Jim Portus

UK FISHERIES Minister Jonathan Shaw has spelled out a number of options for the survival of the English inshore fishing fleet.

And today, a spokesman for the UK fisheries department Defra confirmed that among the ideas aired at a meeting with the industry, was a targeted decommissioning scheme.

However, the Defra spokesman underlined that Mr Shaw, who wanted to to see a "sustainable and viable" English inshore fleet had mentioned a limited and targeted decommissioning scheme as a possible option, not a definite plan.

Seafish welcomes the Food Standards Agency review on fish consumption for its focus on ensuring that the fish we eat in Britain is from sustainable stocks - a view supported by the fishing industry itself.  We are confident that this independent and evidence-based review will confirm that seafood is an important part of a healthy and well-balanced diet, and that supplies of seafood to the UK market are sustainable.

However, some inferences recently published surrounding this review have, in our view, been misleading in the information they have offered to consumers on the state of global fish stocks.

Bertie Armstrong

THE Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF) has accused Greenpeace of misleading the public with "panicky soundbites".

The comment came after Greenpeace announced that it would be holding an event with top chefs at Old Billingsgate Fish Market today to urge other chefs to only use sustainable seafood on their menus.

"Seafish has invested in, developed, and supported, responsible fishing practices for many years and gives the highest priority to this area of work.

"The recent press release from Greenpeace about their event at Billingsgate includes information on stocks and species which is variously inaccurate, out of date or misleading.  The effects of such misguided campaigns are huge, not least because they misinform consumers and do unnecessary harm to the livelihoods of hard working people, but because they damage relations between the industry and responsible campaigning groups.

"The Seafish website holds a steadily increasing number of ‘Responsible Sourcing Guides' that are designed to give reliable, up-to-date and peer-reviewed information of the status of the different fisheries for species like cod, haddock, monkfish and tuna.

"The ICES web site (www.ices.dk) also contains definitive information on stocks and management issues."

Top chefs Raymond Blanc and Tom Aikens will be joining forces with Greenpeace tomorrow (30 January) to urge other chefs to use only sustainable seafood on their menus.

Over three hundred businesses with a base in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly completed the questionnaire, the start of the six month "Buy Cornish" project run by the Enterprise Edge service and the first serious research into how much money local firms spend in their own area.

A SPOKESPERSON for No Catch has today confirmed that the pioneering organic cod farming company, based in Vidlin, Shetland is seeking fresh backing, either in the form of new owners or investment.

The spokesperson commented: "We're looking for new investment and a potential sale.

"This has been planned for over three years, the plan has always been to do this, so it's going through the normal process that most businesses go through."

Asked whether any of the 120 jobs may be lost at the company, the spokesperson said: "No, not at this stage. That's not an option - we're just looking for new investment."

Published by Fish Update:  28 January, 2008

The coastguard said it was not known where the ordinance came from

BOMB disposal experts have blown up a torpedo head which was trawled up in the nets of a fishing boat off the Devon coast.

The device was brought up by the Katherine M on Sunday evening about a mile south of Plymouth breakwater, BBC News reported.

A spokesman for Brixham Coastguard said it was not known where the ordinance came from.

A temporary exclusion zone was put in place while the torpedo head was detonated by Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD).

The Skipper and Crew of the Newlyn beam trawler "Billy Rowney" PZ532, have netted the coveted Seafood Cornwall Vessel Quality of the Year Award for the second year running.

The Seafood Cornwall Quality Vessel scheme recognises those boats consistently landing top quality fish through improved gutting, washing and icing of the catch whilst at sea and on the market. The Billy Rowney achieved the highest average score of samples carried out throughout 2007. 

Other categories included Best Beamer, Best Netter, Best Trawler and Best Under 10m vessel and the winners respectively were, the Newlyn vessels "Billy Rowney", "Carol H" (Sk. Phil Mitchell), "Nantewas" (Sk. Roger Coutsoubos) and the Cadgwith based "Scorpio" (Sk. Danny Philips).