Cornish Tuna on the way to a shop near you!

ALBACORE TUNA-THE GUILT FREE ALTERNATIVE SOON AVAILABLE FROM CORNISH TUNA .COM LTD.

While many of the worlds tuna fisheries continue to inflict unacceptable ecological damage to dolphins and catch rates decline through over exploitation British consumers now have a guilt free locally sourced alternative on their own doorsteps.

Albacore tuna with their delicious pale meaty flesh are also known as the “chicken of the sea” but increasingly they are acquiring a third title, “sustainable”.

The Cornish Tuna boat Ben Loyal's operators have been influenced and inspired by the Basque’s who have fished albacore in a low impact manner in the Bay of Biscay for centuries catching albacore by trolling surface lures.

This method is highly skilled, produces relatively low volumes of superb premium quality 3/5 year old albacore rich in omega 3 oils ideal for the top end restaurant and supermarket trade.

Once aboard the boat Cornish tuna are immediately chilled in iced seawater before being individually bagged, tagged to ensure traceability and boxed in ice in well chilled fish holds to maintain peak condition.

The season kicks off in June west of Cape Finisterre a long steam from Newlyn, as the season progresses the albacore migrate into Biscay and follow the edge of the European continental shelf northwards finishing around October time to the west of Ireland.

It follows that the landings of Cornish tuna are highly seasonal in the same manner as our potatoes asparagus strawberries and other culinary delights that see dedicated foodies flocking west to sample them in our local eateries.

WE GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL BE WELL WORTH SEARCHING OUT THE RESTAURANTS WHERE THEY ARE SOMETIMES AVAILABLE.

A very fishy Friday for Stefan!

It's that time of year, yes, we have no vacancy.......

bound in for the gaps, the beam trawler Nellie passes the Low Lee buoy.......

a rare moment, when the Mount is bathed in sunlight breaking through the cloud cover.......

patience is a virtue.......

who put the chic in Chicadee.......

major work abaord the St Georges..........

she's in landing and down by the head again.......

but this time with a record haul, maybe over twenty tons......

and the skipper's happy enough........

the boys from Meva can only look on in awe........

as they Cornish Sardines keep coming ashore.......

harbour master Andrew makes it a working day........

while others in the market are even faster.......

top quality line caught pollack from the Sea Spray........

one small, one big, and a whole box of medium bass from the Butts.......

most of the mackerel men have moved round to St Ives, but when you can do over 10 knots the Longships is just within reach and workable.........

a man who cares about his catch, he's gone to sea with an insulated tub and filled it with slush ice (flake ice and sea water mixed) to chill that catch to +2º........

and a good run of mackerel, with prices around the £1.60 mark for medium fish this morning.

Mid-week mackerel marinade.

Fillet your own line caught mackerel - or ask your fishmonger nicely......

marinade for around an hour with 3 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, a slug of sake or dry sherry, an inch of grated fresh ginger, a decent clove of garlic crushed with salt and a teaspoon of sugar........

mix well...........

micro-graters make this job easy......

one of those gadgets that is worth having - if you a don't possess a runner bean stripper - get one!

Man and family vs seagull and family.

It's good to see that us Brits have not lost our sense of proportion. Here's a story related from Keith Dickson's Newlyn Mission blog after his visit to Mevagissey yesterday. 

"Just a quick story. The boat the Crimson Tide featured in the previous picture of Mevagissey Harbour was stopped form going to sea recently as a Seagull had built a nest on the cabin roof and laid eggs in it. English Natural Heritage and the RSPB both told the skipper he would have to wait till the chicks fledged before gong back to sea. It is nice to see that fishermen lively hood's are of secondary importance to our Seagulls well being."

Where else would the RSPCA(1824) have come into existence some 60 years before the NSPCC(1884)?

Anglian Prince sold and off to Canadian waters.

Sister ship Anglian Princess has been on contract to the MCA as an Emergency Towing Vessel and stationed in Mount's Bay untill recently.

At 1000 hours this morning the Herakles had entered the Med through the Straits of Gibralter.

If you wondered where the Anglain Prince had gone - now we know.  Britain’s last traditional salvage tug, the Anglian Prince has been sold for further service with Rederi AB Nestor of Pitea, Sweden, and managers Marine Carrier AB.  The tug left Hull docks in the UK on 14 June bearing the new name Herakles and flying the Maltese flag. It is understood that the tug was bound for Montreal and its first assignment for its new owners.

See the full story in the Maritime Journal.

The Armed Knight is watching you!

Not often you see a boat come down between the Longships and Land's End. Care needs to be taken with two semi-submerged rocks to avoid, the Shark's Fin at the Nor'ard end of the channel and the Kettle's Bottom almost midway between the Longships and the cliffs. With no ground sea running, neither are visible around high water.

Roger Nowell mending gear aboard the Semper Allegro.

Roger Nowell in his beam trawling days for Stevenson's would often do the same - challenged by boss man Billy Stevenson one evening after arriving, Roger vehemently denied having taken such a route on his way home from 'up channel' - to which Billy replied, "See, I've just been watching the local news on TSW filmed at Land's End - and guess who I could see over the shoulder of the interviewer?!!" Roger,.......... your fired.

Nominations for the Radio 4 Food Awards 2011.

Lionel points out the distinctive spots on a plaice.

Through the Gaps exists to promote fish at source and demystify the fishing industry in an increasingly complex market place. The author's intention is to provoke readers to think or think differently about how fish are caught, handled and presented for consumption and to inspire blog viewers and port visitors to become more fish aware and informed about this hugely important community. To be inspired by fish and fishing, not just as food but by the men and their boats and the lives of those who work in and around to serve the port, the lifeboat, the Mission, the places to eat, drink and shop, the art galleries - all of these contribute to the life and soul of Newlyn. Celebrate quality of life not lifestyle. Whether you catch or cook, the future of fishing is in the hands of all those involved being made more aware to meet ever increasing demands from political, environmental, economic and social change - the more informed people are, the stronger the debate.


Please take a few minutes to nominate 'Through the Gaps' in the Food Champion category of this years BBC Radio 4 Food Awards.

If only everything in fishing was black and white!