Newlyn harbour, full of fish and full of rain!

About to enter the gaps, the Carhelmar, and away on the horizon and just visible through the driving rain, the Rachel of Ladram passes the Low Lee buoy...

about to join the Silver Dawn landing at the fish market...

which was stacked  high with boxes for auction...

with fish like beam trawl caught monk tails...

and red mullet...

but the bulk of the fish like these pollack...

and hake from the Ygraine came from the fleet of gill netters that operate from Newlyn...

which includes the Britannia V...

Annie May...

Kerrie Marie...

many of these fish landed barley 48 hours old...

and still with all their scales...

along with the very best eating fish like these John Dory...

Dover...

and megrim sole...

the seiner Acionna has been picking up good shots of red mullet...

driving rain almost shrouds the Rachel of Ladram from view...

name this fish...

unlike beam trawlers, seine netters can catch decent quantities of hake when they cover the ground...

and the beam trawlers occasionally pick up good shots of red mullet at this time of year...

and big plaice...

time to jump ashore and land the catch...

ready for the buyers to load their vans...

 a brace of netters landing in the rain.

Newlyn FISH Trust – seeking new Trustees

 

The Newlyn Fishing, Industry and Seafarers Heritage (FISH) Trust, is seeking new trustees to support the growth of our young charity.

The Trust was set up by a group of local residents who came together with the aim of protecting and sharing the culture and heritage of Newlyn, with the following charitable purpose:

“To advance the education of the public in the history, culture and heritage of Newlyn, Cornwall, in particular but not exclusively through the provision of exhibitions, lectures, workshops, traditional crafts demonstrations and other events.”

 

More information on the charity can be found here. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from people with the following skills and experience:

• HR and/or Volunteer management

• Finance: accounting and planning

• Legal

• Fundraising

• Community engagement (grassroots)

• Learning and education

• Museum/heritage experience

• Comms (PR, Social Media, Press)

We are aiming to recruit four trustees to join our current Board of six. We’re looking for people with a passion for Newlyn and its heritage, a commitment to supporting heritage being saved for future generations and local stories being shared with wider audiences.

We need people who are able to bring energy and commitment, engage in healthy debate, respect others’ viewpoints and most importantly, to take a proactive part in the charity’s activity.

You don’t need prior board experience – support will be provided. If you think you’ve got the skills, experience and personal qualities to support us in taking our next vital step, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Our Trustee Prospectus and Application Form can be found on our website. 

Closing date for applications: 5pm on Friday 1st March 2024

Four seasons in four days and a mizzly Monday morning's market in Newlyn.

Landing time for the...

demoted blue boat, now just plain Gordon...

as she lays astern of the gorgeous varnished Britannia V...

an adventure playground for some harbour residents...

always good to see the lifeboat on her mooring...

Stelissa, heading for the ice works before she sails...

seems the sun shines only on the righteous...

the historic Old Harbour will be looking for volunteers to help with the planned restoration of its quay and slipways...

a precursor to it becoming a centre for the local lugger fleet, not just the Barnabas seen here on her mooring..

come Monday and netters like the Ajax have found plenty of hake...

as has the Silver Dawn...

with hundreds of boxes filling Zone One...

from the Ygraine...

Celtic Dawn...

and the seiner Accionna...

which also landed a cracking haul of red mullet...

other quality fish like this huge tub gurnard...

monk tails...

plaice

and Dovers from a mix of inshore trawlers and the beam trawler Trevessa V...

the handliners and small inshore boats dipped into a few shoals of herring...

and good sized mackerel...

as did the sardine fleet working over the weekend...

all of which helped fill the market from end-to-end

with seasonal roes and unseasonal John Dory, there's always a few to be had if you know where to go...

as ever, the netters picked up spurdog - for years hundreds of tons were dumped back over the side until a monthly quota was introduced to allow boats to land some of what they catch rather than dump the entire catch back...

hopefully, the 500kg a month by-catch quota that the over 10m boats have will ensure that too much pollack does not end up back on the seabed in the coming months - March will be a critical month as all these big fish gather to spawn.....

unlike beam trawlers and cuttles...

just in to land in the heavy Monday morning mizzle, Mitch with the Govenek of Ladram...

who came to find there was no room in Zone 3 to put his fish...

ahead of Mitch, Ed on the Joy of Ladram also had a good shot of hake to put ashore for tomorrow's auction...

there's a soul sole on the seabed...

a brace of netters landing to the fish market.

 

Last of the Custodians

Embark on a cinematic journey through the rich maritime history of Lyme Bay as ‘The Last Custodians’ unveils the untold stories of inshore fishing and the resilient fishermen who navigate the waters across the four ports of Beer, Axmouth, Lyme Regis and West Bay in East Devon and West Dorset. This documentary premiered amidst the captivating backdrop of the four bustling ports and casts a poignant spotlight on the challenges and triumphs of those who depend on the sea, weaving a narrative of tradition, sustainability, and the indomitable spirit of coastal communities. 

These fishermen, guardians of the seas, stand resilient against the ebb and flow of time. Anchored to their coastal communities, they embody the custodianship of marine treasures, weaving a vital tapestry that sustains livelihoods and traditions. Through their unwavering commitment, these seafaring stewards nurture the ocean’s bounties and the interconnected prosperity of the communities that depend on their steadfast dedication.

Find out more abou Lyme Bay and its fishing community.