Fishing for the long haul with the crew of the Sparkling Star

Fishing for the long haul with the crew of the Sparkling Star out of Ilfracombe in North Devon, UK.

Sun is out, sea is calm and skipper Paul Stone smiles as he and his crew land a net full of squid in 'Fishing for the Long Haul?' the latest short film in the Boat Stories series. The film was shot back in the summer before a ban on fishing for ray off the UK Coast effectively closed the Bristol Channel to North Devon trawlers, putting many fishermen out of work.

'Fishing for the Long Haul?' sails with Stone and his crew, Tom Leather and Logan Suddick, out of Ilfracombe to trawl for squid in the Bristol Channel. The film opens a window on life at sea; we find out what it is that keeps these men out there, missing their families and risking their lives and what their Plan B might be if they can't fish any more.

(30 October 2014) Since this film was made ray fishing was suddenly banned in the Bristol Channel, because the UK as a whole has exceeded its annual quota. The ban affects the lives of everyone who appears in this film.

For the moment Sparkling Star has left North Devon and headed round to the south coast, to try and fish for different species.

The North Devon fishermen will continue their campaign to get Bristol Channel ray recognised as a sustainable fishery.

This is one short film in the Boat Stories series - for more information and to read all about the making of this series visit www.boatstories.co.uk

Produced and directed by Jo Stewart-Smith Shot and edited by Mark Brindle at Maniac Films www.maniacfilms.com https://www.youtube.com/user/maniacfi... Music by Rowan Lincoln Gordon

Funded by: Northern Devon FLAG, Bideford Bridge Trust, Tarka Trust, North Devon+