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The Inshore Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) project was initiated to pilot and assess inshore vessel tracking systems to instil confidence in fishermen’s compliance with local environmental management agreements (statutory and voluntary). Seafish was approached by the South West Inshore Fishermens Association (SWIFA) to look at a vessel monitoring system for inshore scallop vessels. This project objective was to provide a means of verifying that vessels fishing inshore where able to provide evidence of compliance with voluntary and statutory agreements.

With changes in waste legislation, shellfish waste management has become increasingly difficult and expensive. This has significantly affected the shellfish processing sector, particularly the crustacea sector as there is a lack of cost-effective outlets for their waste. Disposal costs of more than £60 per tonne are common, which is not economically viable for many businesses. To establish whether it is possible for UK processors to generate an income or reduce the costs of crustacea waste disposal, Seafish initiated a project to look at the range of options available for crustacea waste management and identify which have potential for the UK processing sector. The project looked at all the crustacea species processed in the UK and the range of products or extracts that can be produced. The project identified two main options for crustacea waste management; use or disposal as ‘waste’ off-site or making it available for use in other products. Each option has its own issues; legalities, technical feasibility, outlets for the products etc. On the basis of the information collected, it will continue to be difficult for the crustacea processing industry to cost-effectively meet the demands of waste disposal legislation for the foreseeable future. Many different routes have and are being explored, but no breakthrough technology or solution has emerged. There are some opportunities to generate a financial return from crustacea waste, but investments in capital and the requirements for effective management remain a significant hurdle to achieving a return on investment. There is no single, simple, cost-effective solution for crustacea waste management. This report summarises the main finding of the project. Further detailed information is available on the Seafish B2B website (Gaining Value from Crustacea Waste Project). This includes an Excel workbook which will be periodically updated with new information as it becomes available. The spreadsheet can be accessed at http://www.seafish.org/b2b/info.asp?p=102

This work investigated the accuracy and precision of fuel flow meters that may be used on commercial fishing vessels to give real-time indication of engine fuel economy during operations. The study looked into the most accurate way to meter fuel consumption on a commercial fishing vessel, the cost of this to fishermen, how straightforward the device would be to fit on a fishing vessel and whether the sensors are suited to the demanding environmental conditions onboard fishing vessels. The study looked at the performance of six different individual fuel flow meters and four complete fuel monitoring solutions when tested on a marine diesel engine.

This is a response to Defra's consultation on a marine planning system for England of 21 July 2010. The consultation papers are available here: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/marine-planning/index.htm

Commercial-scale evaluation of advanced microbiological control techniques for marine finfish larval rearing in the UK.

A report of the third meeting of the ICES Study Group on Turned 90° Codend Selectivity, focusing on Baltic Cod Selectivity (SGTCOD), May 2011.

This report resulted from the introduction of legislation making square mesh panels mandatory in a number of UK fisheries.

Average gross earnings for North Sea and West of Scotland whitefish vessels are fairly stable compared to 2004. The marked increase in fuel costs, and high spend on leasing days at sea and quota have diminished average net profits for vessels in this segment compared to 2004. On average, over 24 metre whitefish vessels are expected to make a small loss or break- even, while under 24 metre vessels are expected to just cover their operating costs. Nephrops vessels struggled with poor weather early this year, and landings have varied by area, with North Sea landings up. Nephrops vessels also encountered higher fishing expenses than last year and therefore net profits are expected to be lower.

The aim of the project is to develop and test a means of integrating sail power for use on commercial fishing vessels, by combining traditional Cornish long liner sail designs with modern materials and technologies. The sail system will be used to enhance the propulsion supplied by the engine in a motor sail application. The vessel chosen to carry out these trials, the MFV Nova Spero will be equipped with modern sail and deck handling equipment. Initial trials will be carried out using the technology with an assessment of the sails performance in terms of handling and fuel saving. If initial trials prove successful the sail design and rig will be tested during a full commercial tuna fishing trip sailing from Newlyn, Cornwall to the Bay of Biscay.

This document provides a non-technical summary of sea trials in a ~10 m class potting vessel running comparative fuel consumption tests using red (fossil) diesel and biodiesel. The vessel, FV Ma Gandole, is powered by a 20 year old Volvo MD70B 6 cylinder, normally aspirated, 120 hp diesel engine coupled to a 3:1 reduction gearbox, assumed to be fairly typical of many power plant of the Newlyn ~10 m class fleet. The sea trials demonstrated that both fuels started the engine equally well, and the vessel was felt to handle and perform equally well with either fuel.