Fishing In Newlyn Today

Newlyn History

It is not possible to say when the catching of fish became an industry in Cornwall but certainly there are records of shipments of fish, principally Pilchards and Hake, as early as the sixteenth century. In early records the greatest mention is made of Pilchards, which were exported in large numbers, having first been salted and either pressed or pickled.

The volume of fish processed can be judged by the quantity of salt used. 1800 bushels of French salt was imported to Newlyn in 1764 and a further 800 bushels to the neighbouring village of Mousehole.

Large fish such as Cod, Hake and Ling were often dried, smoked or salted. There are photographs of Skate and Ray hanging up to dry outside of cottages, as in past ages when refrigeration was not an alternative and slow means of transport precluded the shipment of fresh fish inland or abroad, such cured fish would have been a delicacy.

For those living and working in Newlyn in the 1940s salt Cod was often served with a white sauce known as 'dippy' for dinner on Fridays. This fish, hard and grey when purchased, had to be soaked overnight before cooking to make it palatable.

Almost everyone in Newlyn at that time regularly ate salt Cod; it was as much part of their lives as pasties and saffron cake.

If you would like to try salt Cod telephone us on 01726 - 861666, we keep it in stock!

 

We have included below a very interesting article that we feel answers many of the questions that are asked by fish lovers and eaters; please feel free to call Rob Wing on 01726-861666 if you would like to discuss any of the points raised below. Do also be aware that we are nearly 9 months farther on in the process of acheiving a sustainable fishery in the south-west of England.

Fishing industry looks to future
By Will Smale BBC business reporter in Newlyn, Cornwall May 2005

Judging by the doom-and-gloom press coverage which usually hits the UK fishing industry, you might assume that the seas around the Britain are now virtually devoid of fish.

Such has been the extent of historic over-fishing, we are told, that ordering certain species of fish in a restaurant ought to be a guilty pleasure.

But while stocks of North Sea cod are undoubtedly at very low levels, the situation in other parts of the UK is much rosier. Stocks of some other fish are at high levels and actually rising.

This is the case in the pretty seaside town of Newlyn in Cornwall, home to England's largest fishing fleet, which fishes off the South West coast of England.

In Newlyn, quotas for monkfish - a delicacy in high demand - have increased this year, and fishermen, scientists and environmentalists generally agree that fishing stocks off south-west England are in a healthy and sustainable condition.

Andy Wheeler from the Cornish Fish Producers Association (CFPO), the co-operative that represents fishermen in the region, puts this down to a number of factors.

"The water temperature here is higher than the North Sea - thanks to the Gulf Stream - so we have much more diversity of fish," he says.

"While you have three or four main species in the North Sea, we have 20 to 25 here, which does make things easier."

Scientific co-operation

But in addition to the advantage of having many more types of fish to catch, the 200-plus Newlyn fishermen have also taken matters into their own hands to ensure the long-term health of their fish stocks.

Unfortunately for cod, it tastes much better than it looks

Firstly the size of their fleet has been greatly reduced over the past decade, and for the past two years they have worked as closely as possible with official scientists from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

"Annual fishing quotes are set by the EU every year just before Christmas, determined by scientific information from ICES on fishing stocks," Mr Wheeler says.

"Historically this has always caused of lot of antagonism from our members, who felt the scientists didn't know the real picture and that fishing stocks were actually much greater.

"For the last two years our members have taken the ICES scientists out on their boats and there is a lot more co-operation.

"You will always have grumbles, but we now feel that quotas are a lot more accurate."

Michael Nowell, 35, has been fishing from Newlyn since he was 16.

He and his brother Stephen own their own boat and are specialists in fishing for the much-prized Dover sole.

"It has improved a lot in the last three years, there are less boats than there used to be, and plenty of fish up in the Bristol Channel," says Mr Nowell.

European grumbles                                                                                         

Yet other Newlyn fishermen remain unhappy, saying the EU still underestimates the health of fishing stocks off the South West coast.

"We are made to feel like criminals before we even go out to sea," says Shaun Edwards, 42.

"The quotas are too tight, the authorities haven't got a clue. What is the future for the industry?"

One major bug-bear for UK fishermen, be they in Newlyn or those in the North Sea, is what they see as the unfairness of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the agreement which the UK signed up to when it joined the European Economic Community (the precursor to today's European Union) in 1974.

Under the CFP, overseas fishing fleets can actually catch more of certain fish in areas of UK waters than British fishermen.

For example, French fishermen can take nine times more cod from the North Cornwall coast than the Cornish fleet, a figure set in stone whatever the overall annual quota for the fishing area.

Critics say this is patently unfair and caused by the UK signing up to a very poor fishing deal because of its desperation to join the then-EEC long after its inception.

To defenders of the CFP, it simply reflects the fact that overseas fleets have long fished in UK waters.

Long term

Mr Wheeler takes a philosophical view.

Andy Wheeler is optimistic about the future for Cornish fishermen

"The CFP does cause a lot of anger and a number of fishermen would prefer to be outside.

"But we've had it now for 30 years and you have to make the best of it."

Putting grumbles against the CFP to one-side, Mr Wheeler believes the Newlyn fishing fleet has a bright future.

"We are quite optimistic down here in terms of quantities being caught, and we are working hard for the long term.

"Our challenges are to get the best quotas we can, maintain healthy fishing stocks, and modernise our fleet."

BBC report November ‘06

It may seem an unusual plea for a scientist to make.

But unless consumers change their fish eating habits, according to new research, current stocks could be wiped out by 2048. And with this in mind, one of the authors of the report, which was published in the American journal Science, has conjured up a vision of what should be served up in the future. Dr Nicola Beaumont, of Plymouth Marine Laboratory, said: "We may have to look at eating different seafood, instead of cod and chips, perhaps jellyfish and chips."

But to many involved in the fishing industry off England's south west coast, the warnings about dramatic changes to one of the nation's favourite dishes should be taken with, well, a pinch of salt. Rick Smith, from Brixham Trawler Agents in Devon, says the scientists have often been wrong before and described the latest report as "scaremongering".

Examples of fish caught in the SW John Dory Megrim Monkfish Mackerel Pollack

"They are usually academics, they look at figures from scientists who probably haven't been to sea and are just number crunchers," he said.

"To me it's just scaremongering. I think they are very, very mistaken.

"I think the industry is very viable, we have just had two record months."

At least 40 species are caught off the South West peninsula

Mr Smith, who has spent nearly 40 years in the fishing industry, says there are some 40 different varieties of fish currently being landed around the South West peninsula. And he credits celebrity chefs with the public's growing interest in a diverse range of seafood.

"A lot of fish that were never eaten before are now very popular and commanding a high price," he said.

Steve Farrar, who runs the Blue Sail Fish company at Looe Market in Cornwall, believes the region's fishermen are sensitive to conservation because their future depends on it.

"The supply is subject to a lot of environmental fluctuation," he said.

"There is less fish than there was in the 90s, it is fair to say, but the fishing industry is endeavoring to make sure we do have a sustainable future for generations to come." And working towards that sustainable future means changes in fishing methods as Paul Trebilcock, the chief executive of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation, explains.

Cornish fish facts 49 ports in Cornwall 326 miles of coast £30m-worth of fish landed in county annually

"All fisheries are moving towards that through mesh size changes, through technical measures and through TAC [total allowable catch] restrictions," he said.

"Scientists are saying that fishing mortality is falling on some key stocks and are actually recommending increases in quotas."

Seafood Cornwall's Nathan De Rozarieux says the findings reflect some of the worst fishing scenarios but a very different system is employed in the UK.

'Sustainable management'

"We have probably got the most beaureaucratic and heavily managed fisheries in Europe," he said.

"We really have got everything in place for a sustainable management system."

But Dr Beaumont told the BBC reducing commercial fishing was only part of the solution.

"I think we can be consumer savvy and try to choose to eat fish which are more sustainably caught.

"It's not just looking at the fish but our actions across the board."