The long steam home from Guilvinec for the Asthore

On the quay and ready to go, one ring net ready to go for the start of this year's Cornish Sardine season........

the AIS track reveals the journey made by the biggest and newest sardine boat in the Cornish fleet, the Asthore as she makes her way back from Le Guilvinec after picking up a new net from the makers, Le Drezen. There's an interesting little detour made by the boat some 20 odd miles south of Newlyn.

Monty Halls and Nigel Legge in Ugly Fish Friday pop up

Guest appearance by Monty Halls and Nigel Legge of BBC 2’s The Fisherman’s Apprentice

Following the success of its Ugly Fish Fridays, launched as a stand against the fishing quota system that sees dead fish thrown back into the sea; niche city caterer Lusso is staging an “Ugly Fish Friday Pop Up” at Whitecross Street Market in London on Friday 6th July.

Assisted by “The Fisherman’s Apprentice”; Monty Halls, and his fisherman mentor Nigel Legge. Lusso’s expert chefs will produce street food that’s elite food with a lunch-time pop up stall serving a range of delicious fish dishes using sustainable species of fish landed by Nigel in the now famous Cadgwith Cove in Cornwall the previous day. The stall will start serving lunch from 11 am and will continue until they run out of fish.

Less well-known and fashionable than their more glamorous but increasingly overfished cousins, Lusso’s Ugly Fish are as good to eat as they are unlovely to look at. Most importantly, they are all species on the Marine Stewardship Council’s approved list of sustainable fish.

Lusso Managing Director Paul Hurren who created the “Ugly Fish Friday” concept comments; “Many delicious, sustainable fish species are overlooked and under-used by chefs and diners. We aim to change this by putting our talented chefs to work, demonstrating that Cod, Halibut and Seabass are not the only choices, and that there are literally plenty more delicious fish in the sea.” 


Lusso will serve a variety of "ugly fish" at its sites every Friday that are all species on the Marine Stewardship Council's approved list of sustainable fish. They will be sourced through supplier Seafood Direct and cooked to order in a choice of ways.

Lusso said that while the fish were less pretty and fashionable than their increasingly overfished cousins, they were as good to eat as they were unlovely to look at.

Lusso managing director Paul Hurren (pictured) who came up with the "ugly fish Friday" concept after he was inspired by Hugh's Fish Fight said: "70% of assessed fish stocks in large parts of the EU are overfished, and yet many delicious, sustainable fish species are currently overlooked and under-used by chefs and thus under-ordered by diners.

"We are helping to change this by putting our talented chefs to work, demonstrating that cod, halibut and sea bass are not the only choices, and that there are plenty more delicious fish in the sea."

"Most of our customers really care about the provenance of their food as well as its taste. We are asking our diners to be a little more adventurous - safe in the knowledge that our chefs will turn these fish into dishes that even the most discerning customers will love."

Many of Lusso’s regular diners from city banks, accountancy, law and insurance firms will be encouraged to leave their offices and head to the “Ugly Fish Friday Pop Up” to try a street food lunch with a difference - and raise money for charity. All profits are being donated to Monty’s chosen charity; The Fisherman’s Mission, which provides emergency welfare support to fishermen and their families.

Campaigns inevitably mean winners and losers - as this article in the Independent revealed four years ago. One of the Ugly Fish stars is the once less than humble red gurnard - long revered in France but back here the scourge of the inshore trawlermen (they have vicious spines) and untill recently sold for a pittance to crab and lobster fishermen for bait - who are now forced to pay huge prices for gurnard bait or have switched to cheaper - and less effective fish.

The Sunday Times wades in with its Sea Rescue camapign

The Sunday Times published a story in this weekend's magazine on overfishing and is now also covering the Tory MP Caroline Spelman who intends naming some of the few big companies that now own a considerable chunk of UK fishing quota - quotas that exist after the EU carved up the right-to-fish in our very own territorial waters donated so kindly by Ted Heath's Tory government back in the 70s on such generous terms - the consequences of that deal that now threaten the very livelihoods of thousands of inshore fishermen who are barely able to catch collectively some species what the biggest trawlers catch in a single trip at sea.

AIS from VesselTracker showing the course of the Eder Sands from the west coast of Scotland.

Many of the vessels that now operate under UK flags - many so-called, 'flag of convenience' boats have been fined or investigated in the past for fishing illegally - as in the case of this Spanish owned vessel, the Eder Sands which has so far been registered in Milford Haven, Brixham (version 2) and currently Ullapool.


Under 10metre vessels in the south west are now adversley affected by minimal quotas for such predominant species like haddock and pollack as a result of these huge quota buyouts as bigger vessels were decommissioned over the last 20 years to meet EU restructing demands. Noone can deny the need for conservation these days but there is a grwoth in the inequity weith which the remaining fish quotas are ending up in the hands of the biggest players who are not even UK based interests.


The discards agreement still waiting clarification from last weeks CFP process is just one issue that needs more urgent attention if apparently dwindling fish resources are not to be wasted.

Ireland bound - Rnli Lifeboat 17-46

Bound for Baltimore in Ireland, Rnli Lifeboat 17-46, Margaret Joan and Fred Nye caught at full speed as she makes light of the choppy condtions on her way home - filmed from the Govenek of Ladram.

Weekend over and, here comes the sun!

Tom gazes towards one of the Border Agency vessels that, strangely, doesn't show up on the AIS.......

just what the inshore trawlers keep an eye on the cod end for this time of year.......

the market was full of top quality fish this morning as most of the fish landed was only caught over the weekend after the spell of poor weather that kept all but the biggest boats in port.....

contré-jour, the film crew enjoyed superb light streaming in through the market doors this morning......

beauties from best bass boat Butts .......... 

still a few big turbot to sort........

time to take ice aboard the Elisabeth Veronique before the off........

fuel time for the Cornishman.........

washing time on the giant scalloper Jacoba........

so, where's that lorry to? Govenek of Ladram skipper Nathan looks out for the lorry which will ship his fish to Plymouth market - there's a mixed trip of whitefish, mainly hake along with monk and turbot on board - the boat having continued to fish through all last week's very unseasonal weather......

one of the crew is glad to be back against the quay, if only for a few hours, before the boat sails again on the tide - she'll be back to land for Friday.......

with a half decent forecast the yachts begin to set out from Newlyn.......

seabed litter ready to be picked up by the Fishing for Litter campaign.

Mitch Tonks' Sicilian Messina inspired John Dory roaster

It's the time of year when skippers and crew on a handful of inshore trawlers (like the Elisabeth Veronique) off the coast of Cornwall have one fish they will wanting to see on the deck when they open the cod end........

there's a seriously flavoursome dish in Mitch Tonks' latest book Fish Easy that takes its inspiration from the Sicilian shores of Messina.......

 that takes advantage of the very seasonal and truly delicious John Dory, "three baskets of JDs last haul skipper"........

 popping three toms in boiling water for 3 or 4 minutes will allow the skins to be removed easily......

 golden garlic in olly oil kicks off the cooking process.......

 after adding the salt anchovy fillets, a handful of black olives and coriander in goes the squeezed toms......

 

 and the mix is given a few minutes on top of the stove to cook through.......

 and it's time for the JDs to sit in the pan - top chefs tip - use your kitchen scissors to trim round the fish to remove the many small bones - saves fussing with them after cooking - though here's an alternative view sent in, - "Non chefs tip: Don't trim round the edge of flats with a scissors, it leaves the part bones, pull them out with your fingers or a pliers, then you're left only with the 'frame' bones on the plate"........

 before basting with the sauce.......

 an abundance of dill in the herb garden just had to be added......

after cooking the dish can be served from the roasting tray - the meaty fillets pull away from the bones frame very easily - truly tasty!


Just landed fresh on the tables today at the Seahorse restaurant where Mitch plies his trade is today's new menu - and one first fish dish to share is none other than John Dory

Weather update - still fresh.

While the weather wasn't exactly 'cracky' yesterday it was far from the 'horrendous' conditions alluded to by some members of the media talking the story up - relatively speaking for June may be, but in the grand scheme of things the wind failed to reach 40 knots at the SevenStones lightship near all the day's action. 

There are plenty of small fishing boats (all French) still working today off the south west just north east of Land's End and the SevenStones Lightship.

Not a pretty sight for the month of June

If you want to see conditions at sea match the terms 'horrendous' and 'extreme' (from the safety and comfort of your chair) sit back and watch this video taken from the bridge of the world's most powerful tug when she was called to put a tow aboard the Krokus a Polish ship that had lost power - and much of her deck cargo! After several parted tows it is not until daylight comes that the size of the seas they are operating in become apparent.