Newquay is probably best known as a Cornish holiday destination.
There is however a thriving fishing industry that operates from its harbour, with eight to ten boats using it as their homeport.
The harbour is tidal, meaning departure times to arrive at the fishing grounds are very much dependent on whether the tide is in or out. Likewise, returning after a day’s work relies on there being sufficient water for the boats to enter the harbour to land their catch and tie up safely for the night.
Fishing is not an easy job and can be backbreaking and arduous, especially when the wind is strong, and the seas are rough. There was a time when a man could earn a living out of working 100 crab or lobster pots, nowadays it’s probably nearer 600 or 700. Why is this? The fishery has changed, there are many large boats fishing out in the English Channel and around the Cornish coast, using many hundreds, and in lots of cases thousands of pots. Bigger boats can work the rougher Winter weather. Pots used to come ashore over the winter months, to ensure they weren’t broken up on the rocks. Now almost all of the larger boats leave their ‘gear’ at sea, fishing all the way through winter.
The Gilbert family specialise in catching lobster and crab, this is the backbone of their living and experts at it they are too! The family has been fishing from Newquay for decades. Grandfather Martin landed his catches to the Cornish fishmonger in the late 90s. Now, his two sons, Jake and Dan have taken over the business and run their own boats from the port.
Jake’s 10-year-old son Ryan is keen to follow in his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps, running his own boat from Newquay Harbour. So, what does the future hold for Ryan?
If you speak to many of the fishermen who fish from Newquay, they will tell you that they have never seen so many small lobsters as they have over the last two to three years. ‘We’ve never seen so many lobsters on the ground, all sizes, from the tiny dinky ones to fish which will probably be of landing size next year, this has to be a good sign?’
So, what’s caused this increase in lobster stock? Some will say that young lobsters are the staple diet of cod and other round fish. Maybe they are right, who knows? As the waters around Cornwall have warmed, those types of fish have moved further North, perhaps allowing juvenile lobsters to grow without being the food of the Cod or Pollock.
The National Lobster Hatchery, based in Padstow, has released upwards of 500,000 juvenile lobsters into the fishery over its twenty years of helping to restock the lobster fishery.
It is illegal to land a lobster under a minimum size, in real terms that means the average age of a fish being of legal size to land is between five and six years old. Likewise, any female lobster which is carrying eggs (berries) cannot be landed. Fishermen mark the tail of any pregnant lobster which is caught, with a V notch and return it to the sea. It is illegal to land a ‘berried hen’ which carries a ‘V’ notch while it is visible (normally 12-18 months).
Will Ryan have a future following in his grandfather’s and father’s footsteps? We very much hope so; all the signs are encouraging and, fishermen are very aware of the need to protect the future of fish stocks around the Cornish coastline. Working in partnership with fishery scientists to ensure there are fish for Ryan to catch must be good news for us, and lobsters too!
The Cornish Fishmonger donates £1 to the National Lobster Hatchery for every kilo of lobster it sells through its website, helping to support the charity’s valuable work in restocking lobsters around the coast of Cornwall.
Image Credit: Jake Gilbert