Making her way back to Plymouth, the big Danish pelagic trawler Phoenix, a sure sign that there are plenty of pelagic fish like mackerel, pilchards, scad (horse mackerel) and herring swimming in the Western Approaches. Fishing effort these days is restricted owing to the continuing implementation of the 'mackerel box' and the total ban on purse seines thast can be seen identified in the chart courtesy of Cefas - see below.
