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Thursday, 27 October 2011

The Last of the Hunters



Filming in Newlyn.

Fishermen and other readers of a certain age who were around in Cornwall during the heady days of TSW (Television South West) with its pioneering ENG services and focus on local news and issues from all corners of the South West may recall having seen a film about the fishinmg industry at the time, Last of the Hunters. The film was made at a time when Falmouth and Mount's Bay were filled with local handline fishermen competing with the likes of Eastern Block factory ships as they took mackerel in huge quantities from the entire Scottish pelagic fleet and the might of England's deep-sea trawling freezer fleet fished unabated to within six (and sometimes closer) miles of the beaches - beam trawling was in its infancy with the first few of Stevenson's fleet, the AA, Algrie and Anneleise having just joined the fleet. Thankfully, descendants of those last hunters are still going strong and putting fish ashore on a daily basis!

Through the Gaps has been reminded that among other local Newlyn fishermen featured in the film, a certain Bobby Jewell skippering the Galilean featured prominently. If anyone has a copy of the TV programme on VHS tape - or even better can convert a copy to digital please contact TtG.