What's New?

Understanding the Model: inputs and outputs

I. Using Modelling to Test Ideas for Change

II. Assumptions Really Do Matter

Over the life of the Invest in Fish, the project has been collecting ideas on how to safeguard the marine environment, the fishing industry and regional economy of the Southwest. A complex bio-economic model has been built to test some of these ideas and to help with assessing their costs and benefits.

The following link goes into some detail on the specifics of the Invest in Fish bio-economic model, and also illustrates via a discussion on stock recruitment, just how important the assumptions driving a model can be. This has implications for scientists and the stakeholders involved who must make decisions on these assumptions, and flowing from that must deal with the outputs produced by a model using these figures. Guidance notes, communication, and clarity is vital.

IiFSW Modelling and consultation

For more information, including full details on the options reviewed so far, contact the project office. We are currently holding small meetings to discuss findings, and are happy to arrange one on one or small group meetings to discuss findings.

Anglo-French Visit of Newlyn Fish Market

A glorious sunny morning rewarded the Invest in Fish early birds who, last month, accepted the kind invitation from Clare Leverton at South West PESCA and Brian Shipman at Cornwall County Council to meet with Gwénaëlle Renaud, European Project Officer from the Conseil Général Finistère, on a fact finding mission in Cornwall.

A bustling and busy market was in full swing when we arrived and hake was aplenty at one end of the market whilst other smaller auctions were going on in different parts of the market.

The group went on a stroll along the quay to see the fishing vessel and was then joined by  Nathan de Rozarieux from Seafood Cornwall and the Fisheries Resource Centre and by Sam Davis from Cornwall Sea Fisheries Committee.

Invest in Fish was able to explain the project to our cross Channel (or maybe we should say La Manche) visitor over a hearty breakfast back at the Fisherman’s Mission, and our hopes for seeing the concept and the model to widen to other parts of Europe.

Cod at the Centre of Attention in Edinburgh

A cod symposium organised jointly by the North Sea Regional Advisory Council (RAC) and the North Western Waters RAC took place at the beginning of March. The Invest in Fish South West project contributed an information update for the delegates’ pack and Heather Squires, project manager, attended.

The event brought together leading scientists, members and representatives of the fishing industry, environmentalists, from Scotland, England, France, Belgium, Denmark, and others and proved to be so popular that the event rapidly sold-out - clearly cod is a hot fish!

Of special relevance for the south-west were working group sessions on the Celtic Sea, including discussion of the current seasonal Trevose Closure, and technical contributions from various scientists offering ideas for more targeted and selective fishing and alternative management arrangements.

Many people spoke of the need for adaptive and inclusive management, working with fishermen to understand and adapt useful measures, as well as the need to get away from short-term stock assessments (often fluctuating and usually with strong uncertainties) to focus on specific remedies in a context of long-term management planning. Worth noting also  was a call for the creation of regional policy advisory committees specific to cod recovery, to include ICES, STECF, RAC members and others.

Overall there was widespread sentiment that the European Commission must evaluate the current cod recovery plan before making decisions on its effectiveness. The Commission is set to revamp the current cod recovery plan in 2008.  Formal proceedings from this event will be available in due course via the NS and NWW RAC.  

Invest in Fish SW: A Model for Europe?

“It is hoped that the Invest in Fish bio-economic model will be taken-up and turned into a practical tool for and by the North Western Waters RAC” is what Heather Squires, Invest in Fish SW Project Manager said when she presented the project and its model to the North Western Waters Regional Advisory Council working group meeting last January.

The emphasis of the model, due to data availability, has been on the UK fleet, though significant opportunity now exists to expand this work to accommodate additional data sets from France, Ireland, and Spain. Further work would also shift the model software to an accessible open source format. The NWW RAC is ideally placed to lead on the trialling and advancing of this work. Another way forward would be for some of the RAC members to initiate a partnership arrangement to do so. The Invest in Fish partnership could continue to play a role in this work at a European level but also here in the south-west where the project has managed to bring together diverse stakeholder groups, and is considering ways of continuing this dialogue.  

Fish n Tips - Hospitality Industry Meets to Share Info

Sourcing sustainably when it comes to fish is no easy task. With no 1-stop shop for learning about the state of fisheries, it can be confusing at best for the average restaurateur or hotellier. And yet many have a desire to do the right thing - to know where their fish comes from and to buy responsibly. The ‘Fish ‘n’ Tips’ event, put on by Coast, SME Skills in Applied Zoology ad Duchy College at the Boardroom in Porthtowan on March 30th, brought together more than two dozen food service companies with an interest in learning and doing more. Heather Squires, from Invest in Fish Southwest, gave an update on the state of the IiFSW project and specifically on the tools available to help make choices in how we manage our fisheries. Feedback on the project's bio-economic model was really good, and there was special interest in a possible future version of the model as a public education tool - wait and see - there might be an interactive game version yet!

"More events like this is exactly what is needed to increase knowledge and awareness amongst the food and hospitality industry, and ultimately on to the general public. As an opportunity to share ideas and information, the day was a great success". 

For more information, contact Jemma directly at Jemma@coastproject.co.uk'

Hats Off to Sustainable SW Futures!

And last, but by no means least, a very big congratulations to the South West Handline Fishemen's Association and Seafood Cornwall for winning the coveted Sustainable Future prize at the recent Seafood Awards. This award is a much deserved feather in the cap for the Association and Seafood Cornwall who have been working tirelessly to develop the line caught tagging scheme and other projects encouraging sustainable South West fish. Well done!

For further updates on Invest in Fish South West work packages, click here.