Isle of Skye Fish Farm will not go ahead: Plans for a fish farm on the Isle of Skye will now not go ahead after planning permission was refused. Organic Sea Harvest had sought to build a total of twelve cages (down from initial plans for twenty-four) on the island. Officials from Highland Council had recommended that the plans be approved, but councillors voted to refuse permission, bringing a four-year saga to a close. Salmon farms are now big business in Scotland with the ruling Scottish National Party heavily promoting such farms in during their time in power. However, as the environmental impact of open-sea fish farms has become apparent there has been growing controversy over the continuing expansion of the Scottish fish farming industry. Read more on the BBC News website here.
Basking shark causes panic on Cornish beach: A 3 metre (10ft) long juvenile basking shark sent people running from the sea as it appeared in shallow water at a Cornish beach this month. The shark appeared at St Ives Harbour around 6 metres (20ft) from the shoreline, causing people to run from the water after they spotted its dorsal fin. Andy Narbett, who runs Tiger Lilly Boat Trips told the Metro that it was “incredible” to see a basking shark so close and went on to say: “The poor kids who were in the water must only have been 20ft from it. They didn’t realise it was harmless so they started screaming and got straight out of the shallow water.” Basking sharks are one of the largest shark species in the world but are harmless to humans as they only feed on plankton. Read more on the Metro website by clicking here.
First Lego shark found after twenty-seven years: A fisherman from Devon has found the first of more than 50,000 Lego sharks which were lost at sea from a container ship twenty-seven years ago. Richard West found the plastic shark when hauling in his nets twenty miles off the coast of Penzance. The Lego shark was part of a consignment of Lego being transported past Land’s End by the Tokio Express container ship when more than sixty containers were lost overboard in a storm in February 1997. Around 22,000 dark grey Lego sharks and 29,000 light grey sharks were lost, from a total of 4.7 million individual pieces of Lego being carried on the ship. Tracey Williams of the organisation Lego Lost at Sea confirmed that the Lego Shark found by Mr West was the first lost from the Tokio Express to be recovered. While the story is seen as humorous and light-hearted it does underline how persistent and long-lasting plastic is when it is lost at sea. Click here to read more on this story on the BBC News website.
Mussel farm leads to the revival of the seabed off south west coast: An area of seabed off the coast of Devon has undergone a significant revival after a mussel farm was set up. The establishment of the farm meant that seabed trawling was banned in the area. Researchers from the University of Plymouth have said that this, in turn, has led to the seabed transforming from muddy sediment into a much healthier shellfish reef. However, old maps from the 1870s have revealed that these reefs were once present in the area, and the banning of seabed trawling means that they may have been restored, rather than newly created. Dr Emma Sheehan from the University of Plymouth and a lead researcher on the study told the BBC: “To find out that such habitats were found in the region 150 years ago is really exciting. It shows that the farm is not only having a positive impact on the health of the ocean now, but also returning the seabed to some semblance of its former state.” Read more on this story here.
Plymouth campaign aims to get people eating different fish species: A campaign has been launched to get people in Plymouth eating different species of fish. Starting with meals served in schools, the Plymouth Fish Finger project will see species such as pouting and dogfish used to make fishfingers which will be served in schools across the city. The campaign has been set up by Dr Clare Pettinger from the University of Plymouth in conjunction with several fishing organisations from the region. The overall aim of the project is to move people away from eating species such as cod and haddock which are overfished in UK waters and create demand for species which currently have low value. Local fishermen had reported that almost a quarter of what they caught was discarded as bycatch, but now those species, which included pouting horse mackerel and scad, were now being retained. Read more on this story by clicking here.
Illegal shellfish pickers apprehended in Essex: An operation by Essex Police, HM Coastguard and Southend Council caught illegal shellfish pickers this month. Patrols found nineteen people stopped for collecting shellfish without the correct documents and registration. Around 43kgs (97lbs) of shellfish was recovered. Southend Council also warned that shellfish which had been illegally collected may be a health hazard due to being stored improperly and purification not being carried out. They added that their officers had the right to inspect and seize equipment that they suspected was used to illegally harvest shellfish. Click here to read more on this story.
Fish and chips have highest price rises of all takeaway food: The price of the British classic fish and chips rose by more than 50 per cent over the last five years, making the price rise the highest of any takeaway food. The average cost of a portion of fish and chips in the UK is now £9.88. In comparison, the cost of kebabs went up by 44 per cent, chicken and chips by 42 per cent, pizza by 30 per cent and Indian and Chinese takeaways both by 29 per cent. Multiple factors have led to the rise including a 35 per cent tariff imposed by the government on Russian seafood imports due to the war in Ukraine, smaller than average potato crops across Europe due to poor weather conditions, and increases in shop rents and energy bills for businesses. Read more on this story here.
Devon angler catches and releases 6.5ft tope: An angler from Devon caught and released a 6.5ft (2 metre) tope this month. Aaron Jones caught the shark while fishing from his boat on the Taw-Torridge Estuary when he was targeting smooth-hound using mackerel bait. After a twenty-minute battle, Jones had to release the shark by the side of the boat as it was too large to bring on board. Its weight was estimated at 60lbs. Read more here.