FISH supplies from Iceland and the Faroes finally arrived on the Humber today after the regular container ship deliveries had been held up by bad weather.

More than 3,000 boxes went on sale on the Grimsby market and 1,200 boxes were available for sale at Hull's Fishgate Market. In both cases, trading was brisk and prices very firm. Very little fish was available yesterday, the first normal trading Monday of 2008.

The incident happened about 50 miles off Cornwall

TWO French sailors are believed to have died and four others are missing after a French fishing vessel sank about 50 miles (80km) off Cornwall.

Westminster shadow fisheries minister Bill Wiggin said that due to arguments over the shareout of the UK's allocation of the EFF funds between the devolved assemblies, the programme was unlikely to occur until late 2008.

Seven SACs by 2012 - zones could be in place by 2012
by Richard Costas
Published by Fishing News: 28 December 2007

THE government has announced that nearly 10,000sq km (4000 sq miles) of sea around the UK could be given special area of conservation (SAC) status by 2012, reports Richard Costas.

This could mean a full or partial bar to fishing in those areas.

AREA VIIe of the Western Channel was closed at 00.01 on Thursday 20 to all UK vessels fishing for sole (FN 21 December) because the quota was close to being exhausted and there was a danger of it being exceeded.

The MFA said it wants to make it clear that this decision was taken as a precaution to safeguard the sole quota for 2008 and to avoid a repetition of 2006 when the quota was exceeded in the last days of December.

The agency said: "It should be remembered that if quota is overfished in any one year that it has to be deducted for the following year's quota.

"The MFA intends to investigate with industry how uptake of quota stocks at the end of the year, including VIIe sole, might be better managed in the future."

Published by Fishing News

The MFA was able to confirm allocations, and therefore the catch limits, after the outcome of the December Fisheries Council became clear.

The MFA intends to inform the industry of its plans for catch limits for the rest of 2008 early in the new year.

DECEMBER 2007 FISHERIES COUNCIL

The December Fisheries Council finished during the early hours of Wednesday 19 December in Brussels, when the TACs and quotas for 2008 were finally agreed. The negotiations took place against the usual background of extreme and draconian proposals from the Commission for big reductions in a number key TACs and quotas for the CFPO.

Published by Fish Update: 19/12/2007

In response to the announcement on fishing 2008 quotas, John Rutherford, Seafish Chief Executive said:

"It is encouraging that, this year, a significant amount of negotiation took place well ahead of the final EU decision-making process for the 2008 quotas. This helped to ensure that our fisheries can be sustainable in economic, social and biological terms.

"As a result we are now seeing a steadily increasing focus on conservation measures that UK fishermen have piloted over the last couple of years. These are now options for tackling serious issues such as cod recovery and discards.

Roy Palmer, the Australian link in a worldwide network researching and communicating information on the health benefits of seafood, said seafood was recognised as a genuine health food capable of curing, easing or avoiding a long and growing list of ailments.

FORMER Hull deep sea trawler owner Tom Boyd has been awarded the OBE in the New Year's Honours List for services to the fishing industry and his local community.

His company, the Boyd Line, operated a large fleet of distant water trawlers until the last Cod War and the advent of the European Common Fisheries Policy.Ironically, it was bought by an Icelandic firm about five years ago.