Tag Archives: United Kingdom
Fishing boat sinks after catching fire off the Hartlepool coast
Both Hartlepool RNLI lifeboats were paged at 10.26 am on Monday, August 9, following a request by Humber Coastguard after reports that flares had been fired from a boat off Hartlepool. Both Hartlepool RNLI boats launched at 10.35 am and were alongside the stricken vessel within a few minutes. On arrival at the scene, a lifeboat crew member from the inshore lifeboat was placed aboard the second fishing boat that had taken the skipper to provide casualty care although none was required. photos, >click to read< 10:11
Boasts about boosting fishing quotas after Brexit have been branded “codswallop”- The fish don’t exist!
Regaining control of British waters was a major part of the Leave campaign before Brexit but six months on and questions have been raised about the supposed benefits An investigation using the Government’s own data and backed up by former officials has revealed that £31.8million worth of extra fish promised in Parliament “don’t exist”. That money should have come from a big rise in the quota for sole and plaice. But James White, 38, a fisherman from Felixstowe, said: “They can increase the quota a hundred fold and we won’t be able to catch more. These fish don’t exist.” >click to read< 08:03
HEY POLITICIANS !!! The levelized cost of floating offshore wind farms – It is a financial disaster.
Last year, I wrote a blog post setting out the financial situation of Hywind, the UK’s first commercial floating offshore windfarm, and indeed the first in the world. It was an ugly tale, with a hugely lossmaking operation kept in the black only by a vast transfer of subsidies. However, Hywind has recently published its second set of financial results since it became fully operational,,, Situated off Peterhead, in what appears to be something of a sweet spot for wind, yadda. yadda, Meanwhile its costs are extraordinarily high. We already knew that its capital cost, at £8.9m/MW. was around three times the that of fixed offshore wind. But its opex costs are also much higher, >click to read<, Also a follow up article: “Clues to the levelised cost of tidal stream” – Yesterday, I set out the levelised cost of floating offshore wind turbines. In this article, I will look at what we know about the levelised cost of tidal stream energy, and show that it is probably even higher. >click to read< 15:32
Fish tails – on the final #FishyFriday of July
Hard to believe looking across the harbour this morning that six hours before this was taken both St Marys and Sennen lifeboat were patrolling the Scillys as gusts up to 69mph caused chaos both ashore and at sea. An impatient fleet gets the gear sorted before leaving the quay and heading back to sea.. first away was the hake netter Ajax, Fish, photos, >click to read< 22:47
The fishing war over Brexit has begun! Norway races to catch fish before they reach UK waters.
The fishing war over Brexit has begun! Norway is racing to catch fish before they reach UK waters. According to rumors, BREXIT would trigger a fishing competition among Norwegian trawlers as the Scandinavians strive to collect as many mackerel and herring as possible before migrating to British waters. Northern European fishermen are no longer allowed to fish up to the UK’s 12-mile coastline border under post-Brexit laws. As a result, Norwegian boats are racing to grab their catch before the salmon migrate west in September. N-TV, a German television station, has prophesied an impending “herring and mackerel race” between Norway and the United Kingdom. >click to read< 10:14
UK: Fishing industry is ‘drowning in sea of government incompetence’ following Brexit
North MP Jamie Stone has warned that the fishing industry is “drowning in a sea of government incompetence” following Brexit. Highlighting the plight of fishermen in the Highlands since the UK left the European Union, Mr Stone accused of Boris Johnston’s government of a “negligent attitude” towards the industry.,, One skipper has informed him there are “increased stand-offs between boats which pose serious risks to life”, while another wants aggressive boats banned from landing their fish in British ports. >click to read< 09:16
Profit and turnover down as UK fishing fleet weathers a challenging year.
Our first economic performance estimates for 2020 show impact of pandemic on fishing industry. Fishing fleet performance in 2020 The total operating profit of the UK fishing fleet fell by almost a fifth in 2020 as the sector dealt with the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. The data we’re publishing today shows that: Operating profit fell by 19% from £264 million in 2019 to £214 million in 2020. Turnover, which had been above the £1 billion mark for the previous three years, fell to £843 million. This is a 17% reduction. These totals,,, photos, >click to read<22:26
Used. Fishermen say MPs who hyped Brexit fishing benefits have abandoned them
Conservative MPs who hyped the potential benefits of Brexit for the fishing industry have been accused of quietly abandoning any mention of the issue after promised gains failed to materialise. “Those Conservative MPs that were our most vociferous supporters were very quiet, about the implications of the TCA [trade and cooperation agreement]. That’s the world that we’re having to adjust to,” said Barrie Deas, chief executive of the NFFO in a briefing with journalists on Wednesday. “The European Research Group, for example quite often referred to fishing as a poster child [for Brexit] but I don’t think any of them came out and said this is a bad deal for fishing. Their eye was on the main prize, which of course was the trade agreement.” >click to read< 15:30
Huge Displacement: The United Kingdom is ‘sacrificing’ it’s fishing sector for offshore wind farms
The government has been accused of sacrificing the fishing industry for a second time since Brexit in order to burnish its green credentials with offshore wind farm’s.,, Boris Johnson, last year said the UK had an opportunity to become “the Saudi Arabia of wind”, as part of a goal to become carbon neutral by 2030. But in an echo of Brexit political divides, fishing officials said on Wednesday the government had failed to carry out impact assessments or recognise the huge “displacement” that wind turbines at sea were causing the fishing industry. “What we seem to have is a government that is in thrall to the conservation lobby, and you can see why – there are green votes that are there,” >click to read< 11:26
‘Why is the fishing industry having to fight their own government for survival?’
The fishing industry is seeking urgent clarification from government in the light of growing evidence that local vessels are being prevented from fishing traditional grounds by foreign owned and crewed fishing vessels. The issue was raised by Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael during a fishing debate in parliament on Tuesday morning. The Orkney and Shetland MP told UK fishing minister Victoria Prentis that he had urged her to give powers to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to police the waters out to the 200-mile limit at the time the post Brexit fisheries bill was passing through parliament last autumn. >click to read< 13:22
Speaking of the nutters! U.K. weighing ban on boiling lobsters alive
Under new amendments to animal welfare bill, crabs, lobsters, octopi, squid and other invertebrates, are set to be recognized as sentient beings that are capable of feeling pain. A simple google search will tell savvy home cooks looking to try their hand at cooking lobster to simply plunge the live creatures, headfirst, straight into a pot of (salted) boiling water. A piece of animal welfare legislation is currently winding its way through the U.K. parliament. “Lobsters struggle violently for approximately two minutes after being placed in boiling water,,, “scalding” animals to death is “unnecessarily cruel”, a belief that has been echoed by other animal welfare advocates and organizations, like the U.K. based Crustacean Compassion. Legislation banning boiling of lobsters alive has already been passed in a handful of countries, including New Zealand, Switzerland and Austria. >click to read< 20:34
Fishing boat skipper has been hailed a hero after he died trying to save a young crew member
Lachlan Robertson, known as Lachie, did not think twice about leaping into the water when a member of his crew fell overboard in rough seas in the Sound of Rum last week. Another crewman managed to pull the younger man from the icy water, but by the time they reached 61-year-old Mr Robertson, he was in a critical condition. It is understood one man fell as he and Mr Robertson tried to pull the nets back aboard in rough seas. “Somehow the crewman fell overboard and Lachie immediately jumped into the water after him, fearing he would drown. “The remaining young crewman, from nearby Skye, managed to pull his crewmate out of the sea but it took much longer to retrieve Lachie, by which time he was showing little sign of life.” >click to read< 07:40
EU ‘fly-shooting’ fishing boats in Channel spark concerns
The UK has been accused of allowing a fleet of mainly EU “fly-shooting” fishing boats “unfettered access” to the Channel, without a proper assessment of the impact on fish populations, the seabed or the livelihoods of small-scale fishers. Organisations representing small-scale fishers on both sides of the Channel have warned that the fleet is having a “devastating” effect on their catches. They are calling for a review of the vessels’ UK licences until an impact assessment has been carried out. Fly-shooter fishing boats, sometimes called Danish or Scottish seiners,,, >click to read< 08:41
“All I am is a fisherman. That’s all I’m guilty of Your Honour.”
On May 31, 2010, the biggest haul of cocaine ever found in UK waters was discovered in 11 holdalls along the shore of the Isle of Wight, worth £53 million. Four fishermen and a local scaffolder who masterminded the operation were charged and found guilty of the offence, and were sentenced to 104 years in prison between them. They have always denied any involvement. Subsequent appeals have been lost but the men continue to protest their innocence. A new book tells the story from the perspective of one of the convicted fishermen, Jamie Green. The book, The Freshwater Five: A Fishing Crew’s Fight For Justice After Being Jailed for 104 Years is Jamie’s story written by Mike Dunn and Nicky Green. >click to read< 21:05
Tributes paid to Scot fisherman Lachlan Robertson, who died after falling overboard.
Lachlan Robertson, 61, passed away in the tragic incident after being pulled from the water in the Sound of Rum, near the Isle of Skye. The fisherman, and another man working on the boat, was recovered from the water by a third crew member. But Lachlan, also known as Lachie, was pronounced dead at the scene. Now heartbreaking tributes have been posted on social media following the tragic news. >click to read< 10:07
Mallaig fisherman killed in tragic fall overboard, remembered as a ‘gem’ of community
Lachlan Robertson, 61, died on Thursday after he and a fellow crew member fell into the sea in the Sound of Rum. Investigations are currently under way onboard his vessel, the Reul a’Chuain. In a social media post, his daughters told mourners they could lay flowers at Mallaig Harbour in his memory. Coastguards received a Mayday call from a fishing vessel at about 7pm on Thursday reporting that two out of three crewman onboard had entered the water. The pair were rescued from the water and brought back on board by the third member of the crew, before being attended to by the helicopter’s winch paramedic. >click to read< 10:24
Conflicting statements create confusion over future of old Ayr fishing boat
The MVF Watchful has been sitting on an old slipway in Ayr’s South Harbour for around two decades. Previous attempts to have the vessel restored have sunk without a trace. Now campaigners, who are concerned the vessel’s condition is beyond redemption, have been left scratching their heads over differing accounts over its future from a local councillor and South Ayrshire Council. Both accounts from the local authority and the Ayr West Councillor appeared to contradict each other and Ayrshire Live was asked to investigate. >click to read< 09:11
Where do you even begin to respond to the answer given this question in Parliament?
This is not, “taking back control”. The level of understanding displayed in this response is telling. Just how seriously is the threat of these hugely powerful and game-changing fishing vessels being taken by the MMO and the Government on behalf of off and inshore UK fishermen? Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is aware of the fishing method of fly shooting in UK waters, whether his Department has made an assessment of the environmental impacts of fly shooting; and if his Department will make an assessment of the compatibility of fly shooting with the Government’s ambition to protect 30 percent of UK waters by 2030. >click to read< 22;30
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency to carry out unannounced inspections of fishing vessels across the UK.
The agency said that inspections are being carried out as part of ongoing work to improve fishing vessel safety in an industry recognized to be one of the most dangerous in the world. Since November 2020 there have been eight deaths in the industry including one in Shetland when a fisherman fell overboard from a local trawler in February. Between 2011and 2020 the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) reported 60 fatalities from UK fishing vessels. >click to read< 21:50
Lobster wars: Norfolk fisherman says too many people cashing in, lobsters being overfished
A Norfolk fisherman with more than 40 years of experience has raised fears that the region’s shores are being overfished of lobsters. David Chambers said bad weather had recently affected lobster supplies. But Mr Chambers also blamed too many people coming into the industry and crowding the waters with their pots on the decline in lobster supplies and the hike in prices. It comes as the seabed from Weybourne to Happisburgh, off the Norfolk coast, was designated a Marine Conservation Zone in 2016.”There are an awful lot of pots and I know some people with big boats who are giving up because there’s too much gear out there, the younger fishermen have no respect, it’s just crazy. >click to read< 11:39
A fundraiser is established for a memorial to remember fishermen who died off Newhaven coast
The family of a fisherman who tragically died when his ship sank off the coast of Newhaven are raising funds for a new memorial to remember those lost at sea. Robert Morley and Adam Harper lost their lives after their boat, the F/V Joanna C, sank in November last year. Captain Dave Bickerstaff was pulled from the water by lifeboat crews, after he was found holding on to a lifebuoy almost four hours after the tragedy. Now, months after Robert Morley was laid to rest, his family are fundraising for a memorial to placed in the harbour to remember those who have lost their lives at sea. photos, >click to read< Memorial for our lost fisherman – Thanks to everyone for donating and sharing, we are receiving amazing support this is obviously close to our hearts as it is to Adams and Darren’s families , this memorial will also stand as a tribute to all fishermen and women a memorial for Newhaven is long overdue, >click to read, and please donate if you can< 07:49
Fisherman rescued after falling overboard in the early hours of Sunday morning
Hartlepool RNLI lifeboats were launched at 02:43 by Humber Coastguard following a report that the man had gone overboard from a 10m fishing vessel. However by the time the rescue service reached the incident the stricken man had been recovered from the water by the fishing boat’s skipper and was back onboard their vessel. A crew member from the RNLI team was placed aboard the boat to assess the casualty. >click to read< 07:33
Fishing industry ‘sold down river’ by Brexit
When I read that those fish and chip shops supplied by our trawler fleet some years ago are now being supplied by Norwegian trawlers, I have to ask myself…how in heaven’s name did we allow this to happen? And when I read in the same article that good quality fish, caught by our own fisherman, were left rotting on the quayside, almost mirroring fish caught by British fishermen having to be thrown back although dead, but perfectly fit to enter our food chain, I considered both a criminal act, and if they weren’t they should have been. >click to read< 11:55
Granville mayor defends accused French fisherman caught trawling through a protected area
The skipper of a French boat which was caught trawling through a protected bream spawning ground off the north coast has been defended by the mayor of Granville. Gilles Ménard diverted the blame onto Jersey’s government for preventing the captain of the Alizé 3 from accessing its ‘usual fishing areas’.,,, During the incident, which took place on Tuesday morning, Jersey fishermen spotted the trawler moving through the protected zone, and fisheries officers, alongside a number of local boats, went out to intercept the vessel. >click to read< 16:38
EU accused of ‘land grab’ by fishermen as they increase use of ‘destructive’ fly-shooting boats in UK waters
The EU has been accused of a “land grab” by fishing groups as it has drastically increased the amount of “fly-shooting” boats in UK waters. Fly-shooting is a controversial fishing method in which multiple nets are used to encircle and capture entire shoals of fish, and heavy ropes drag across the ocean floor, displacing whatever is underneath. There were originally just a handful of fly-shooters in our waters, but now there are 75 high-powered boats using the method all across UK waters to scoop up bass and mullet. >click to read< 20:51
‘Some will call it a day’, warns East Neuk prawn fisherman as Coronavirus and Brexit impact bites
It was presented as a “sea of opportunity” that would lead to post-Brexit Britain becoming an independent coastal state and a chance to “take back control” of our fishing waters. But when eighth generation East Neuk fisherman Graham Gourlay reflects on the combined double whammy of Coronavirus and Brexit on his industry, he says that “without a doubt” some prawn fishermen will sell-up unless market conditions dramatically improve soon.,, In depth article, photos, >click to read<08:46
Amble man awarded silver medal in recognition of his service to the RNLI over half a century
Rodney Burge joined Amble lifeboat in 1969 after leaving the Royal Navy and he is still involved today as its press and media officer. “The award was totally unexpected,” said the 76-year-old,,, Born and brought up in Amble, he joined the Royal Navy as a teenager where he served as a submariner. He bought a trawler boat after leaving the services and enjoyed a long fishing career until retirement. >click to read< 16:11
Brexit Betrayal: In Newlyn, anger at red tape and the falling price of fish.
Michael Bosustow been awake for about 30 hours and needs to prepare for another couple of days at sea. But he can still summon the energy to condemn the Conservative party for striking a deal with the EU that he, like many in this tight-knit fishing town, regards as a betrayal.,,, Further down the quay, Brackan Pearce, 28, is restocking his trawler. He travelled up the Thames as part of a flotilla of fishing boats demanding control of British waters during the referendum campaign in 2016. Now he feels betrayed. “They lied to us. They’ve used us to get Brexit. Without the boats going up the Thames, Brexit would never have happened,” he says from the deck of his boat. >click to read< 08:46
The ‘disastrous’ Brexit deal: Fishermen lament Brexit betrayal and ageing crews
This year was meant to mark the rebirth of British fishing. After years of decline under the Common Fisheries Policy, fishermen overwhelmingly backed Brexit as a means of regaining control of the waters and rebuilding the country’s fleets. It was a tantalising glimpse of a new dawn, but instead the deal struck between the Government and the EU,,, The combination of red tape and a lack of opportunities at sea means many young people are now turning their back on the industry. Ruinous as it has been, many fishermen say they were struggling to attract young people due to domestic red tape long before the Brexit negotiations neared their conclusion. >click to read< 10:41
UK Fisheries call for tariffs on Norway, Greenland and Iceland to compensate for access loss of their waters
Despite two years of campaigning to save the UK’s distant-waters fishing industry, UK Fisheries Ltd’s state-of-the-art vessel Kirkella (pictured), a cod and haddock freezer trawler and part of the UK’s distant waters fishing fleet, is once again tied up in Hull. UK Fisheries still have no access to the Norwegian coastal waters where our crews should be working right now. >click to read< 07:13
