Another busy Thursday morning in Newlyn.

Good to see a netter on the board...

just three of the bigger boats in for this morning's auction...

there's still a good selection of quality Newlyn fish like these monk tails...

and haddock form the beamers...

along with some big pollack from the Ajax...

plenty of megrim soles...

and a good run of turbot from Don on the Filadelfia...

name this megrim-like fish...

a brief chat...

stunning box of tub gurnards...

along with Ajax MSC Certified hake...

by the boxfull...

all need to get pulled away by hand...

or by forklift...

on a glorious morning...

the Soetkin looks set to sail after a night ashore for the crew..

now that is what you call a bulbous bow...

big blue trawls are favourite with the Dutch...

classic lugger Ripple awaiting the tide...

looks like a scene from Countryfile...

Elizabeth N on her annual slip visit...

looks like the spiders are on the move...

good to see both boats in port...

another prawn trip over...

for the Scottish trawler...

 Shekinah as she heads in through the gaps...

past the Crystal Sea...

followed by one of the handliners.

Busy Wednesday evening in Newlyn

Making her first landing in Newlyn, the new Crystal Sea...

one punt in, one gig out - with the World Championships imminent all hands are getting as much practice in as possible...

there must be some fish here somewhere...

Crystal Sea quality...

one of the biggest Dutch beam trawlers working in the south-west, Soetkin makes her way in through the gaps...

as the skipper gives a friendly wave...

head-to-head on the Ajax...

as the boat comes alongside, the bow rope is made ready...

and heaved ashore...

while skipper Alan checks out the stern line...

Matt jumps ashore...

the big Dutchman is landing within minutes of coming alongside...

as the summer approaches the number of yachts steadily increases, generally they are bigger at this time of year...

almost ready for sea, the St Georges is looking very tidy after her paint up and MCA work is complete.

Soetkin landing in Newlyn

Wednesday morning in Newlyn.

Coming up through the Bay, the beam trawler Billy Rowney heads for home...

as the sun breaks through the heavy clouds of showers...

on a very quiet Wednesday morning market...

with not much more than a dozen boxes for sale...

a reminder of the MLS or minimum landing size that all fishermen have to adhere to...

the Billy Rowney...

heads in through the gaps...

while on the Filadelfia, skipper Don...

and son tidy up the boat after landing...

leaving the rest of the crew to escort their trip to the market fridge...

heavy chain...

means beam trawler gear, numbered with the boat they belong to...

and it is the first job to be done when the boat gets in, overhauling the chain mat and trawl net...

the St Georges should see her gear go back aboard today after her MCA inspection yesterday...

netter Gary M bound away...

while aboard the Twilight old skills will be used - blocks of bitumen will be melted on the gas ring and used to seal the caulking between the deck timbers - even a steel boat has a deck made up of wood...

that looks like one familiar name seeking work in the port, must have been too windy on the wind farm...

for sale, Treeve hulled punt...

taking up the last few inches of rock off Wherrytown, a heron surveys the morning scene in the Bay...

along with a few hundred gulls...

and a beach washed by a gentle swell.

Newlyn sustainable hake fishermen win Waitrose contract

Paul Trebilcock, Chief Exec CFPO and Alan Dwan, skipper of MSC certified netter 

A group of Westcountry hake fishermen are celebrating after winning a contract with high-end supermarket Waitrose. The Newlyn-based fishermen will be providing the supermarket chain with the first Marine Stewardship Council labelled sustainable hake.

Cornish fishermen have a long history of catching hake and were MSC certified as a sustainable and well-managed fishery in June last year.

They work from a fleet of 15 boats ranging from 12m to 23m long, catching hake in the Celtic Sea to the west of the UK mainland and south of Ireland.

Together they land just under 1,000 tonnes of European hake each year into Newlyn.

Alan Dwan, skipper of Cornish hake fishing vessel AJAX PZ36, which featured in the ITV three-part programme Trawlermen Tales.

Mr Dwan said hake fishermen take care of the stock – which they have built up to double their size in 2001, using nets that only target the larger hake and allow the smaller young fish to swim free, leaving more fish to reproduce.

He added: "We're really delighted that a British company such as Waitrose is taking on MSC certified and ecolabelled Cornish hake.

"It's been a long process but we're really happy to have Cornish hake recognised for how sustainable it is and to see it being sold as such to the UK public.

"We use highly selective fishing nets with larger mesh sizes than necessary by EU regulations so that only much bigger, mature fish are taken.

"It is great that hake fishing is benefiting from fishermen's responsible behaviour over recent years."

The Newlyn-registered Ajax boat is now MSC certified for hake fishing

Jeremy Ryland Langley, Waitrose aquaculture and disheries manager, said: "We promised to support the Cornish fishery when it was certified and we are delighted to be able to do so.

"Supporting British fishermen and ensuring we always offer our customers the best in responsibly caught fish and seafood are key priorities for Waitrose."

Toby Middleton, MSC programme director for the North East Atlantic added: "Every time a Waitrose shopper buys Cornish hake with the MSC ecolabel they are playing a key role helping to drive the health of the world's oceans, as well as sustaining livelihoods of coastal communities."

Made by Wild Pictures, the producers of the acclaimed ITV series HMP Aylesbury, Strangeways and The Zoo, Trawlermen depicted how the fishermen of Newlyn in Cornwall toil around the clock with little sleep, often in rough seas, hunting for their catch.

It also provides a vivid insight into how they struggle to meet the expectations of their wives, girlfriends and children at home while they are away for a week at a time.

The video below tells the story of fishing for hake aboard the old Ajax - shot in the run-up to Newlyn Fish Festival when Caroline Quentin met and interviewed skipper Alan and the crew of the Ajax.