Showing posts with label Newlyn Fish Festival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Newlyn Fish Festival. Show all posts

Tuesday 26 April 2016

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.

Tuesday 16 February 2016

Newlyn Fish Festival makes a £10,000 donation to the FishMish!

Newlyn Fishermen's Mission is £10,000 better off today after Kevin Bennets, director of the Newlyn Fish Festival team handed over a cheque to a grateful mission superintendent, Keith Dixon.

From L-R, Keith Dickson, John Lander, Elisabeth Bolitho, Steve Ryman, Leah Hartwell, Janette Eathorne, Andy Wheeler, Kevin Bennets and Julian Waring.

Celebrated in proper job Cornish style with a pasty and jam with clotted cream scones in the new Fish Festival headquarters... 


the donation has come at a time when a run of poor weather has undoubtedly made the lives of some fishing families, especially those working smaller boats from remote coves and harbours even more difficult.  Although the 'FishMish' still has an office and of course the Memorial Chapel in the old mission building Keith and his team are now free to spend more of their time out in the community talking and serving more closely with fishing families in their homes.

In the next few days Mission skipper Keith will launch a Twitter news service that will inform anyone who needs to know when and where the team will be as they make their regular round of port calls throughout Cornwall.

Saturday 29 August 2015

Newlyn Fish Festival countdown!


You can't have too many loos at a festival...


chalk marker, site map and a tape measure, all you need to prepare the site...


Truro Marquees have their work cut out...


a man on a mission, there's some seriois thought gone int the construction of the Swordy's raft...


progress, donkeys pulled fish off the boats 100 years ago....


painting the Sapphire II...


more than a few hours work on the Cornishman...


with both sides to re-build...


its a scaffolding job for the big blue boat...


amazing how rain water deteriorates a deck so quick when a boat is laid up...


more gear for the trawls going aboard the Cornishman...


mackerel boats inbound and outbound...


some had a good day...


and it's time to get the fish ashore quickly...


with the annual Newlyn Raft Race less than 24 hours away work here's a sneak preview of one competitor...


and their top secret oar design...


looks like the Swordy's sea trial were a success, Mr Ashworth will be pleased...


at this time of year the visiting yachts tend to be fit for longer passages...


en passage...


didn't see that coming...


the Snowdrop is looking good after her fall...


Gary M on the way in to land...


as Ed gets the bowline ashore...


these guys are happy to be part of the MSC Certified Cornish Hake... 


and looking to develop a bigger market for this prime fish...


a generous donation for the Gary M, this box of hake will be part of the big fish display at Monday's festival...


a good trip for the boys over two days in big tides...


the central festival site is taking shape...


not often there are three Tyne class lifeboats in the port...


Monday will see this quay thronging with fish fans...


away in the Bay the Iris gets a mainsail up...


nearly landed.

Pirrip Press Fish Festival prints 2015

The Fish Shop


@PirripPress have been producing limited edition prints for the Newlyn Fish Festival for the past three years. This year, we have a fresh pair of designs to commemorate the festival for just £10 each!

The Fish Shop print is a two colour shop front showing a lavish display of the sea's bounty. Spot Plaice, Cod, Prawns, Crabs and more. (And a whisker-licking onlooker).

The posters are silkscreen printed by hand, in two colours, and they are in a limited edition of just 100 each. £2 from each print sold goes to the Festival committee, to distribute to charity - so you'll be donating to a good cause, and getting something handsome to hang on your wall. The prints measure 34x 24 cm, just right for a 30x40 frame, and each one is hand numbered.

We'll be selling the prints on the North Pier come festival day (August 31st), so if you want to reserve and pay for yours now, to collect from us on the day, then choose that option from the menu below. (We'll send you a confirmation email to let you know we've put your print aside). If you can't make it, then choose the '+delivery' option below and buy one with the delivery price included.

You can also order prints online here:

Friday 28 August 2015

Fish Festival #FishyFriday is here!



Roll on monday when the quays will be thronging...


with people passionate about fish like Sue and Duncan Lucas, creators of the centrepiece fish display and members of the Mission team for whom the fantastic festival of fish is held...


along with the team that makes it happen...


all to celebrate what makes Newlyn the special place it is...


come and listen to fishy tales...


and get the inside story...


on the ports prime fish like these magnifique monk...


and beautiful bass...


all sold on the market by the port's top auction team...


with fish like the MSC Hake Certified netter, Karen of Ladram.

Sunday 23 August 2015

Newlyn Raft race is next Sunday!


Get down to the beach at Newlyn Green next Sunday and cheer on the rafts! A great way to warm up for Newlyn Fish Festival the next day - the Raft ace is a major fundraising day for the Nelwyn Christmas Lights.



Friday 7 August 2015

Newlyn Filmhouse will be at Newlyn Fish Festival!



Coming soon - a cinema near you. And coming sooner, Suzie and Alistair Sinclair of the Newlyn Film House will again be hosting Newlyn Fish Festival's "Fish Films in the Fridge". 


All day long, they will be showing film clips that will make you think about where our fish comes from and the dedicated people who work hard, often in perilous conditions, to deliver it to us.