Weekly Cornish Market Report: Landings Trend & Storm Outlook (Oct 19–22, 2026)

High early-week landing volumes gave way to storm preparations off the coast of Cornwall, capping off a £805k market week.

Auction Overview

Market landings across Cornish auctions started the week on a high note on Monday with heavy tonnage across key species, followed by a steady contraction in both landed weight and revenue through Thursday. Over the four reported days, local markets processed 155.0 tonnes of catch across 5,028 boxes, generating a total realized value of £805,554 at an average price of ~£5.20/kg.

Daily Landings Breakdown

Monday, Oct 19, 2026: Peak Volume & Highest Daily Revenue

• Total Volume & Revenue: 1,990 boxes totaling 58,120.8 kg with an overall landed value of £311,205.
• Key Volume Drivers:
  • Pot Caught Mediterranean Octopus: Dominant landing species at 33,150.8 kg across 833 boxes, generating £149,705 (Avg £4.52/kg).
  • Megrim: Heavy mixed-grade volume, led by Grade 5 (0.2–0.35kg) at 1,463.94 kg (£5,065.23) and Grade 4 (0.35–0.5kg) at 1,021.42 kg (£4,369.62).
  • Pollack / Lythe: Grade 3 (2–3kg) landed 1,915.36 kg, yielding £10,720.80 (£5.60/kg).
  • Lesser Spotted Dogfish: High bulk volume at 1,155 kg, fetching £0.40/kg (£462 total).
• Top Price Performers:
  • Turbot: Grade 3 (3–4kg) achieved the highest price point at £29.09/kg.
  • Dover Sole: Premium large sizes commanded top prices, led by Grade 1 (801g+) at £28.43/kg (£5,173.54 total) and Grade 3 (501–600g) at £27.30/kg (£5,612.04 total).
  • Blush Turbot: Grade 2 (4–6kg) reached £28.06/kg.

Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026: Strong Hake & Consistent Flatfish Demand

• Total Volume & Revenue: 1,178 boxes totaling 32,971.9 kg with a landed value of £190,936.
• Key Volume Drivers:
  • Pot Caught Mediterranean Octopus: Remained the leading species by weight at 15,108.9 kg (384 boxes), generating £66,438 (£4.40/kg).
  • MSC Hake: Substantial landings across sizes, notably Grade 5 (2–3kg) at 2,893 kg (£20,910.90) and Grade 4 (3–4kg) at 1,988 kg (£15,760.70).
  • Cuttlefish: Grade 1 (0.5kg+) landed 1,168.34 kg (25 boxes) for £3,546.02 (£3.04/kg).
• Top Price Performers:
  • Dover Sole: Grade 1 (801g+) topped the daily average at £30.33/kg, with Grade 3 (501–600g) close behind at £29.04/kg.
  • Turbot: Grade 3 (3–4kg) averaged £29.03/kg and Grade 4 (2–3kg) averaged £26.14/kg.
  • Bass: Select Grade 2–3kg+ Extra Large (EL) WHOLE reached £22.99/kg.

Wednesday, Oct 21, 2026: Solid Mid-Week Tonnage

• Total Volume & Revenue: 1,179 boxes totaling 37,631.5 kg with a landed value of £195,830.
• Key Volume Drivers:
  • Pot Caught Mediterranean Octopus: Accounted for 19,080.9 kg across 479 boxes, contributing £79,501.90 (£4.17/kg).
  • MSC Hake: Strong fleet landings totaling over 10.5 tonnes across grades, including Grade 4 (3,028.1 kg, £23,477.60) and Grade 5 (2,740 kg, £19,800.60).
  • Pollack / Lythe: Heavy landings with Grade 2 (3–4kg) at 2,151.74 kg (£11,635.80) and Grade 3 (2–3kg) at 1,880.37 kg (£9,877.11).
• Top Price Performers:
  • Dover Sole: Grade 3 (501–600g) led at £27.99/kg, Grade 1 (801g+) at £26.07/kg, and Grade 4 (401–500g) at £25.81/kg.
  • Red Mullet: Grade 2 (0.5–1.0kg) fetched £25.78/kg.
  • Couch Bream: Grade 1 (1kg+) reached £24.99/kg.

Thursday, Oct 22, 2026: Lower Tonnage & Price Spikes

• Total Volume & Revenue: 681 boxes totaling 26,281.6 kg with a landed value of £107,583.
• Key Volume Drivers:
  • Mediterranean Octopus: Combined landings of Pot Caught (12,928 kg, £54,426.90) and B Grade (6,375 kg, £213.75) totaled 19,303 kg.
  • Megrim: Moderate volume led by Grade 5 (528.1 kg) and Grade 6 (500.7 kg).
  • Lemon Sole: Grade 4 (0.2–0.35kg) landed 334.2 kg (£2,166.76).
• Top Price Performers:
  • Turbot: Grade 2 (4–6kg) hit the highest individual price point of the week at £37.70/kg (£196.04).
  • Dover Sole: Sustained high valuations with Grade 3 (501–600g) at £28.03/kg and Grade 2 (601–800g) at £27.50/kg.
  • Brill: Grade 1 (2kg+) brought £24.58/kg.

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Weekly Commodity Analysis

• Pot Caught Mediterranean Octopus: Stood out as the primary economic driver of the week, generating £350,071.80 across 80,268.6 kg (representing ~51.8% of total landed tonnage and ~43.5% of overall market value).
• Whitefish Core (MSC Hake & Pollack): Provided the majority of roundfish volume, maintaining solid pricing across mid-range sizes throughout the multi-day period.
• Premium Flatfish (Dover Sole & Turbot): Represented a consistent high-value tier; Dover Sole consistently averaged £24.00–£30.33/kg across primary grades, while Turbot achieved the weekly peak price of £37.70/kg on Thursday.

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Wind chart as of 1400 Thursday

The largest UK beam trawler, Enterprise heads for the gaps ahead of storm Austen

Outlook: Storm Austen & Fishing off Cornwall

Key Takeaway for Buyers & Fleet: The progressive drop in landed box counts—from Monday’s peak of 1,990 boxes down to Thursday’s low of 681 boxes—reflects vessels reducing sea time ahead of the incoming storm system.

• Fleet Operations: With severe weather arriving today, day-boats, potters, and smaller netters operating off the Cornish coast are largely returning to port or staying tied up to ride out the gale.
• Auction & Price Effects: Expect fresh fish availability at coastal auctions to tighten noticeably over Friday and into the weekend. Short-term scarcity in prime wild species (such as Dover Sole, Turbot, Line Bass, and Squid) will likely keep wholesale prices firm for any catches brought in by larger offshore beamers.
• Post-Storm Recovery: Landings are anticipated to remain subdued until sea conditions settle early next week, allowing vessels to safely return to coastal fishing grounds.

Forecast winds from late Friday pm through to Saturday pm

This October half term, we are launching…The Young Fishermen Network ‘Fish Club’!

 

'Fish Club' will offer an exciting, hands-on introduction to the fishing industry, exclusively for those under 16 with a passion for fishing.

Through fun, interactive activities, individuals will explore the harbour with local fishermen, build ropework skills, test their knowledge with a fish-identification game, and get into character by racing to dress up as a fisherman.

We have designed this club to meet Pillar 1 of our YFN manifesto: Step on Board - Provide the chance to build early interest in fishing through accessible experiences for the next generation. Fish Club will initially run in the following locations:

Monday 26th October: Newlyn

Tuesday 27th October: Mevagissey

Friday 30th October: Looe

Please get in contact for more details:

07789 368757

matilda@cfpo.org.uk

Monster Monday morning market!

Landings were stacked six or more high in places for this morning's market in Newlyn...

and included bonito tuna...

pollack from the Ygraine...

hake from the Stelissa...

tub gurnard from the St Georges...

Dover sole from the Billy Rowney...

monk tails...

and Dovers make up the best part of a beam trawlers landing of prime fish by value...

and there was plenty more fish to fill Bay 2...

while Bay 3 was stacked high with cuttles and octopus which are back on the landing sheets again, big time!..

Tom will have had a smile on his face putting this little shot of John Dory ashore...

there's barely room to move...

young Cod had a good weekend on the squid, just some of his efforts in this stack...

good to see mackerel being landed again...

megrims are still being landed at this time of year if the boats fish off to the south west...

for tomorrow's market there's fish from the Silver Dawn...

and octopus from the ex-longliner, Sparkling Line...

both taking advantage of high water to land alongside the market.

 

Newlyn firm fined.

A solemn day in court has finally brought a measure of closure to a tragic chapter for Newlyn’s fishing community. Stevenson & Sons has been fined £100,000, alongside nearly £28,000 in costs, following the heartbreaking death of 20-year-old apprentice engineer Conor Moseley.

Back in November 2019, Conor tragically lost his life when a fire suppressant system accidentally activated in the cramped engine room of the beam trawler Resurgam, filling the space with a toxic aerosol cloud. While the judge acknowledged that the main responsibility fell on the system's manufacturer—a company that has since gone into liquidation—Stevenson & Sons pleaded guilty to health and safety failings regarding the safe management of contractors and staff on board.

During the sentencing, the judge rightly pointed out that a seven-year wait for an investigation to conclude is simply unforgivable. Seven years is far too long for a grieving family to wait for justice, and the poignant statement read by Conor's mother served as a stark reminder of the devastating, lasting human cost behind such incidents.

The court heard that the fishing firm has cooperated fully throughout the complex investigation and has since implemented updated health and safety measures and improved training for its staff.

Lasting legacy:

Sandra Pascoe and Tracy Moseley remembering Conor Moseley

This case is a reminder of why continuous investment in safety protocols and modern training infrastructure is so vital for the harbour. It strongly reinforces the need for dedicated facilities like the new Marine Skills Resource Centre in Newlyn. In a fitting tribute to a young man who was so proud to work among the fleet, Conor's family asked for this new centre to be dedicated to his memory—a lasting legacy to help ensure that the next generation of marine apprentices can learn their chosen trade in the safest possible environment.

The new Marine Skills & Resource Centre in Newlyn, operated in partnership with Seafood Cornwall Training, offers a comprehensive range of maritime courses designed to help local people gain their qualifications without having to travel away from the harbour.

The training programmes available for both new entrants and experienced seafarers include:

Sea Survival: Essential techniques for staying safe in emergency situations.

Firefighting: Crucial practical skills for tackling fires at sea.

First Aid and Safety: Core medical training tailored for maritime environments.

Engineering: Technical training for operating and maintaining vessel machinery.

Watchkeeping and Navigation: Skills required for safely guiding and monitoring a vessel.

Radio Operation: Communications training for commercial crews.

Skipper's Tickets: Official qualifications required to operate commercial fishing boats.

By delivering these essential courses right on The Strand, the centre aims to make it much easier to recruit and train aspiring fishermen and related fishing trades, ensuring the fleet operates as safely and efficiently as possible.

Four legs are good - eight are better - here they come again!

It's a fine morning in Newlyn...

as the Old harbour comes to life...

the Our Sarah Jane is on passage from Newhaven to a new home in Wales...

the refurbished end of quay navigation light has been in operation for two weeks now signifying the Old Harbour is now a much safer place to work in all hours...

the 144 year old lugger Barnabas caught in the rays of the rising sun...

it only seems a few weeks ago the number of Mediterranean octopus bing landed had dwindled to almost nothing - and here they are again!..

and the fish are a fair way off Newlyn...

 two pairs of hands are always better than one when things go wrong!

that's the Nicola of Ladram on the way out and the Amber Mabel on the way in - loaded with octopus no doubt.

Scientists develop ‘floating scarecrow’ to protect threatened seabirds

A pole mounted on a buoy at sea, with a spinning metal top displaying a pair of large eyes on each side

New research has shown that a “floating scarecrow” developed by UK-based scientists and a repurposed bird-scaring kite can help save threatened seabirds from getting caught in fishing nets.

Every year an estimated 95,000 diving seabirds such as guillemots and razorbills are incidentally caught and drown in gillnets around the coast of Europe [1]. The issue, known as “bycatch”, is a global problem that affects a range of seabird species.

Now research with Cornish fishermen has shown how the simple deterrents, when deployed strategically, can reduce bycatch by around two thirds.

The scientists from Devon-based Fishtek Marine, a global leader in marine conservation, jointly developed with the RSPB a floating scarecrow known as a Looming Eye Buoy (LEB).

It was trialled it off the coast of Cornwall, alongside an alternative deterrent technique using a commercially available kite in the shape of a bird of prey, known as the “scarybird” kite.

The LEB buoy has a spinning head that uses an animated eye effect to scare birds away from diving into the nets.

Data from the trials was analysed by scientists from the University of Exeter.

The results of their study, published in the journal Conservation Letters, demonstrate that both devices decreased the risk of guillemots and razorbills being caught in nets by around two thirds. The chances of birds being caught were reduced by 59% using LEBs and by 71% using kites.

The data was collected as part of a two-year trial led by Fishtek Marine, with 10 Cornish fishermen, who had cameras fitted to their boats to collect data on the mitigation effect of the devices on seabird bycatch levels.

The partnership with fishermen has been critical in helping to improve designs and gaining valuable insights into how the devices can be used most effectively.

The research highlights that in Cornwall most seabirds were caught during the winter months. This will help ensure that future deployments of these seabird bycatch reduction devices can be targeted to specific seasons.

Tom Horton, lead author from the University of Exeter, said: “This study provides some of the strongest evidence to date that simple, practical deterrents can substantially reduce seabird bycatch in gillnet fisheries. By also identifying when and where bycatch risk is highest, we now have a clear opportunity to target mitigation measures where they can deliver the greatest conservation benefit for vulnerable seabird populations and encourage sustainable fishing practices.”

Tom Hooper, senior fisheries scientist at Fishtek Marine, said: “These trials have been very encouraging and show that floating deterrents can make a real difference in protecting seabirds from getting caught in fishing gear. One of the most significant results of this study was showing how seabird bycatch was concentrated in key locations at specific times of the year. This means that deterrent efforts can be directed and efficient.

“This technology means that fishing can continue while reducing the effects on seabirds However, any technology used at sea must be simple and robust, so working with fishermen means that we learned a great deal about how the devices were used and as a result we can refine and improve so that it fits their operational needs.”

The buoy is the result of an eight-year collaboration between scientists at Fishtek Marine and nature conservation charity the RSPB. The latest study was funded by the Defra Fishing Industry Science Partnership (FISP) programme and Schmidt Marine Technology Partners.

The RSPB has a track record of developing technology and implementing it to stop seabirds dying in fishing operations. As host of the BirdLife International Marine Programme, the charity has been instrumental in the deployment of “bird-scaring lines” around the world. This has reduced seabird bycatch by 98% in Namibian longliners, and 95% in South African trawlers. These global learnings are now being used to help save UK seabirds.

Yann Rouxel, Bycatch Programme Manager at the RSPB, said: “After over a decade of research into gillnet bycatch and its solutions, it’s great to see this work moving towards real-world implementation. We’ve already developed technology which can reduce the number of seabirds killed in trawl and longline fisheries by over 90%, but gillnets have proved a real challenge to develop mitigation methods for and pose a significant threat to seabirds in the UK. The performance of the LEB and kite, as evidenced in this study, is a major milestone in the effort to reduce seabird bycatch without impeding gillnet fishers while at sea.”

Pete Kibel, co-founder and director of Fishtek Marine, added: “We will continue to work with our colleagues in the fishing industry, the RSPB and the team at the University of Exeter to further improve the efficiency of these devices.”

Micky Bacon, a fisherman from Mousehole, Cornwall, who took part in the trials, said: “I got involved with the seabird bycatch trial because the sea is my workplace and I think it’s important that we’re involved in projects that can potentially affect how we work and can help improve the environment. It is also a good opportunity to publicise to people outside the industry that fishermen don’t just want to go and catch fish, we also want to be part and parcel of improving the environment.”

Full story courtesy of the University of Exeter

Stephen Nowell - RiP

Newlyn will say goodbye to boat owner and skipper, Stephen Nowell tomorrow.

Brothers in arms.

The Nowell name is synonymous with successful beam trawler skippers in Newlyn since the 1970s. Brothers Frank (Stephen's father) and Roger Nowell (Snr) were among Newlyn's top skippers who helped grow the Stevenson beam trawler fleet in the 70s and 80s. Stephen followed in his father's and uncle's footsteps skippering the James RH Stevenson for some years before he and brother Michael built their own fishing reputations with a fleet of smaller beam trawlers that could work inside the 12 mile when profitable. 

Uncle Roger has arrived down the quay to check out Stephen (behind) landing the brother's new boat, the Nellie.

Their first joint venture was when they purchased the beam trawler Semper Allegro, a trip aboard her was captured on film in this photo story while Steven and Michael's uncle Roger Nowell took charge of the Semper while the two brothers went to view their next boat. The fleet included at one time or another the Elizabeth N, Karen N named after Stephen's wife and then the Louisa N, named after Michael's wife. In recent years, Stephen and Michael's business venture included taking on the Penzance Dock based Penwith Marine Services.

A celebration of life will be taking place at St Peter's Church Newlyn on Tuesday 13th October at 10.30am. Colourful and informal dress code encouraged. This will be followed by a private cremation. Everybody is welcome at the Pirates Rugby club after.