Brixham 1 Coast and Country Auctions


Brixham 1

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We may live in a digital age...

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..but a surprising amount of British trade is still done the

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old-fashioned way...

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INDISTINCT BIDDING

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..at traditional auctions.

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Now's your time to get a bargain.

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These sales may feel like throwbacks to a bygone age...

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..but for the buyers and sellers who flock to them,

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they're still the best way to conduct business.

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1,600, blow your nose and bid again.

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We'll be visiting the UK's most dynamic traditional markets...

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..selling everything from pigs to cattle, sheep dogs to ponies...

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..fish to veg.

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And discovering how they are the heartbeat of rural life.

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There'll be bargains to be had today.

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-4.50.

-Best part of being at an auction.

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Today, we're on the stunning south Devon coast,

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home to a world-famous fish market.

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We'll be meeting the auctioneers in the hot seat...

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Lovely fish, isn't it? Best quality on here.

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The sky's the limit for prices.

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If they need something, they'll buy it at a loss if they have to.

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And following the fortunes of three buyers and sellers...

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Since I was probably 12-years-old,

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I've been going down to the auction and trying to make a buck.

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..as they experience all the excitement...

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I've got 8.50. 8.60? 8.60.

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..and tension...

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No, me.

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-7.50?

-He went to 7.50, did he?

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You went to £7.

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..as the hammer falls.

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200.

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We're in Brixham, Devon.

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At the heart of this picturesque fishing town is the world-famous

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Brixham fish market.

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It's been going for well over 100 years,

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but it's now experiencing the biggest boom in its history.

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How much for those?

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£15 for each.

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This fish, here, was probably caught yesterday afternoon.

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They've got a sparkle in their eyes.

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I consider myself extremely lucky that I can buy my fish here.

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It's one of England's biggest fish auctions.

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Around 11,000 tonnes of fish were sold here last year.

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Everything from mullet to mackerel, sea bass to scallops.

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Battling to achieve the best possible price for the fish here are

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auctioneers John Rogers and Todd Crombie.

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Morning, boys.

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Brixham market has gone from

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strength to strength in the last few years.

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It doesn't seem to be easing up.

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If anything, it's getting more

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busier and busier as the years progress.

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Behind Brixham's current boom is a

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huge increase in international trade.

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Last year, we broke all our records and made £30 million worth of fish.

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We're on, you know, to beat all port records again this year.

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Beautiful lobsters.

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We've actually topped the million pound for a week

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and it was all, like, big celebrations and that is,

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but this year, our best ever week is just short of £2 million,

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which is silly money, isn't it? It's Monopoly money, so...

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Yeah, it's been brilliant.

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And it's great news for the whole town as nearly everyone in Brixham

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has some connection to the fishing industry and the market.

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The fishing port really in Brixham, I mean,

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it's a massive amount of people that's employed through here.

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There's a lot of people that depend on the market side, the boat side,

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then you've got the restaurants and all the other fish businesses that

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expand from that.

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John and Todd are on the market floor from 5am every day checking

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-what's for sale.

-Nice crabs.

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They'll make good money today.

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Absolutely love this job.

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I don't suppose there's many people

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who can say they look forward to going to work, but I do.

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I rarely take holidays.

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I'd work all the time if I could.

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And if you can get top price for your fish, you know,

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you're happy with yourself, you know the boat's going to be happy and

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the fishermen are going to be happy, so you can walk into a pub on...

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With your head held high, really, at the end of the day.

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Morning. All right, mate?

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All right, son? You all right?

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It's 6am and today's auction gets under way with the traditional

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ringing of the bell.

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BELL RINGS

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Sales! Sales!

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Right, what would you like for the large plaice, then?

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2.50 on the large plaice.

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Seven and two pieces left.

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£11.

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Warmer autumn weather has meant lots of boats out fishing and there's

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been no market over the weekend, so this Monday morning,

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there's a bumper quantity of fish for sale, over 100 tonnes.

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Supply and demand, and obviously

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there's a lot of supply at the moment,

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with it being quiet weather.

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Everything that floats out, every port's got fish being landed to it,

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including the continent.

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But fish can only command a top price when it's fresh,

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so John and Todd need to sell all of it today.

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I've got 8.50, 8.60?

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To help them get through it all quicker,

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they run two auctions in parallel.

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40, 50, 60... 80, 90. £96?

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11 for that piece?

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£12, one, twos or threes.

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John will sell all the prime, which is the big fish.

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You know, the soles and the monk and, you know, all that side of it.

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£5. £5, 5.10. 5.10, 5.20, 5.30.

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Todd sells all the day boats.

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They're the boats that go out daily.

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A lot of the small buyers prefer that because it's just the small

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pieces for their shops.

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There are 50 buyers registered to bid at Brixham.

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There's various types of buyers.

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Everybody's looking for different things.

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On Todd's side, little shops and stuff,

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they're all looking for, you know,

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that really fresh fish which has only been caught the previous day.

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The bigger buyers are looking for more bulk stuff, really.

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The bigger companies, I mean,

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they will spend up to a good £200,000 to £300,000 a day.

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And you could get your little man with a van

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and his bill might be 20 quid a day.

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Someone who's hoping to get a top price

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for his fish at today's auction

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is trawler fisherman, Alan Scales, skipper of the Ann Marie.

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There's been a lot of fish about all week,

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so a lot of the buyers have got a lot of fish in stock.

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Prices are going to struggle a bit today, I think.

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For the fishermen, like Alan, who supply the market,

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auction day actually begins the evening before.

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Alan and his crew on the Ann Marie are one of 50 small day boats and 23

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larger vessels which call Brixham home.

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I've fished all round the country over the years and landed in

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different places.

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The feeling of when you come back to Brixham is just there,

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there's something that grips you.

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Anyone that's been here will know what I mean.

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I started fishing full-time at 15, 40 years ago now.

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I went down to the harbour as a kid about nine-years-old,

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just wandering around, getting in everyone's way.

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I was interested in absolutely everything about the boats,

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so I knew that that was what my life was going to be.

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He and his crew have arrived back

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into harbour after a full day trip at sea.

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But there's no time to relax, as they need to get their catch

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unloaded and into the market ready for the morning's auction.

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So, this week, we've got approximately 110 boxes of

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cuttlefish and 70, 80 boxes of mixed fish.

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That normally takes us...

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..three quarters of an hour to land, if everything goes OK.

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In total, they've caught just over six tonnes

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of 18 different species of fish.

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It's a buzz when you've had a good landing.

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When you don't have a good landing,

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when you're trying to earn a living for five or six crew,

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it does get you down because you feel so responsible for those crew.

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When it's really, really good,

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then you get a pat on the back from them and everything's good.

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MUSIC PLAYS

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Alan and his crew on the Ann Marie are hoping this catch will net them

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enough to earn a decent wage for their trip.

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They've been seeking out a particular type of fish they hope

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will guarantee them a good price at the auction.

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This time of year, cuttlefish is our main target species.

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Every year is different.

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We can't plan, we just go out,

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reports from other boats that are already out, the general feeling.

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We hunt it down, look for it, and over a period of six or seven days,

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then we sort of pin it down to a particular area.

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Cuttlefish are not actually fish at all

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but molluscs like squid and octopus.

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They're cooked and eaten in a similar way, but unlike squid,

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cuttlefish have a hard internal bone.

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They're particularly abundant in the English Channel in the autumn,

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but they've never been popular on UK plates,

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so the vast majority caught here are exported.

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Cuttlefish mainly goes to the

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European market - Spain, Italy, France.

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But this particular year, the Chinese market has happened,

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so there's been a lot more demand for our cuttlefish,

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so the price has been up a lot better on that.

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The rising price of cuttlefish is one of the key factors behind

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Brixham's current boom.

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Most of the fish Alan's caught on this trip are cuttlefish,

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so he's hoping the price stays high at the auction.

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There's a lot at stake, as a bad price could mean Alan and

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his crew won't get paid at all for their four-day trip.

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We don't know what the price is going to be at the end of it all.

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It's an auction, so that means it's auctioned every day.

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There is no guarantee that we're going to get a good price.

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We could come in at the end of a week and not make the expenses of

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the daily running of the boat. With your fuel, insurance, the food,

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all the other things that come with that,

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it's approximately £2,000 a day.

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And the risks aren't just financial.

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Fishing is one of the UK's most dangerous jobs,

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with fishermen standing a one in 20 chance of being killed at work.

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There's lots of risks at sea.

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Obviously, weather is one particular thing we have to keep an eye on.

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Old wrecks that we could tip the boat over.

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Obviously, you could lose your life and lose the life of all your crew.

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You have to be very, very wary and respect the sea.

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Alan's hoping this morning's auction will make the risks worthwhile.

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I would hope to think that we would make somewhere in the region of

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about £20,000.

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That would be a good result for us.

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But the good weather that's helped them catch larger fish could

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actually make selling them more difficult.

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The problem is if everyone catches lots and lots of fish,

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then the market gets flooded with fish and then the buyers of our fish

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struggle to sell it.

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£6, 6.50. 60?

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Do all the fives, you could take them all home.

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Another number three, then.

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Did somebody say 5.50? 12.10, 12.20?

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12.10. At 12.10.

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Alan has just over six tonnes of fish for sale at today's market.

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The next few hours will determine whether or not he and his crew will

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make enough on it to earn a wage for their four-day trip.

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The huge amount of fish that's come in overnight from the Ann Marie and

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all the other boats has been sorted.

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The auctioneers will group together several boxes of the same size and

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species, and the bidders offer a price per kilo for each lot.

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Not overoptimistic today.

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They're just starting to sell our soles now,

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so we'll have a listen out and fingers crossed.

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Hopefully, it will be a bit better today.

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Right, now, the fours.

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Fours there now. How much for those?

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Lovely fish, isn't it? Best quality on here.

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£7? £7. 7.10? Ten, 20? 20, 30? £10 by Brixham.

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10.10? £10, Brixham.

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-Which piece, Nige?

-Alan's Dover soles have been sold as part of a

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group averaging around £10 per kilo, £2 less than a month before.

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He's made just under £1,500 for them.

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Right, number two tubs. 1.20. I've accepted 1.10.

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£1?

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Alan's catch is going under the hammer lot by lot.

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There's nothing he can do but wait.

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Ones, twos and threes.

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Ten?

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Prices so far aren't quite what he was hoping for.

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26.

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At 10.70.

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10.70 again.

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They've just sold our monk and the price has been much the same as the

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other boats, so it's been OK, but not a brilliant price.

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There's a long way to go to reach the £20,000 target that will ensure

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Alan and his crew get a decent wage,

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but he still has his big cuttlefish haul to go.

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Will it bring in the big bucks he was banking on?

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The daily dramas taking place at the market are just the latest chapter

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in its long history.

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Fish has been auctioned here for over 100 years and fishing has been

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the town's lifeblood for over a thousand.

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So-called Brixham trawlers were among the world's first deep sea

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fishing vessels, allowing fishermen

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to go further and deeper than ever before.

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Been a fishing town for many a year.

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Back in the 18th century, really, it all starts from the sailing

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smacks right up till now, so all the modern fleet that we have.

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7.1.

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Right, number two.

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I've got £3 by Ocean. 3.10?

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But the auction isn't stuck in the past.

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A £20 million upgrade in 2011 has made it one of the world's most

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hi-tech selling operations.

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Boats unload their catches at the market quay.

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These are graded overnight on a computerised conveyor belt that

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weighs and sorts each fish.

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A one is a large and a five is a small,

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so the bigger the fish, usually, the more the money.

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The data is fed to electronic pads for the auctioneers

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and digital displays that keep everyone updated on prices.

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We sell them with an electronic pad now.

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We used to do the pen and paper, but obviously,

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we've moved on from that now, which is a lot easier.

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And that, mate, is the four kilos.

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Me and John, obviously, we're not too computer minded,

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so it was a bit daunting when it all started for us,

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but we've rose above it and, you know,

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me and John are coming into the 21st century slowly.

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£6. That is 1.2 kilos. Obviously, he has.

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One of the very few regular female

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buyers is local fishmonger, Tracy Beer.

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I'm looking for the fish to be clear eyes, bright skin, just vibrant.

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Do you want that?

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What, the brill? What size is it? Is it a three?

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You see mackerel and it's shining,

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you know that's lovely and that's going to sell all day in my shop.

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2.20 on the number two plaice. I've got £2, £2.10.

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MUSIC PLAYS

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Tracy's fishmonger's shop is five miles up the coast in Paignton.

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I love my shop.

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I'm very passionate about it.

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No-one dresses my window but me.

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I've got a really nice relationship with a lot of my customers.

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You know, we're friends, really.

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-Thank you very much, my love.

-Bye.

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Thank you, bye.

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Unlike most of the buyers and sellers at Brixham market,

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Tracy's new to the game.

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I've been a fishmonger full-time for a year.

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Prior to that, I was training with the previous owner

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and myself and my husband bought the shop a year ago.

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There used to be four fishmongers here.

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Now Tracy's shop is the only one.

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The change of being a store manager to a fishmonger,

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running a business and running the shop,

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something that was completely new to me, was really hard work.

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Found it very stressful.

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I was trying to learn so much and take so much in

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but still keep that business going.

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I think the toughest part is the

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early mornings and it's such a long day.

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Obviously, I'm up at half past four in the morning and I'm actually

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doing two to three hours at market buying fish

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before my day even really begins.

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I'm just cold all day.

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You know, your hands are in ice.

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You get home from work and you smell of fish.

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But despite the difficulties, she wouldn't be anywhere else.

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I'm so passionate about it now.

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Before, I wouldn't even have a fish on my plate with a head on it.

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You know, I'd be like, "Not a chance!"

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But now, going to market, seeing all these wonderful fresh

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fish that our fishermen bring in just excites me. It's lovely.

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I'd never tried turbot before until I started going to market

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and it's amazing. So there's varieties of fish out there that

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you can get from your fishmonger

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which you won't be able to get in your supermarket.

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I'm really hoping that people start to use their fishmonger

0:18:560:19:00

and not supermarket. It's fresh, filleted for you in store.

0:19:000:19:04

OK, Scott, do you want me to skin it for you?

0:19:060:19:08

-Yeah.

-Do you want it skinned?

0:19:080:19:10

The daily auctions at Brixham market are vital to Tracy's business.

0:19:130:19:17

It's really important to know where the fish is from.

0:19:170:19:20

Customers ask. I know it's going to be fresh,

0:19:200:19:22

I know that that fish was possibly swimming the day before.

0:19:220:19:25

When I'm there, I can choose what fish I want, I can see it.

0:19:250:19:29

Brixham is...

0:19:290:19:30

It's the world-famous Brixham fish market.

0:19:300:19:32

It makes a massive difference to my shop.

0:19:320:19:34

20 minutes back from market and I'm ready.

0:19:340:19:37

MUSIC PLAYS

0:19:370:19:42

Back at the auction, she has a long list of fish to find,

0:19:450:19:48

including plaice, cod and lemon sole.

0:19:480:19:52

I go down, I have an idea of what I need that day for my shop.

0:19:520:19:56

If I can get that fish at market, that's a good day.

0:19:560:19:59

Obviously, getting it at the right price is important.

0:19:590:20:03

I've got overheads, so if I'm buying some fish,

0:20:030:20:06

I need to know that I can double that, so, you know,

0:20:060:20:08

obviously if I'm getting a little bit more, even better.

0:20:080:20:11

I need to buy fish daily.

0:20:110:20:13

That bass mix, then. £7.

0:20:130:20:15

I've got £7. 7.10? £7...

0:20:150:20:17

And she has just a few hours before she needs

0:20:180:20:21

to have it back at her shop and be ready to open at 8:30.

0:20:210:20:25

You know, you can go to market and be really disappointed.

0:20:250:20:27

You just look and think, "Is that it?

0:20:270:20:29

"Oh, my God, what am I going to do?"

0:20:290:20:31

-£7?

-Yeah.

-I've got £7.

0:20:330:20:35

For Tracy, being one of a handful of women in a very male environment

0:20:360:20:41

took a bit of getting used to.

0:20:410:20:42

When I first went, I didn't know anybody,

0:20:420:20:45

so, to me, it was quite daunting.

0:20:450:20:47

And there's all these men, you know,

0:20:470:20:49

I didn't see any women and I was like, "Crikey," you know?

0:20:490:20:51

But they made me feel so welcome.

0:20:510:20:53

She done well when she first started, Trace.

0:20:540:20:56

I mean, to walk onto that Brixham market with 50 buyers.

0:20:560:20:59

When anybody starts down here, they will run you up.

0:20:590:21:03

They will make you pay for your fish.

0:21:030:21:05

7.50. At 7.50, bought.

0:21:050:21:07

-No, me.

-7.50.

0:21:070:21:09

-He went 7.50, did he?

-You went £7.

0:21:090:21:11

It's all right, I wanted the fives anyway.

0:21:110:21:13

-Don't argue with the auctioneer.

-No.

0:21:130:21:15

Tracy's edging her way into the action at Todd's day boat auction.

0:21:150:21:19

A buyer will position themselves next to a box they're after,

0:21:210:21:24

hoping no-one else muscles in to drive up the price.

0:21:240:21:27

Like a game of poker in woolly hats and wellies.

0:21:270:21:31

The auction is all about if you need that box,

0:21:310:21:33

you will just bid on it until you get it.

0:21:330:21:35

I will start the price off and they'll try and knock me down.

0:21:350:21:39

But I'll try to batter them back up again.

0:21:390:21:41

8.90, £9?

0:21:410:21:43

8.90.

0:21:430:21:45

And Tracy's off to a flying start.

0:21:450:21:47

-No, 1.70?

-1.70 by D&S.

0:21:470:21:50

Once they've won a box,

0:21:500:21:51

the buyer puts a tally with their shop or company's name on it.

0:21:510:21:55

Tracy's is D&S, after the previous owner of her fishmonger's shop.

0:21:550:21:59

Just bought some red mullet. It sells really well in the shop.

0:21:590:22:02

Looks nice and bright as well.

0:22:020:22:04

She's a woman on a mission.

0:22:050:22:07

-£8 for that bass.

-Seven for the fives.

0:22:080:22:11

I'll go £7.60? 1.10? 1.50, 1.60?

0:22:110:22:16

-Yeah. Yeah.

-And she's not taking any prisoners.

0:22:160:22:19

I need them.

0:22:190:22:22

-Tracy, 1.5.

-Yeah.

0:22:230:22:25

We've got plaice.

0:22:260:22:27

That's one of my bestselling fish. It's really nice sea bass.

0:22:290:22:31

Whiting, we've got some pollock.

0:22:330:22:35

My white fish, I have to have white fish in the shop.

0:22:350:22:38

And cod.

0:22:380:22:39

But there's one top-selling fish

0:22:400:22:42

Tracy still needs to get her hands on.

0:22:420:22:45

-No lemon sole?

-I've got off lemon today.

-Have you?

0:22:450:22:48

Lemon sole is a lighter,

0:22:480:22:50

more yellowy colour than Dover sole and tends to live in deeper waters.

0:22:500:22:54

It's proving to be a slippery customer today.

0:22:540:22:57

But Tracy's not about to give up.

0:22:580:22:59

Is there any there?

0:23:010:23:02

MUSIC PLAYS

0:23:030:23:05

The scale of Brixham auction reflects a national story.

0:23:100:23:13

Fish is a seriously big British business.

0:23:130:23:16

We spend over 6 billion a year on seafood with 22% of us popping down

0:23:160:23:21

to our local fish and chip shop every week.

0:23:210:23:24

Fishing brings in over £600 million a year to our economy and employs

0:23:240:23:29

around 30,000 people.

0:23:290:23:31

And it's not just us Brits who are tucking in.

0:23:330:23:35

We export around 440,000 tonnes of fish a year.

0:23:350:23:39

You know, our fish is sought-after from all over the world - Dubai,

0:23:400:23:44

places like that, because it is such high quality.

0:23:440:23:47

A whopping 70% of the fish that comes to Brixham market ends up

0:23:480:23:52

abroad in Europe, Japan, China and the USA.

0:23:520:23:56

£4.10, 4.10.

0:24:000:24:02

And one of the biggest exporters at the market is Brixham's very own

0:24:030:24:07

Mr Big, Sean Perkes.

0:24:070:24:09

He and his brother, Ian, run one of the largest fish wholesale and

0:24:140:24:18

export businesses in the area.

0:24:180:24:19

There's three brothers in the family.

0:24:190:24:22

My eldest brother and I run the fish side of it.

0:24:220:24:24

My middle brother, Graham, he's the boat owner.

0:24:240:24:26

Ian speaks five different languages in one conversation.

0:24:270:24:30

He's only speaking to somebody in Swindon!

0:24:320:24:34

Ian and Sean's business is directly opposite the market.

0:24:410:24:44

See, I think we're the only exporter that's actually based in Brixham.

0:24:440:24:47

On a daily basis now, we export to

0:24:480:24:52

France, Belgium, Holland, Germany,

0:24:520:24:56

a little bit to Spain.

0:24:560:24:57

All around France from Paris to Nice.

0:24:570:24:59

The world is a small place now with the transport.

0:24:590:25:02

I could buy that fish at six o'clock in the morning and at 6.30,

0:25:020:25:05

it's ready to go on the lorry.

0:25:050:25:07

Somebody will be eating that tomorrow in France.

0:25:080:25:10

The quality of fish we get here, the water's deep and it's cold,

0:25:130:25:17

you know, and the products that we get and we see on a daily basis,

0:25:170:25:20

you can't see anywhere. It's just perfect.

0:25:200:25:23

Like a lot of the people working in the fishing industry here,

0:25:250:25:28

Sean is Brixham born and bred.

0:25:280:25:30

The whole community of Brixham is, you know,

0:25:300:25:34

we're very, very close-knit.

0:25:340:25:36

I've lived here all my life.

0:25:360:25:38

I can't see me living anywhere else.

0:25:380:25:40

Where else would you want to be? It's got everything here.

0:25:400:25:43

You know, we've got the best sea

0:25:430:25:44

fish in the world here on our doorstep.

0:25:440:25:46

I'm the fifth generation in my family that's still involved in

0:25:470:25:52

the fishing industry from fishermen to fish packers, from wholesalers,

0:25:520:25:56

we go back hundreds of years.

0:25:560:25:58

My grandfather used to have a fish shop on the quay

0:25:580:26:03

in the late '60s, '70s.

0:26:030:26:04

My great-grandfather had a fish stall by the Golden Hind.

0:26:040:26:10

On my mother's side, we've traced it back to the 1500s.

0:26:100:26:13

Fish hawkers in Brixham.

0:26:130:26:14

It's phenomenal, really, when you see that.

0:26:140:26:17

MUSIC PLAYS

0:26:170:26:18

But Brixham's no longer a small-scale fishing town.

0:26:230:26:25

Sean and his older brother, Ian, supply over 60 businesses worldwide.

0:26:260:26:31

Their reputation depends on them

0:26:310:26:33

delivering the freshest fish every day.

0:26:330:26:35

And they have just a few hours to secure the best at the market and

0:26:350:26:39

get it on the road to their customers.

0:26:390:26:41

Fives. Last group of fives.

0:26:410:26:44

Ones and twos there now.

0:26:440:26:45

How much for those?

0:26:450:26:47

They've got a huge order of monkfish to fill today.

0:26:470:26:50

-80?

-Ten for the right price.

0:26:520:26:53

60? 70?

0:26:530:26:57

-Yeah.

-70. 80?

0:26:570:26:59

Sean can't be outbid if he's going to satisfy his customers.

0:26:590:27:03

10.70. 80? 80. 90?

0:27:030:27:06

-£11.

-£11. Ten?

0:27:060:27:09

And he's got what he was after.

0:27:120:27:14

Monks, we've got a really good order on, so we've bought about 600,

0:27:140:27:18

700 kilo of monk.

0:27:180:27:19

Some of them will get filleted, some of them will get sent whole.

0:27:190:27:22

With the clock ticking and a lot more orders to make,

0:27:240:27:27

Sean's focused on securing the best quality fish.

0:27:270:27:30

8.60. 8.70?

0:27:300:27:32

-Yeah.

-8.70, 80?

0:27:320:27:34

So imagine turbots and the brills, that will all make good money today.

0:27:350:27:40

Bass, that will make good money.

0:27:400:27:41

Squid, there's quite a lot of squid here, so we'll see how that goes.

0:27:410:27:46

Every day on the auction, you're battling against, sometimes,

0:27:480:27:51

some very good friends, but you've got to switch off and say,

0:27:510:27:55

"OK, yeah, we'll have a pint later, but at the moment, I need this fish

0:27:550:27:58

"and you're not having it, I'm having it and that's it."

0:27:580:28:01

Unfortunately, that does cause rows.

0:28:010:28:04

But it is good banter, you know?

0:28:040:28:06

A lot of those blokes that are still there I've grown up with.

0:28:060:28:09

I've been doing it 30 odd years.

0:28:090:28:12

Then you've got people like this, here, that, you know,

0:28:120:28:15

he's older than the walls around us.

0:28:150:28:18

HE LAUGHS

0:28:180:28:19

It does sometimes get a bit heated down there, but, you know,

0:28:190:28:24

they certainly wind each other up a few times.

0:28:240:28:26

What did he say?

0:28:260:28:27

John, I've grown up with and known since we could walk.

0:28:300:28:33

His house was exactly opposite mine,

0:28:330:28:35

so we've grown-up together and been big mates ever since.

0:28:350:28:38

I've known him all my life from when he used to be selling on the vans to

0:28:390:28:42

where he is now.

0:28:420:28:43

And he's quite a character, as everybody knows.

0:28:450:28:47

PHONE RINGS

0:28:470:28:48

Hooray!

0:28:480:28:50

Fives.

0:28:530:28:54

WHISTLING

0:28:550:28:56

But now's not the time to mess about

0:29:000:29:02

as the auction is moving on to squid.

0:29:020:29:04

It's kept separate from the rest of the fish because of its

0:29:050:29:08

characteristic black ink that could

0:29:080:29:10

certainly play havoc with a white coat.

0:29:100:29:13

Sean and his brother, Ian, are after a lot of it today

0:29:150:29:18

as they have a huge order to send to Europe.

0:29:180:29:21

Well, we'll be looking to buy

0:29:210:29:24

two, 2.5 tonnes today, I would think.

0:29:240:29:28

Hopefully. We'll know in five minutes.

0:29:280:29:31

There's a bumper amount of squid up for sale today, but only the very

0:29:310:29:35

best quality will do.

0:29:350:29:36

Looks the same to the untrained eye.

0:29:380:29:39

We have to go through, just to be a bit particular on quality.

0:29:410:29:45

Because we're sending a lot of this to Spain and France and Italy,

0:29:450:29:50

which is a two-day delivery service.

0:29:500:29:52

So... Especially on a Monday,

0:29:520:29:54

we've got to be very careful on what we're looking at.

0:29:540:29:57

If the fish that arrives isn't up to scratch,

0:29:570:29:59

it could ruin their reputation.

0:29:590:30:01

No.

0:30:040:30:05

This isn't good enough for us.

0:30:050:30:06

By the time that got there, it would be no good at all.

0:30:060:30:09

We find, at this time of year,

0:30:090:30:11

the squid when it's in the same trawl as the cuttlefish, obviously,

0:30:110:30:15

the cuttlefish will attack it and you get little nips taken out of it

0:30:150:30:19

which, again, is not good enough for us.

0:30:190:30:23

They've only got a few hours before

0:30:250:30:27

their squid order needs to be en route to Europe.

0:30:270:30:29

But being the big fish in a small town sometimes has its advantages.

0:30:300:30:35

They've tracked down a catch from a boat they know they can trust.

0:30:350:30:38

What boat's this?

0:30:400:30:41

Over here, John.

0:30:430:30:45

Now they just need to get enough of it to fulfil their massive order.

0:30:450:30:49

-50.

-60?

-4.50, Perkes.

0:30:490:30:53

So, that's one lot in the bag at £4.50 a kilo.

0:30:550:30:58

Shall we say 80? 80 by Walker.

0:30:590:31:01

90? 3.90 by...

0:31:010:31:03

..Perkes. £4.

0:31:040:31:05

To Perkes, 3.90.

0:31:070:31:08

Go on that. You finished?

0:31:080:31:11

Bingo! The Perkes brothers have secured enough squid to keep their

0:31:110:31:14

European customers happy.

0:31:140:31:16

Yeah, it's been all right.

0:31:180:31:19

Been a good day so far.

0:31:190:31:20

Good showing of squid, soles...

0:31:220:31:24

Bit of bass. There's a couple more bits I need,

0:31:250:31:27

maybe some scallops up there.

0:31:270:31:29

You get a bit of a feel for it.

0:31:290:31:31

You think it's good. Sometimes it'll come back and bite you in the

0:31:310:31:34

backside, but, you know, that's part of being in an auction.

0:31:340:31:39

As long as the...

0:31:400:31:41

..stuff you make more profit on is greater than the mistakes.

0:31:440:31:49

INDISTINCT BIDDING

0:31:490:31:54

Next up for sale is the cuttlefish caught by trawler boat skipper,

0:32:010:32:04

Alan Scales. He and his crew targeted it on their last trip,

0:32:040:32:09

hoping it would be the key to netting a tidy profit.

0:32:090:32:11

-Auctioneer, John, kicks off the bidding.

-Right.

0:32:150:32:18

Where you like on the number one. £4.

0:32:180:32:19

And it looks like there's a fair bit of interest.

0:32:190:32:22

Nice, aren't they? How much for those?

0:32:220:32:25

96, 97.

0:32:290:32:31

Yeah? 97, 98.

0:32:310:32:33

98, 99. 298, Coomes.

0:32:350:32:38

I think we'll have, uh, Alan's boat.

0:32:400:32:42

Alan's cuttle sells for £2.98 a kilo.

0:32:420:32:45

And with a catch of over 4,500 kilos,

0:32:450:32:48

he's made nearly £14,000 on the cuttle alone.

0:32:480:32:53

He may come close to his £20,000 target for the trip.

0:32:530:32:57

But to find out, he'll need to call

0:32:570:32:59

into the office to get his overall total.

0:32:590:33:01

-Morning, boys.

-Good morning, Al.

0:33:050:33:07

Morning, Al.

0:33:070:33:08

All right? How we get on, then?

0:33:080:33:10

-You're all right. OK.

-Yeah.

0:33:100:33:14

£20,363.

0:33:140:33:16

-Oh, that's all right.

-The cuttle's gotten £2.98.

0:33:160:33:18

Yeah.

0:33:180:33:20

Well, got me target.

0:33:220:33:23

I was aiming for £20,000, so.

0:33:230:33:25

-Well, there you go, then.

-Yeah.

-We aim to please, eh?

0:33:250:33:27

Yeah. OK.

0:33:270:33:29

-All right, mate...

-Lovely job, thank you, mate.

-Cheers, bye.

-Bye.

0:33:290:33:32

It's a huge relief for skipper, Alan.

0:33:320:33:34

With around £12,000 after the running expenses of the boat have

0:33:340:33:38

been paid, it means he and his five man crew will take home a decent

0:33:380:33:42

wage from this trip.

0:33:420:33:44

Today's auction hasn't been that bad considering the amount of fish

0:33:440:33:47

that's been landed.

0:33:470:33:48

We've ended up with a reasonable price.

0:33:480:33:51

The crew will be happy.

0:33:510:33:52

The future is looking good.

0:33:520:33:54

Probably for nine months this year

0:33:550:33:58

already that we've had excellent prices.

0:33:580:34:01

The buyers have been doing well. The boats have been doing well.

0:34:010:34:03

And everybody is happy, happy.

0:34:030:34:05

I mean, you know, if you could have that every day of the week,

0:34:050:34:08

everybody's life would be good but, unfortunately,

0:34:080:34:11

it doesn't work that way, so.

0:34:110:34:12

But not everyone at Brixham's after cuttlefish and squid.

0:34:140:34:17

Fishmonger Tracy's been at the auction for an hour and a half but

0:34:170:34:21

she's still in search of the lemon

0:34:210:34:23

sole she knows her customers will want.

0:34:230:34:25

The success of her fishmonger shop depends on keeping them happy.

0:34:250:34:29

I'm looking for lemon sole.

0:34:300:34:31

I found a small box just over there.

0:34:360:34:38

There's only about four, five fish in there.

0:34:380:34:41

Just so I've got some for the day, I've got to have lemon sole.

0:34:410:34:44

Right. The lemon sole mix.

0:34:440:34:47

-£2.50.

-Yeah.

-I've got £2.50. £3.

0:34:470:34:50

-Yeah.

-3.10 now, 3.20?

0:34:500:34:52

-Yeah.

-She really wants this fish.

-£5, 5.10?

0:34:530:34:58

But only at a price that will make her a profit.

0:34:590:35:02

60, 70. 5.70?

0:35:020:35:05

5.80.

0:35:050:35:06

-No, I just got outbid on them.

-Um, they just bid me up, bid me up.

0:35:110:35:15

I won't make any money on them. So, it's pointless me getting them.

0:35:150:35:19

At £5.80 a kilo, it was out of Tracy's price range.

0:35:190:35:23

But she's determined.

0:35:230:35:24

She's tracked down another box of lemon sole.

0:35:240:35:27

And this time, she's not going to be beaten.

0:35:270:35:29

They're going over there now.

0:35:290:35:31

There is four kilos, mate.

0:35:330:35:36

Right, now then, mixed lemon's, then.

0:35:360:35:37

-£4.

-£4.50. I've got £4.

0:35:370:35:40

-4.20?

-Yeah.

0:35:410:35:43

-40, 50?

-Yeah.

0:35:430:35:44

-60, 70?

-5.10.

-Yeah.

0:35:460:35:50

£5.20. 6.10 at 5.10.

0:35:500:35:52

Sold to the lady in the woolly hat.

0:35:550:35:57

There's not that much lemon sole on market.

0:35:590:36:02

So, obviously, the less there is, the higher the price is going to be

0:36:020:36:05

because there's guys here that all want lemon sole,

0:36:050:36:07

so it's going to push the price up.

0:36:070:36:09

I have a limit where I can go.

0:36:090:36:11

And I will stop because or else I'm not going to make any money.

0:36:110:36:14

I did go in at £4.

0:36:140:36:16

I paid £5.10.

0:36:160:36:19

Little bit more than I wanted to.

0:36:190:36:21

But I will still make a decent margin on those.

0:36:210:36:24

Everyone loves lemon sole.

0:36:240:36:25

Especially from Brixham market.

0:36:250:36:29

MUSIC PLAYS

0:36:290:36:32

Tracy came to today's auction with an ideal shopping list.

0:36:380:36:41

And after spending around £450, she's managed to tick it all off.

0:36:410:36:46

That's me done.

0:36:480:36:50

Ready to go back to the shop.

0:36:500:36:52

Exhausted.

0:36:520:36:53

Within a few hours, Tracy's catch is on display in her Paignton shop,

0:36:570:37:01

ready to tempt in her customers, including the hard-won lemon sole

0:37:010:37:05

which takes pride of place in her window.

0:37:050:37:07

If you'll forgive the pun.

0:37:070:37:09

The fisherman go out, they work very hard.

0:37:110:37:14

Our local waters are bringing these lovely fish and to take them into my

0:37:140:37:18

shop, in my window, for my customers,

0:37:180:37:20

what more can you ask for?

0:37:200:37:21

Fish wholesaler and exporter, Sean, had a lot more fish to buy today to

0:37:280:37:32

keep his customers satisfied.

0:37:320:37:34

Top of my head, we probably spent, I would say,

0:37:340:37:36

somewhere in the region of £30-35,000 today.

0:37:360:37:39

We've bought squid, octopus, cuttlefish, fresh local bass,

0:37:390:37:45

quite a bit of turbot, actually.

0:37:450:37:47

Probably 200-300 kilo of turbot.

0:37:470:37:49

Brill, probably couple of hundred kilo of brill.

0:37:490:37:52

A lot of that is for the UK.

0:37:520:37:54

And scallops, we've probably got about 60-70 boxes of scallops.

0:37:560:37:59

So, all in all, pretty good day, really.

0:37:590:38:03

The biggest challenge for his business is to get

0:38:030:38:05

the best fish as quickly as possible.

0:38:050:38:08

But with such a bumper amount at today's market,

0:38:080:38:10

it's taken longer than usual.

0:38:100:38:13

It's now, where are we? Half past ten.

0:38:130:38:15

So, we've been here on the auction for four and a half, five hours.

0:38:150:38:21

But we wanted to hang on to this.

0:38:210:38:23

We've got a sale for this in the south of France.

0:38:230:38:25

When the customer receives that,

0:38:250:38:27

it's still going to be in top notch condition,

0:38:270:38:30

purely because it's all hook and line.

0:38:300:38:34

And it has been looked after.

0:38:340:38:35

As soon as it's caught, it's chucked into slurry ice.

0:38:350:38:38

And I know that. I know the skipper.

0:38:380:38:40

I know the owner of the boat, and I know that he looks after it well.

0:38:400:38:43

Hence it's worth me hanging on till the end.

0:38:430:38:46

Paying a little bit more but it's worth it for peace of mind

0:38:460:38:49

and customer satisfaction.

0:38:490:38:51

Most of the fish I've bought already from the auction started at six is

0:38:510:38:55

already packed. It's all ready to go.

0:38:550:38:57

We've just got to go to the office, make up the labels

0:38:570:39:01

straight onto the lorry and gone.

0:39:010:39:03

It's been one of the market's busiest days,

0:39:030:39:06

but thankfully, John and Todd managed to sell it all.

0:39:060:39:10

Nearly £400,000 worth of fish.

0:39:100:39:13

It's always busy on the Monday, nine times out of ten.

0:39:130:39:17

But, you know, sometimes it can be exceptional.

0:39:170:39:19

That was a big old market.

0:39:190:39:22

The night shift was still grading fish well after the market started.

0:39:220:39:26

You know, it's that busy.

0:39:260:39:28

But if you're standing there shouting for five hours,

0:39:280:39:31

you're ready to come upstairs for a cup of tea.

0:39:310:39:33

Sean's prized prime fish heads out

0:39:400:39:42

of Brixham on huge trucks to be shipped

0:39:420:39:45

overnight and unpacked in Europe tomorrow.

0:39:450:39:47

But it's not all international for Sean.

0:39:510:39:54

The final delivery couldn't be more local.

0:39:540:39:56

It's to yet another member of the Perkes family involved in the

0:39:560:40:00

Brixham fish trade, his wife, Sarah, who runs a beach-front restaurant.

0:40:000:40:03

Well my wife was a... She's an ex police officer.

0:40:050:40:09

And the hours were just getting horrendous for her and this

0:40:090:40:12

opportunity arouse. We didn't know what it involved, to be honest.

0:40:120:40:16

And we were pretty unsure but, you know,

0:40:160:40:19

we hit the road running and it's been really successful for us.

0:40:190:40:22

You know, we've got a great name, a good following.

0:40:220:40:26

We do things simple.

0:40:260:40:27

The key for everything is to make the fish the star.

0:40:270:40:30

MUSIC PLAYS

0:40:300:40:33

It's a beautiful location.

0:40:440:40:46

A lot of my friends are fishermen, and they come in in the middle of

0:40:460:40:49

the summer and they'll pass us and

0:40:490:40:50

they'll honk the horn as they come past.

0:40:500:40:52

And the holiday-makers love it, you know.

0:40:520:40:55

If you came down in August, this would be packed already with people

0:40:550:40:58

eating breakfast and having a few drinks.

0:40:580:41:00

You can smell them cooking already.

0:41:040:41:06

Smells... Smells like fish to me.

0:41:070:41:10

-Good morning, everybody.

-Good morning.

0:41:100:41:12

How are we?

0:41:120:41:14

-Good, thank you.

-Have you missed me?

0:41:140:41:16

No. Did you call me?

0:41:170:41:18

Everything here that we're eating today

0:41:190:41:22

was everything that was on the market this morning.

0:41:220:41:25

This is turbot caught yesterday.

0:41:260:41:28

To see people enjoying what I enjoy and to see it from the market to the

0:41:290:41:35

plate, it's phenomenal.

0:41:350:41:36

You know, to see people enjoying it.

0:41:360:41:39

You know, you know you're doing something right.

0:41:390:41:41

All right there?

0:41:430:41:46

MUSIC PLAYS

0:41:460:41:50

Today's auction may be finished, but at Brixham fish market,

0:41:590:42:03

tomorrow is another day when the

0:42:030:42:05

buyers and sellers will back to do it all again.

0:42:050:42:08

I'm very passionate about my fish and I'm very determined for that

0:42:100:42:15

shop to still be there in another 30 years.

0:42:150:42:18

OK, that's £18.08, Scott.

0:42:180:42:20

Thank you.

0:42:200:42:21

I will fight for that shop.

0:42:210:42:24

I will make sure that shop is successful.

0:42:240:42:28

Whatever it takes.

0:42:280:42:29

I've been at sea now for 40 years. How much longer, I don't know.

0:42:300:42:33

But, I love fishing so much, I don't know.

0:42:330:42:36

They'll probably carry me off in a box.

0:42:360:42:38

It's a good living.

0:42:420:42:43

You know, we're surrounded by nice people, nice surroundings.

0:42:430:42:46

The industry is a good industry if you're prepared to put the work in.

0:42:460:42:50

And auctioneers, John and Todd, will be ringing the bell at 6am tomorrow

0:42:500:42:54

with more fish to sell.

0:42:540:42:56

The market in Brixham now has been going to strength to strength

0:42:560:42:59

really, at the end of the day.

0:42:590:43:01

They're a great bunch down there, really.

0:43:010:43:03

You know, might call them a few names now and again.

0:43:030:43:05

But, yeah, I love it.

0:43:050:43:06

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