 photos, >click to read< 17:01
