0:00:02 > 0:00:05For hundreds of years, small fishing boats have set sail
0:00:05 > 0:00:08to bring home the riches of our coastal waters.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13He's got one! He's caught a monkfish! He has!
0:00:13 > 0:00:15But fishing is changing.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20In recent years, many of our inshore skippers have gone out of business.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Can they survive the threats to their future?
0:00:24 > 0:00:29It's a tricky time and it's going to be for another few more years yet.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33Marine biologist Monty Halls is going to explore
0:00:33 > 0:00:35the challenges facing our fishing industry.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38But from the inside.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Monty's seen the problems fishermen face.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Now he wants to look for solutions.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50He learns how trawlermen are minimising THEIR impact
0:00:50 > 0:00:52on the environment.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Although, when the bag comes aboard, it doesn't look like much,
0:00:55 > 0:00:57but cos there's nothing to go back over the side,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00it's better than what you think, generally.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04Monty sees how fishermen can turn waste into profit.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07That will be in a Japanese restaurant tomorrow morning
0:01:07 > 0:01:09in thin slices.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12And he heads overseas, where he discovers
0:01:12 > 0:01:17a revolutionary way of supporting our traditional fishermen.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18I take pride in the fish I land.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22This fish will be right to the consumer by this afternoon.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Right, in and out, no messing about, fresh fish.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44The fishermen of Cadgwith Cove try to be out at sea
0:01:44 > 0:01:45before 7:30am.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47It's October,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50so they're loading up and launching in the dark.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56For the past six months,
0:01:56 > 0:02:01Monty Halls been experiencing life as a small-boat fisherman.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06His mentor, Nigel Legge, has fished here for more than four decades.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08And he knows there are tough times ahead.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13OK, the weather's different now than it was in the summer.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17If it's like this it's OK, but, you know, any time now,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21it's nothing to have a month or six weeks off solid.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24- Where you can't fish? - Where even the bigger ones can't go.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26- Right.- So, you go to London,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29and say to somebody who's got a full-time, permanent job
0:02:29 > 0:02:32and say, "I'm taking six weeks of your wages", and that's what it is.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35There's no magic about it, that is what it is.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40The lobsters that Nigel targets in summer months also sense
0:02:40 > 0:02:44bad weather is on the horizon, and they're beginning to move offshore.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47So Nigel's changing tactics -
0:02:47 > 0:02:51he's set nets for bass, hoping they are now moving into shallow waters.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00There we are, there's one. We've caught A bass.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03We're going to need more than one.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08- We've got dinner. - We have, we have.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Don't pay the bills, but we've got dinner.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11- Well, I'VE got dinner.- Yeah!
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Good grief, what a beast.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22Though he's targeted bass, Nigel's also catching wrasse, mackerel...
0:03:22 > 0:03:24and the odd shark.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30A mature tope like this could be more than 40 years old.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Look at that, that's fantastic.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43It's beautiful, you know,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46that's a proper shark, that.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48It's a female, full of eggs.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51And Nigel's going to give it a second chance.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Sharks are kind of in trouble at the moment -
0:03:53 > 0:03:55100 million a year taken out the sea
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and Nige, being the magnanimous fella he is,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01has said we can put this fella back, which is great.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04I don't like killing them, I really don't.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10It's not worth much per kilogram,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12but such a large tope is by far the most valuable thing
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Nigel's caught today.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19I mean, you've just stuck that shark back,
0:04:19 > 0:04:23you have, in essence, chucked 40 quid overboard.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27People think fishermen just catch and kill everything.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31That isn't the case, it isn't like that at all.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Apart from two bass and some mackerel,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37few of the other fish are worth selling.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39We've actually got a fair few fish here.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42You know, it's interesting that, of these fish,
0:04:42 > 0:04:46there's probably only three or four in here that have commercial value.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Obviously, you've got the bass.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51We've also got a lot of wrasse and this, I think,
0:04:51 > 0:04:55is one of the snags we have in terms of the way we consume fish
0:04:55 > 0:04:59in this country, is that that really doesn't have any commercial value.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01You'll use these as bait, won't you?
0:05:01 > 0:05:03We do use them as bait. You can eat them,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05there's nothing wrong with them whatsoever,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08it's just that we've never been brought up to eat them.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12If Nigel could sell abundant fish like wrasse,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14his income would improve significantly.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21instead of selling four fish for, say, 15 or 20 quid a day,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24which I know is nonsense, really, you know, that box of fish
0:05:24 > 0:05:29- possibly could be 50 quid.- Yeah. - That's slightly different.- Yeah.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36Cornish fishermen catch more than a hundred different fish species.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38But in the current market,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41only a few are sold in any significant quantity.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44The rest, known as by-catch, are thrown back into the sea.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50That is a beautiful firm-bodied fish.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54- It is, full of meat there, look. - Full of meat. Yeah.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56That's no different to that. Different colour.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00Yeah, and that's... You know, if Nigel wasn't using for bait,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03it'd just go straight back over the side.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05It's a tragedy, that - it's protein,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07there's a massive protein shortage in the world
0:06:07 > 0:06:09and we're chucking things like that away
0:06:09 > 0:06:11just because we're not used to eating it.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15Maybe a lot of the fault with by-catch lies very much with us,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17and not with the fishermen.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25If we want to support our fishermen and protect the marine environment,
0:06:25 > 0:06:29we need to start eating more of the fish that are caught off our coast.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43The nets that Nigel and the other Cadgwith skippers use
0:06:43 > 0:06:46are called static gear -
0:06:46 > 0:06:48they do not move in the water.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52But most of the fish landed in the UK are caught
0:06:52 > 0:06:56using mobile gear, such as the nets towed behind trawlers.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05A few weeks ago, Monty worked on a beam trawler
0:07:05 > 0:07:07and caught lots of unwanted species.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Now he wants to find out if anything can be done to reduce by-catch.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17He's come to Mevagissey -
0:07:17 > 0:07:20a large fishing village 30 miles up the coast.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Tomorrow, he's going out on the Valhalla -
0:07:30 > 0:07:34one of a new breed of environment-friendly trawlers.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49It's 4am. The nets are lowered into the water under the watchful eye
0:07:49 > 0:07:51of skipper Dave Warwick.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56I noticed we headed out heinously early.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58You know, whatever it was, 3:30am. Why is that?
0:07:58 > 0:08:02That's our general time to come to sea, but haddock fishing
0:08:02 > 0:08:05can be better in the dark, so we like to come out
0:08:05 > 0:08:07and get this first haul where you start in the dark
0:08:07 > 0:08:09and you tow through what we call the dim sea,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13where it's coming in daylight, that generally the best time.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16I've learnt two things about fishing during my embryonic fishing career -
0:08:16 > 0:08:17number one is everything is very heavy
0:08:17 > 0:08:19and number two is everything is very early.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- Yeah.- Those are the two things I've learnt.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25That's not a bad estimation, really. Especially trawling!
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Two otter boards -
0:08:31 > 0:08:35metal plates that are attached to either side of the net -
0:08:35 > 0:08:36are lowered into the water.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41The otter boards have gone into the water, they've gone in
0:08:41 > 0:08:44about four meters apart, and when they get into the water
0:08:44 > 0:08:46they'll open out.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48As we move through, they'll go like this
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and they'll open out the mouth of the net.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54The mouth of the net is about 30 meters apart,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58so they'll go, sort of, six, seven times the distance they are now,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01they'll just move out, open the net up like this.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05The net will sink to the bottom and then we'll start fishing.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Unlike beam trawling and scallop dredging -
0:09:10 > 0:09:12where heavy metal chains are dragged over the ocean floor -
0:09:12 > 0:09:17most otter trawls have lighter, rubber wheels on their bottom rope.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21These roll and bounce over the sea bed, causing less disturbance.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31After three hours in the water, the nets are hauled up.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38This may look like any other trawl net,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42but it has been specially designed to minimise by-catch.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Sections of the net have larger holes,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48allowing more escape opportunities for small, unwanted fish.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03In essence, that size mesh, you're fishing a slightly larger mesh,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05so the juveniles are getting through,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08the next generation of fish are getting through.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Yeah, we're looking after our own interest
0:10:10 > 0:10:13by letting the smaller fish go, and next year or the year after,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16when they've grown, we'll hopefully catch them again.
0:10:16 > 0:10:17But, yeah...
0:10:18 > 0:10:21We have bad press - people think we're out here
0:10:21 > 0:10:23to catch the last fish in the sea. We're not.
0:10:23 > 0:10:24We're out here to make a living
0:10:24 > 0:10:27and for generations after us to make a living behind us.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Now the fish are on board,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34it's time to sort the valuable species from the unwanted catch.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40What you're doing here, Dave, by adopting this system
0:10:40 > 0:10:44of the slightly larger net size
0:10:44 > 0:10:46- is you're bringing your discard right down.- Yeah.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49So it's mainly haddock we've got here, isn't it?
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Yeah, although when the bag comes aboard, it doesn't look like much
0:10:52 > 0:10:55we found, since working with this net, you look at it
0:10:55 > 0:10:57and think it isn't a very good haul,
0:10:57 > 0:10:59but cos there's literally nothing to go back over the side
0:10:59 > 0:11:01- it's better what you think, generally.- Yeah.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06As well as reducing by-catch, large mesh means less drag,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10so less fuel is burnt, increasing profits.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14And fewer starfish, urchins and rocks end up in the net,
0:11:14 > 0:11:15so the fish are less damaged.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22For us, the cleaner we can get it, the less rubbish is left in the nets
0:11:22 > 0:11:25- in with the fish, the better it is.- Yeah.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Better for the fish, better for us.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30The quality of the fish goes a long way on the market -
0:11:30 > 0:11:35the better the quality, the keener the buyers are to buy it.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36And you get a reputation.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I was going to say, a lot of it is a name -
0:11:38 > 0:11:41if you get a good name for landing good-quality fish,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43the buyers will buy it repeatedly, time after time.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- They'll look for your name of the fish boxes.- Yeah.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51In recent years, fishermen and fish scientists
0:11:51 > 0:11:56have been at loggerheads, unable to find common ground.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00But on board the Valhalla is Government scientist Tom Catchpole
0:12:00 > 0:12:02from CEFAS, the marine science organisation.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Two years ago, Tom and his team set out
0:12:06 > 0:12:09to try and reduce discards on otter trawls.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Dave and 18 other skippers from the southwest
0:12:12 > 0:12:16designed and tested specially made nets.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Discards were reduced by as much as 55%.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Since then, most of the skippers who took part have decided
0:12:23 > 0:12:25to carry on using larger-mesh nets.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31This is the basket of fish which will be discarded,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34so this'll be thrown over the side.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Right. What you've got here is half a basket -
0:12:36 > 0:12:39well, a third of a basket, compared to the six baskets that we've kept
0:12:39 > 0:12:42and nothing else has been destroyed or killed for that catch.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44No, that's it, yep.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46So this is a very sustainable
0:12:46 > 0:12:48and environmentally friendly way of fishing.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50This could be considered a very clean catch.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Yeah.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Do you find your reception on the boats is...
0:12:54 > 0:12:56You're well received, generally, on the boats?
0:12:56 > 0:13:01Yes, I mean the programme is on a purely voluntary basis
0:13:01 > 0:13:05so we are reliant on the goodwill of the industry to allow us
0:13:05 > 0:13:07to come on board and measure the fish,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09so they're under no obligation to have us on board.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15It's undeniable that the fish stocks are under stress -
0:13:15 > 0:13:19there's no doubt about that, particularly certain target species
0:13:19 > 0:13:24and to feed the markets, the insatiable desire of the fish markets
0:13:24 > 0:13:28and our demand for fish, there's always going to be by-catch,
0:13:28 > 0:13:33but what I've seen today is half a basket of fish as by-catch
0:13:33 > 0:13:37and six baskets of target species being caught.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41The environmental impact of what we've done today has been
0:13:41 > 0:13:44really, really minimal and that does give me real hope
0:13:44 > 0:13:47that there is a way of doing this in the future that's sustainable.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50And the truly great thing is that it's an initiative
0:13:50 > 0:13:54that's been led by the fishermen, and that really gives me a lot of hope.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57It's been a great day, I've enjoyed it.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02Similar net trials have been carried out on beam trawlers,
0:14:02 > 0:14:03halving discards.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07The success of such schemes show how fishermen
0:14:07 > 0:14:09and scientists can work together.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13And how being more sustainable can be good for business, too.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32Netting from small boats is one of the most targeted forms of fishing.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35The mesh size of the gill nets they use is specific
0:14:35 > 0:14:37to the head of the fish you want to catch.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Small, juvenile fish swim right through.
0:14:40 > 0:14:46Mature fish poke their head into the mesh and are caught by their gills.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50People will have different-size nets for different-size fish.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54The scale starts small for red-mullet net and it ends up
0:14:54 > 0:14:58really big for a monk net, you know, there's all the different things
0:14:58 > 0:15:02in-between which people use, so you can target your species more.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10Born and bred in Cadgwith, Luke Stephens has fished all his life.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14But the job took its toll on his body.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Physically unable to work at sea,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18he now makes some of the finest nets in the area.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Do you miss fishing?
0:15:24 > 0:15:30Yeah, I do miss it a, but I don't miss the early mornings.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35- No, I sympathise.- It's quite nice to sort of be in bed.- Yeah.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39But I'm still sort of fishing in a way, because I can make nets now
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and, you know, they'll do the fishing for me and I get
0:15:42 > 0:15:45a great satisfaction of making something,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48of producing something which somebody could use.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52The only bit that's missing is I'm not at sea.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Luke is using extra-fine filament for this gill net.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00It's very hard to see when it's in the water,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03so this net should catch more fish in less time.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06The net is secured to the rope every seven holes along.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Monty's going to lend a hand.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- The key is, remember seven. - Yeah.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14If you offer it up to yourself like that
0:16:14 > 0:16:17and you can just weave it in and out.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Five, six.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23- You want it to be about two fingers. - Yeah.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27About there, so you've lined it up with the black bit,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Through that way, pull it sort of slightly tight,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33put your thumb on it, cast your string over there,
0:16:33 > 0:16:34through this way and one back that way.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Casting the string over - that's what I've not been doing.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39So then you pull that tight that way
0:16:39 > 0:16:41and that will be there till the cows come home.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Totally confident now.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44For every fisherman,
0:16:44 > 0:16:48it's estimated that there are at least four other jobs on shore.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Even though it is has declined in recent years,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54the fishing industry is a key employer
0:16:54 > 0:16:56in many of our coastal communities.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01After an hour or so, Monty finally gets to his end of the net.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03But something is wrong.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Being brutally honest, somehow you got all this many
0:17:07 > 0:17:12left on your last staple.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17So, it seems to suggest to me that you've sort of not picked up
0:17:17 > 0:17:21the right amount somewhere along the line. Look at them all.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Yes, that's really quite a lot, isn't it?
0:17:25 > 0:17:31One, two, three, four, five, six, one, two, three, four, five, six.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Let's try this one. One, two, three, four, five, six.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39He can't count! He done all that.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44Oh, dear. Shall I do it again?
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Well, we'll be here another week if you do that.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57Most of the nets that Luke makes are used on one small boat.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59It usually fishes east of the Falmouth Bay area -
0:17:59 > 0:18:0315 miles or so up along the coast from Cadgwith.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07It's just coming up to dawn, and I'm on a boat
0:18:07 > 0:18:11called the Lady Hamilton which I've heard a great deal about
0:18:11 > 0:18:13because of the way the boat fishes and also the quality
0:18:13 > 0:18:17of the fish that this boat produces.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19It's almost legendary round here.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22At the helm is Chris Bean.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27He's one of the highest grossing small-boat skippers in Cornwall.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Monty wants to see how he operates,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32to uncover the secret of his success.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36It's 5am.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41The extra-fine nets made by Luke Stephens are set before dawn
0:18:41 > 0:18:43on the best fishing grounds.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Chris will be back to check these nets in a few hours.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55In the meantime, he hauls some tangle and sole nets
0:18:55 > 0:18:57he shot a day or so ago,
0:18:57 > 0:19:01targeting bottom-dwelling fish and crustaceans.
0:19:03 > 0:19:04Whoa-ho!
0:19:05 > 0:19:08That's the biggest lobster I've seen since I've been in Cornwall.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Second-in-command Chino, from Ecuador,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26and deckhand Andreas, from Lithuania, process the catch.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Chris might be a successful skipper,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34but he still struggles to find locals willing to do the job.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38The lack of young British men working in fishing
0:19:38 > 0:19:41is one of the major threats to the future of the industry.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Every single fish that comes up is carefully sorted.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Nothing is thrown back.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- Do you keep the dog fish, Chris? - Yeah, we sell them.- You sell them?
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Yeah. That'll be in a Japanese restaurant tomorrow morning
0:19:58 > 0:20:00in thin slices.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03We have been selling them for bait to the crabbers,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06but there's so much added value by processing them
0:20:06 > 0:20:09that the amount we're able to release for bait
0:20:09 > 0:20:10is getting less and less.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Chris has worked hard on shore
0:20:15 > 0:20:17to find markets for everything he catches.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Species that other fishermen would consider valueless,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23like wrasse, are now earning him decent money.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26There was a blind test with Japanese chefs
0:20:26 > 0:20:28with many different species and they all come out
0:20:28 > 0:20:32- and said wrasse is the best.- Really?
0:20:32 > 0:20:36He even sells monkfish livers to sushi restaurants.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42My mother would never let us leave any on the side of the plate.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46If it was on your plate you ate it - waste not, want not.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48And that's the motive I've been brought up with
0:20:48 > 0:20:52and, to me, to go to sea and catch fish,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54it was ridiculous to be throwing fish away
0:20:54 > 0:20:56that were going to be wasted.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01After six hours at sea,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04it's time to check the extra-fine nets they set before dawn.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22This is a kind of speciality of Chris, really - these very fine nets
0:21:22 > 0:21:24that are in the water just for a few hours,
0:21:24 > 0:21:29they catch pristine fish which go to the very best markets.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35We can't market fish that is overnight in a net,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39because the gills have gone pink, they're not gleaming red,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42they eyes have lost their lustre and so on
0:21:42 > 0:21:45and those sort of fish can only be filleted and most of our fish
0:21:45 > 0:21:49that we send away is whole fish in pristine condition
0:21:49 > 0:21:51and the only way to guarantee that
0:21:51 > 0:21:53is to have very short soak times with the nets.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58Chris has been fishing these grounds for more than 40 years...
0:21:58 > 0:22:01but a good haul still gets him excited.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Wow, Christmas! Look at that!
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Jumbo mackerel.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10- Proper job.- Wow.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13- And they're all big ones. - Look at that. Beautiful fish as well.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Fantastic. Well, that was a nice little break, wasn't it?
0:22:16 > 0:22:21- They're all right, they are. - Yeah, lovely. Firm bodied.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24- Three quid a fish.- Fresh.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37These nets are specifically made to target haddock.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42But it's impossible not to catch other species. Especially cod.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Cod have got a design fault,
0:22:48 > 0:22:53in that these little notches here get caught in the nets, see.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56They get caught. No matter what size of mesh, they get caught.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Concerned that it was being overfished,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04the Government has imposed strict catch limits on cod.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06At the moment, no small Cornish boats
0:23:06 > 0:23:08have been allocated any cod quota,
0:23:08 > 0:23:13so Chris has to throw back every fish that comes up in his nets.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16That's a cod which is indicative of
0:23:16 > 0:23:19the size of cod that are out here at the moment.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21And that, according to Her Majesty's Government,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23has to go back over the side.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28The EU estimates that its fishing fleet catches
0:23:28 > 0:23:32two to three times more fish than is sustainable,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35and that 75% of species in European waters
0:23:35 > 0:23:37are currently being overfished.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Some controls on fishing are essential for the future of fish -
0:23:41 > 0:23:44and fishermen.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Perception is, Chris - and I have this perception as well -
0:23:48 > 0:23:49that cod stocks are very low
0:23:49 > 0:23:53and that's the reason they shouldn't be caught.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55It's not the case here,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57the cod stocks have been absolutely fantastic here
0:23:57 > 0:24:01for the last year or two years. We've never seen anything like it.
0:24:01 > 0:24:08Last winter, they were right inside in 10, 15 metres and no other fish.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10All we caught was cod, cod, cod.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Government scientists have confirmed that the cod population
0:24:16 > 0:24:18is healthy in these waters.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Chris and other Cornish fishermen are expecting
0:24:20 > 0:24:23a corresponding increase in the monthly quota.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25But it is yet to materialise.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Yeah, hello, Michelle. Can I speak to Dylan, please, about the cod,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35see if there's any uplift to it?
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Chris calls his son on shore
0:24:37 > 0:24:40to see if there's any word from the authorities.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41Oh, no.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Next week or the week after, they're going to make a decision
0:24:50 > 0:24:54and it could be that they're not going to release any more quota.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01It's very galling if you're at the sharp end.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03You're catching fish and you've got no quota
0:25:03 > 0:25:06and you have to throw it back. And the only reason
0:25:06 > 0:25:09I haven't got any quota is they haven't sorted it out, you know.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Why haven't they sorted it out? Because they're inept.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16For that reason, the anger comes out
0:25:16 > 0:25:19and I would like to see heads roll. I would, honestly.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22I would like to see some people held to account for this.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26It's the job description and the job title isn't it? We're fisherMEN.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31You know, we go and catch fish. Nobody wants to dump fish. Nobody.
0:25:31 > 0:25:32Nobody.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34It's heartbreaking, to be honest.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37We've got such a small cod quota
0:25:37 > 0:25:43and there's more cod here than I have ever seen.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45They've been in crabs pots they're in the nets,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48they're in the tangle nets and you daren't catch more than
0:25:48 > 0:25:52a kilogram over and land it, cos three goes at that,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55you've go a kilogram over, you're threatened with prosecution.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58So, you've always got to be watching your weights all the time.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03I mean, it's just madness. It is madness, the whole thing.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Billions of cod have been discarded in European waters
0:26:08 > 0:26:11over the last 50 years.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14The European Union is reviewing the quota system
0:26:14 > 0:26:17and has said it will put an end to discarding.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19But until something is done, Chris -
0:26:19 > 0:26:22who makes the most of every other fish he catches -
0:26:22 > 0:26:24will be forced to keep throwing cod over the side.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30You can understand the basic concept behind quotas,
0:26:30 > 0:26:35but it heavily impacts boats like this.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Chris hasn't set out to catch these fish - they're just by-catch -
0:26:38 > 0:26:42it's just an inevitable part of the massive number of cod
0:26:42 > 0:26:44that are around here at the moment.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46When these fish come up, they're dead
0:26:46 > 0:26:51and yet, here it is, this beautiful prime white fish
0:26:51 > 0:26:54and it's just wasted, it's thrown away,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56it's just going back to the gulls
0:26:56 > 0:27:00and surely, on every level, that's nonsense. Surely.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05All the nets are hauled.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08It's time to head back to the Lady Hamilton's moorings
0:27:08 > 0:27:09just off Helford.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Most fishermen's work is almost done when they get ashore.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25But Chris's is just beginning.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29One kilo of size-two gurnard,
0:27:29 > 0:27:315.4 junga,
0:27:31 > 0:27:3410.2 size-three pollack.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42Do you have pre-existing orders for this, are your orders phoning in?
0:27:42 > 0:27:44No pre-existing orders.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49The buyers have to wait until we tell them what we've got.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Oh, I see, so it's the other way around.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52Yeah, it's the other way around.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55That's the ethos of the operation, really.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00So, the buyers adapt their habits to whatever you've caught on that day.
0:28:00 > 0:28:01Yep, that's correct.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Only if they're very good quality and if they're big ones.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Chris's son, Dylan, gets busy
0:28:11 > 0:28:14letting his customers know what's been caught.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16- So that'll be six more boxes. - Thank you.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20Dylan's wife, Mutsuko, boxes the orders in ice.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23She's Japanese and has helped to develop relationships
0:28:23 > 0:28:25with sushi restaurants in London,
0:28:25 > 0:28:27where much of the fish will end up tomorrow morning.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33The Beans also have a small shop supplying local trade,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36and they run stalls at Farmers' Markets.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40Working in this way, they get at least 30% more for their catch
0:28:40 > 0:28:42than if they sold it on the open market.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Monty can see how -
0:28:44 > 0:28:47by making a direct connection with consumers,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50and by trading on the freshness and quality of their catch,
0:28:50 > 0:28:54small boats can prosper.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56If you want to do the job, you've got to do it properly.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58You've got to see the thing all the way through,
0:28:58 > 0:29:00from the boat to the consumer
0:29:00 > 0:29:04and putting it on that lorry, on that truck, to go to London
0:29:04 > 0:29:07for delivery nine o'clock, it's almost as good
0:29:07 > 0:29:09as serving the consumer, isn't it?
0:29:09 > 0:29:12You're getting fish, you know, that's 24 hours old or less.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15That's the satisfying part about the job, really.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17All right, see you, folks.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Yeah, thanks.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35One of Chris's oldest and most loyal customers
0:29:35 > 0:29:38is a sushi restaurant in London's financial district.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Every morning, fish from yesterday's catch is delivered
0:29:44 > 0:29:47so the chefs can prepare it for the lunchtime shift.
0:29:49 > 0:29:54Owner Caroline Bennett explains how she has adapted her menu
0:29:54 > 0:29:56to fit with the way small-boat fishermen work.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01We try and classify things as loosely as we can,
0:30:01 > 0:30:03so, for example, we've got dishes here
0:30:03 > 0:30:05that just say "daily catch from Cornwall."
0:30:05 > 0:30:08Daily catch from Cornwall could be anything
0:30:08 > 0:30:11from a pollack to a wrasse to a megrim to a dog fish.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15This is quite key, because you're altering your consumption
0:30:15 > 0:30:19to what the boats are catching, and not the other way around.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22That's absolutely it, so, rather than saying - as we used to -
0:30:22 > 0:30:24"We want ten kilos of red snapper
0:30:24 > 0:30:27"and five kilos of mackerel",
0:30:27 > 0:30:31now we say to Chris we'll have ten kilos of any flatfish
0:30:31 > 0:30:33and five kilos of a blue fish.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36So, if you can imagine lots more restaurants doing the same thing,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39the discards and the wastage would be instantly reduced.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Caroline's motivation is not just
0:30:43 > 0:30:45getting the best-quality fish for her customers.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48She believes anyone who eats fish has a pivotal role to play
0:30:48 > 0:30:52in making the fishing industry more sustainable.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55The burden and the onus is on the consumer.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58If they're going to go to a restaurant and expect to eat bass,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01then they're already telling the signals to the market place -
0:31:01 > 0:31:03"You've got to catch me bass",
0:31:03 > 0:31:05and the fishermen will say, "Well, I've caught you your bass
0:31:05 > 0:31:08"but I also caught this and this and that.
0:31:08 > 0:31:09"What am I going to do with those?"
0:31:09 > 0:31:11That's the consumer that's wasting it.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15The chefs have prepared a plate of fish
0:31:15 > 0:31:17that were all caught on the Lady Hamilton.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23You can really see there, can't you, this sheen on it?
0:31:23 > 0:31:27That that was swimming around off the mouth of the Helford 12 hours ago.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30It's brilliant, isn't it? And if it's not fresh,
0:31:30 > 0:31:35it really doesn't leave that great aftertaste in your mouth
0:31:35 > 0:31:38and Chris's fish is just, as you know, exceptional
0:31:38 > 0:31:41and it just feels like you are eating a bit of the ocean.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44I've been chucking that - dog fish - over the side of my boat
0:31:44 > 0:31:47with a little part of my heart breaking every time I do it
0:31:47 > 0:31:50ever since I started fishing and every small boat
0:31:50 > 0:31:54pretty much does the same, unless they're keeping it for bait.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56The liver there, the monkfish liver, exactly the same.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58- Yeah.- You know, that just goes.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Complete discard.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03So what you're doing here is essentially using
0:32:03 > 0:32:06just about all the catch. You're trying to use as much as possible.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08As much of it as you can. Absolutely.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10And that obviously benefits the environment,
0:32:10 > 0:32:14because less is taken out of the sea and it clearly benefits Chris
0:32:14 > 0:32:15- cos he can make a living out of it. - Yeah.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19Chris Bean and his family have worked hard
0:32:19 > 0:32:21to build relationships with specific customers.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27But most of the Cadgwith skippers are more concerned
0:32:27 > 0:32:30with what happens at sea, rather than on shore.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35And for men like Nigel Legge, fishing is not so much
0:32:35 > 0:32:37a business, as a way of life.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43The funny thing is, when I go out in the mornings now,
0:32:43 > 0:32:45I probably enjoy it more because I actually take notice
0:32:45 > 0:32:50of the sun rising and the clouds and the wind and the colours in the sky.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53That's your world, then, for six or eight hours -
0:32:53 > 0:32:55that is where you are, and you are on your own.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59I suppose, being a fisherman, you've always got this dream
0:32:59 > 0:33:01of a big catch around the corner,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04but even if you've got a poor catch, I'm not despondent
0:33:04 > 0:33:07and mad or anything else.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13I always remember once, there was something telling me
0:33:13 > 0:33:15I should put me nets there,
0:33:15 > 0:33:19I don't know what it was, the gulls were sitting on the water,
0:33:19 > 0:33:23I had the nets in the boat, the weather wasn't particularly good,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26but something was telling me, you know, stick your nets out.
0:33:26 > 0:33:31Next day, I had over 50 stone of bass
0:33:31 > 0:33:36and I remember saying to myself, don't haul this lot in too quickly,
0:33:36 > 0:33:38enjoy it, because this ain't going to happen very often.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45One of my biggest fears is the day's going to come where I've got to
0:33:45 > 0:33:48sort of leave that boat to somebody else.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51I've been with the damn thing now for 30 years,
0:33:51 > 0:33:56it is a big, big thing to leave and, yeah, she's part of me, really.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13The word finally comes through
0:34:13 > 0:34:16that the Government has released cod quota.
0:34:18 > 0:34:23Small boats are now allowed to catch 250 kilograms of cod each
0:34:23 > 0:34:24before the end of the month.
0:34:24 > 0:34:29But bad weather is on the horizon, so the race is on.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35There's a sudden surge of activity in the cove in response to this news,
0:34:35 > 0:34:37in response to the quota being released.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41Suddenly, they can go after this fish that's been here for ages.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Everyone's kitting up and getting their nets in the water
0:34:44 > 0:34:46and trying to make the most of this little bonanza
0:34:46 > 0:34:48that will last for at least a couple of weeks.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57Every day I've been fishing in Cadgwith,
0:34:57 > 0:35:00I've learnt a little lesson about fishing
0:35:00 > 0:35:04and the lesson today is, always tuck your gloves inside your sleeves.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08That's my lesson for today.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Monty is out on the Victoria Anne.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16Skipper Louis Mitchell is a lobsterman in the summer,
0:35:16 > 0:35:20but in the autumn and winter months, he teams up with part-time fisherman
0:35:20 > 0:35:24Dominic Goldsack, and goes for whatever fish swims into the bay.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31What do you think of all this netting business?
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Well, it's what we've got to do, I suppose, to make a living.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37- In the winter, it's quite exciting, you know.- I can imagine.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Conditions, trying to get off the beach,
0:35:40 > 0:35:42just everything rigged against you.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44And do you kind of look forward to this time of year?
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Oh, with relish!
0:35:51 > 0:35:53It's a beast!
0:35:53 > 0:35:57It's not long before they haul up the first cod of the day.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00I never doubted, even for a moment.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02C-O-D, C-O-D.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Government scientists confirmed that the cod population
0:36:05 > 0:36:08is healthy in Cornish waters back in the summer.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13But it has taken four months for the extra quota to be released.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16If I'd been holding this fish, on this boat,
0:36:16 > 0:36:20two days ago, I'd be chucking it over the side for the crabs,
0:36:20 > 0:36:26and now, because of some distant bit of legislation and bureaucracy,
0:36:26 > 0:36:31the guys can now sell it, it's a legal fish.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36They may be catching lots of cod.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40But Louis sells into the same market as the big boats
0:36:40 > 0:36:42and the price can fluctuate dramatically.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45What do you get, per kilo, for cod?
0:36:45 > 0:36:50- They have been known to be, like, 50p in January.- Right.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Cod SHOULD sell for between £2 and £3 a kilogram.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59But if a lot is landed by bigger vessels, the price plummets.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05I suppose we are competing in the whole market place, you know,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08big boats as well as small boats.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11They operate on bigger quantities
0:37:11 > 0:37:14They're also trying to make their living that way.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17But you are competing in that market as well.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22After hauling all of their nets, they have a bin of cod
0:37:22 > 0:37:24and other saleable species.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27Instead of going to market, these prime, fresh fish
0:37:27 > 0:37:30could be on a consumer's plate within 24 hours,
0:37:30 > 0:37:31just like Chris Bean's catch.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Monty is starting to think that there must be another way
0:37:36 > 0:37:39for the thousands of small-boat skippers in the UK
0:37:39 > 0:37:41to sell THEIR fish.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46I wonder if there is a system or a way that it can be sold
0:37:46 > 0:37:51direct to the consumer, so you're cutting out the middle man
0:37:51 > 0:37:55and retaining the value of what's freshly caught produce
0:37:55 > 0:37:58from a small community like Cadgwith.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03The twin pressures of falling financial returns
0:38:03 > 0:38:07and increasingly stringent Government regulations
0:38:07 > 0:38:10are making it very hard to turn a profit as an inshore skipper.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14But these aren't just problems for UK fishermen.
0:38:22 > 0:38:27On America's East coast, small boats are having an even harder time.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30But Monty's heard that the fishermen here
0:38:30 > 0:38:33are starting to turn their industry around.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35He wants to find out
0:38:35 > 0:38:39if any lessons can be learnt abroad that could help our fleet at home.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46He's travelled to New England on America's East Coast,
0:38:46 > 0:38:50to the fishing port of Gloucester, 25 miles northeast of Boston.
0:38:54 > 0:38:59Monty's come here to see how the US fleet is coping with change.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02And to get a British fisherman's perspective,
0:39:02 > 0:39:04he's brought Nigel with him.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07Best time of the year to be here, as well, isn't it?
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Look at the colours, it's amazing.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16It's important to take Nigel on the American trip.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19One fisherman can spot another fisherman
0:39:19 > 0:39:22across the width of the Atlantic, no problem at all,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25and Nige obviously can really speak the language
0:39:25 > 0:39:28and he can understand any issues facing them.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Gloucester is one of the most iconic fishing ports in the world.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44For hundreds of years, its boats fished rich offshore grounds
0:39:44 > 0:39:46like the Grand Banks.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Fortunes were made.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53But overexploitation resulted in fish stocks crashing.
0:39:55 > 0:40:00Since the mid-1990s, the Government has come down hard on the fleet.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03Many skippers are being forced out of business.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Jack Flaherty has been a tuna and swordfish fisherman
0:40:09 > 0:40:11for more than four decades.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15He's seen a once-vibrant industry brought to its knees.
0:40:16 > 0:40:21It's just a shadow of what it was 25, 30 years ago.
0:40:21 > 0:40:26We lost 21 small fishing vessels in Gloucester last year alone.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30For every man on deck of a boat, there were five shoreside jobs -
0:40:30 > 0:40:34welders, boatwrights, boat-caulkers, fish-packers,
0:40:34 > 0:40:38fish-cutters, truck drivers, ice-house workers, it's all gone.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41It's somewhat sad to see Gloucester transformed from
0:40:41 > 0:40:44a bustling fishing port
0:40:44 > 0:40:47into, basically, a yacht basin surrounded by a ghetto.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49That's what's happening here,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51and not only is an industry being destroyed,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54but a very unique lifestyle.
0:40:54 > 0:41:01It's sad. It's sad. I'm at the end of my rope and my fishing career
0:41:01 > 0:41:06and I tell young folks that come around and, "We want to go fishing."
0:41:06 > 0:41:12No, you don't. It's a stacked deck and it's not in your favour.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14This is a very strange thing, Mont,
0:41:14 > 0:41:19because we've come 3,000 miles and it's almost come home, really,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21it's all the same, it's no different, is it?
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Yeah, yeah, very true, very true.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36The dramatic decline of America's East Coast fleet
0:41:36 > 0:41:39has prompted a fight back.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45Fishermen have developed an innovative way of maximising
0:41:45 > 0:41:48the return they get for their catch.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Monty and Nigel are heading out on a trawler that sells fish
0:41:52 > 0:41:54into the new scheme.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Just like back home, trawlermen get up early.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03They're at sea before dawn.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13Skipper Joe Rizzo is hoping to catch flounders and other flatfish,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16five miles or so offshore from Gloucester.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23This spot here, in particular, we're just trying it out for future,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26So if there's no gear here, I'll say, tomorrow,
0:42:26 > 0:42:29if there's fish here, tomorrow, I'll come right back over here.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32It's part of the joy of fishing, I suppose, isn't it?
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Trying out new areas all the time. You never really know, do you?
0:42:35 > 0:42:39You just don't know. That's fishing. That's why they call it fishing.
0:42:39 > 0:42:40That's true.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44Joe's boat, the Razzo, is a small otter trawler,
0:42:44 > 0:42:47like the Valhalla Monty worked on a few weeks ago.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52Out on deck are Joe's brother, Rob, and Al Catone.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56Al has his own small trawler, but often crews for his friend.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02Three o'clock this morning, it was pretty cold
0:43:02 > 0:43:06and the bed was warm. Do you still enjoy getting up every morning?
0:43:06 > 0:43:07I love it.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09It's the only job in the world, believe me...
0:43:09 > 0:43:12The freedom, you know, one with nature
0:43:12 > 0:43:15and all the cliches you can come up with, they're all true.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17There's no place I'd rather be.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22Al has been working these grounds for more than 20 years.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26He witnessed the dramatic decline of stocks as a result of overfishing.
0:43:27 > 0:43:33In the mid-'90s, there was a serious problem stocks-wise with cod fish
0:43:33 > 0:43:38and a few flounder species, and I was actually the one
0:43:38 > 0:43:40to welcome the hard regulations,
0:43:40 > 0:43:42because I knew something had to be done.
0:43:42 > 0:43:46A lot of the old-timers who were a lot wiser than me said,
0:43:46 > 0:43:48"If the Government steps in,
0:43:48 > 0:43:51"they will never take their foot of your throat."
0:43:51 > 0:43:53And, essentially, that's what's happened.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57The more the stocks got better, the more regulations they put on us.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01Small-boat fishermen like Al believe the stringent regulations
0:44:01 > 0:44:04favour the biggest boats in the fleet,
0:44:04 > 0:44:07and are only succeeding in driving smaller vessels, like the Razzo,
0:44:07 > 0:44:10out of business.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13It would be like a domino effect to get rid of the smaller boats.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16Basically, in every business it would be the same thing -
0:44:16 > 0:44:19once you start eliminating from the bottom up,
0:44:19 > 0:44:22eventually there's going to be four people left in the business.
0:44:22 > 0:44:23In order to prevent it,
0:44:23 > 0:44:26we have to keep every single fisherman going now going.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28We've already lost a few of the smaller guys.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30The more we lose, the more we're going to lose.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33We're trying to stop that domino effect now.
0:44:33 > 0:44:35The trouble is, once you've lost it,
0:44:35 > 0:44:39nobody will come back to it. Once the boats are gone, they're gone.
0:44:39 > 0:44:44- Exactly.- You've lost the expertise and all your comrades are gone.
0:44:44 > 0:44:50It's sad to see, but, I mean, we're trying to keep everybody going.
0:44:50 > 0:44:51That's my philosophy going into this -
0:44:51 > 0:44:55I want to see everyone fishing now to keep fishing.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58I'm not going anywhere, I'm in this for the long haul.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04After a few hours trawling, the nets are hauled onto the deck.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16Due to the concerns about overfishing,
0:45:16 > 0:45:19the Government increased the size of the net holes.
0:45:19 > 0:45:23The Razzo's now using one of the largest mesh sizes in the world.
0:45:24 > 0:45:29It's great to hear you say, Al, that you're endorsing the big-mesh size.
0:45:29 > 0:45:30I am, absolutely.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32Because that's key, isn't it, as well?
0:45:32 > 0:45:35That the fish community adopts that.
0:45:35 > 0:45:37I truly believe - and I'm not the only one -
0:45:37 > 0:45:40that the mesh size rebuilt the fishery.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43- Cos in the early '90s, the cod stock was in tough shape.- Yeah.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47And we went to bigger mesh, bigger mesh, and we went to the square bag,
0:45:47 > 0:45:49the escapability of the round fish
0:45:49 > 0:45:51made all the difference in the world.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54- Right, that's great to hear. - Live and learn.- Yeah.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58It's a good haul - lots of flatfish.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00And lots of cod.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03The best of these fish will not be sold on the market -
0:46:03 > 0:46:06they are going directly to local consumers
0:46:06 > 0:46:11as part of a Community Supported Fishery scheme, known as a CSF.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15There's no messing about here, is there?
0:46:15 > 0:46:18This is going to be gutted, landed within the hour
0:46:18 > 0:46:22- and then it'll go straight to market. - Straight to market, exactly.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25Which, in this case, is the Community Supported Fishery.
0:46:25 > 0:46:26Yes.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30This fish will be right to the consumer by either this afternoon...
0:46:30 > 0:46:33If we get in early enough, it'll be this afternoon.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36Right, and that's really one of the beauties, isn't it,
0:46:36 > 0:46:38- of the small boat, the way you operate?- Absolutely.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41In and out, no messing about, fresh fish.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Al and Joe are part of the Gloucester CSF,
0:46:44 > 0:46:47which was set up two years ago.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50The portion of their catch that they sell into the scheme
0:46:50 > 0:46:52fetches a slightly higher, guaranteed price.
0:46:52 > 0:46:56As a result, their income has increased by as much as 30% -
0:46:56 > 0:46:59just enough to see them through hard economic times.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06You kind of want someone who has one of these fish to say,
0:47:06 > 0:47:08"That didn't taste like a fish that I'm used to eating
0:47:08 > 0:47:11- "and I want another one."- Yeah.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14If you're going to get a CSF fish or fish from market,
0:47:14 > 0:47:16you're going to notice the difference.
0:47:28 > 0:47:31The Razzo arrives back in Gloucester and lands the catch.
0:47:33 > 0:47:34There are now three dozen other boats
0:47:34 > 0:47:37supplying the Community Supported Fishery,
0:47:37 > 0:47:39with a ton and a half of fish every week.
0:47:40 > 0:47:44Rather than putting the middlemen out of business,
0:47:44 > 0:47:47local fish merchants, like Ocean Crest, are part of scheme,
0:47:47 > 0:47:50and have adapted the way they buy fish for the CSF.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54Manager Lenny Parco explains how it works.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58When the orders come in, I get them on a daily basis
0:47:58 > 0:48:02and then I choose which fish we're going to use for that particular day
0:48:02 > 0:48:06based on what the boats are catching and what's the best quality.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08You know, one week it may be haddock which tend to be
0:48:08 > 0:48:11a high-priced fish, another week it could be pollack,
0:48:11 > 0:48:13which is a lesser-priced fish
0:48:13 > 0:48:16and then average, it all works out.
0:48:16 > 0:48:20Customers get whatever has come up in the nets,
0:48:20 > 0:48:23encouraging people to eat different species,
0:48:23 > 0:48:24and minimising by-catch.
0:48:24 > 0:48:28More than a thousand local people now buy fish this way,
0:48:28 > 0:48:30and more are joining every day.
0:48:32 > 0:48:37It's good for us, because it gives us a whole new customer base,
0:48:37 > 0:48:40it's good for the boats, because it allows me to give them
0:48:40 > 0:48:43a little bit more money for their fish
0:48:43 > 0:48:45and it's good for the consumer,
0:48:45 > 0:48:48because they're getting the best-quality fish possible,
0:48:48 > 0:48:50stuff that they just wouldn't have access to otherwise
0:48:50 > 0:48:52and they're getting it for a good price.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55It's a win-win for everyone, as far as I can see.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58It certainly hasn't hurt my business at all,
0:48:58 > 0:49:00it's been a benefit, if anything.
0:49:04 > 0:49:05The fish are driven to Needham -
0:49:05 > 0:49:08a middle-class suburb on the outskirts of Boston.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16Five days a week, there are drop-offs like these
0:49:16 > 0:49:20in the 20 communities around Gloucester that are part of scheme.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24Steve Tousignant is employed to co-ordinate deliveries.
0:49:26 > 0:49:27We've done a survey asking
0:49:27 > 0:49:31what was the motivation behind joining the programme.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35Primarily, the freshness and quality of the fish seemed to be...
0:49:35 > 0:49:38Basically, foodies, you know, people who really enjoy
0:49:38 > 0:49:41cooking and eating, and then there's folks that are inclined
0:49:41 > 0:49:44for the environmental and sustainable aspects
0:49:44 > 0:49:45of the programme, you know,
0:49:45 > 0:49:49to ensure that the fishermen get paid a higher price for their catch,
0:49:49 > 0:49:53they're keeping all their monies in the local economy
0:49:53 > 0:49:55and also reducing the carbon footprint
0:49:55 > 0:49:57of bringing dinner to your table.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08It's a real kind of premium product, in a way, it's fresh from the sea.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11And it's less expensive. What's not to like?
0:50:11 > 0:50:13Yeah, yeah. Well, good for you. Enjoy.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17- There you are.- Thank you. Thank- YOU.
0:50:22 > 0:50:23No money changes hands.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26Just like with a vegetable-box scheme in the UK,
0:50:26 > 0:50:28people pay in advance
0:50:28 > 0:50:32so they are actively investing in their local fishing fleet.
0:50:32 > 0:50:36I love that I can actually support the community and the fishermen.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38Everything about it is absolutely fabulous.
0:50:38 > 0:50:43We know that the fishing industry, generally, has taken a beating here
0:50:43 > 0:50:48in the Northeast and it one of the things, you don't want to lose it.
0:50:48 > 0:50:53For me, the number one motivation is to support local fisher people,
0:50:53 > 0:50:56so they can continue what they are doing and bringing us
0:50:56 > 0:50:58the best that there is to be brought to us.
0:50:58 > 0:50:59That's the lovely this, isn't it?
0:50:59 > 0:51:02You're supporting your local fishing community,
0:51:02 > 0:51:06but the way you're doing it is by eating the best fish in America.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12The idea of small boats selling direct to local consumers
0:51:12 > 0:51:15is spreading like wildfire.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17In only a few years, 26 similar schemes
0:51:17 > 0:51:20have been set up in the USA and Canada,
0:51:20 > 0:51:22and 12 more are in the pipeline.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25But could it work somewhere like Cadgwith,
0:51:25 > 0:51:27which only has a small fishing fleet?
0:51:29 > 0:51:32Further up the coast is Port Clyde.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34Ten small boats fish out of the harbour,
0:51:34 > 0:51:37as they have done for centuries.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40Only a few hundred people live here...
0:51:40 > 0:51:43but the population swells during summer months.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45This is America's Cadgwith.
0:51:45 > 0:51:49And it's where the first Community Supported Fishery began.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54- Hello, Kim.- Hey, how are you? - Nice to meet you, I'm Monty.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56- Hi, Monty, nice to meet you. - How's it going?
0:51:56 > 0:52:00- Nigel.- I'm Nigel, how are you doing? - I've looked forward to seeing you.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03Port Clyde fisherman Gary Libby and his wife Kim
0:52:03 > 0:52:07started selling directly to local customers four years ago.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11They immediately earned much more for their catch -
0:52:11 > 0:52:14from 30 cents for a pound of shrimp to almost two dollars.
0:52:14 > 0:52:18Contact with the fishermen themselves has been key
0:52:18 > 0:52:20to getting consumers onside.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24So, they get to meet me, one of the other fishermen
0:52:24 > 0:52:30and they feel as though they know that person catching that fish.
0:52:30 > 0:52:34It's not like going to a big fish market and just buying a fish.
0:52:34 > 0:52:38You're buying it from this guy that you know what he looks like,
0:52:38 > 0:52:40you know what his voice sounds like.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43They have a sense of ownership, like Gary was saying, you know,
0:52:43 > 0:52:46know your fish, know your fishermen.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48They kind of own me.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50They do.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52Yeah, yeah, various bits of you,
0:52:52 > 0:52:55you're owned entirely by shareholders!
0:52:55 > 0:52:58We will make the delivery happen for you today.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01The extra revenue and financial security
0:53:01 > 0:53:04enabled them to step up their operation.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06They now process their catch themselves,
0:53:06 > 0:53:09so earn even more return.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13While almost every other fishing community along the East Coast
0:53:13 > 0:53:15is losing ITS fish-processing infrastructure,
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Port Clyde is expanding.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25Gary runs two small fishing boats -
0:53:25 > 0:53:30a trawler going for cod and other wetfish, and a lobster boat.
0:53:30 > 0:53:31Ever since he was a boy,
0:53:31 > 0:53:34Nigel has wanted to fish for lobsters in New England.
0:53:34 > 0:53:38Gary has invited him and Monty out for a trip.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46There's a lot of bait, Gary,
0:53:46 > 0:53:50- There's a lot more going in than we use in the UK.- Yep.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53The system is slightly different to back home.
0:53:53 > 0:53:58Gary uses square cages called traps, with detachable bait bags.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01And he's catching a more docile species of lobster.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05But Nigel soon gets in the swing.
0:54:05 > 0:54:10I could settle into this pretty easy. This is lovely scenery,
0:54:10 > 0:54:16nice weather, lobsters, pots are light. It's sort of heaven, really.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19- You're a man in your element, aren't you?- Absolute heaven.
0:54:24 > 0:54:29I could shut my eyes and breathe and sniff the air.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32I could smell Lewis's bait, diesel, fishermen, fishing boats,
0:54:32 > 0:54:36and it wasn't any different. With a different accent,
0:54:36 > 0:54:38that's all it was, really, to be quite honest.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40Give me two days there and I would have fitted in
0:54:40 > 0:54:43'and had a job and wouldn't have felt out of place.'
0:54:45 > 0:54:48Can you see Razorbill out here, pottering around?
0:54:48 > 0:54:51We'd be all right here. This'd be all right here.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56- Oh, look, there's a lobster.- Wa-hey!
0:54:56 > 0:55:01Lobsters are part of the Port Clyde fresh catch scheme,
0:55:01 > 0:55:02and are sold to lucky locals
0:55:02 > 0:55:05if no wetfish, like cod, are caught that week.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08That's a nice meal. We're keeping that one.
0:55:10 > 0:55:15Since 1997 - in response to falling stocks -
0:55:15 > 0:55:19the lobstermen in this area have self-regulated their fishery.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22They took control of quotas, reduced the number of pots per fisherman,
0:55:22 > 0:55:25and introduced escape panels for undersized lobsters.
0:55:25 > 0:55:30Also, if the pot is lost at sea, the hatch is designed to fall out
0:55:30 > 0:55:32after a few months, so there's no danger of it
0:55:32 > 0:55:34continuing to ghost fish.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40This bit here is the biodegradable bit. It's steel,
0:55:40 > 0:55:44so it just breaks off, and that panel flips out.
0:55:44 > 0:55:49And the panel here, an undersized lobster gets out.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52So simple, you know?
0:55:52 > 0:55:56Like in the UK, Gary marks and returns breeding females.
0:55:56 > 0:56:01And there is a minimum size of lobster you can legally land.
0:56:01 > 0:56:06That's a 1.5lb lobster, that's easily big enough.
0:56:06 > 0:56:11There's a maximum size as well, ensuring that big, old lobsters -
0:56:11 > 0:56:13potentially the best breeders - remain in the wild.
0:56:15 > 0:56:20The oversize thing is genius - you're returning oversized animals.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24They're the breeding stock, and they meet other large animals, and breed.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27And what's the state of your lobster population?
0:56:27 > 0:56:30Well, we're setting landing records every year now.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33I think this year's going to be another record-breaker.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35We landed a lot of lobsters in the summer.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39The lobster fishery here is now
0:56:39 > 0:56:42one of the most tightly regulated in the world.
0:56:42 > 0:56:46But crucially, it is also one of the most profitable.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58Monty and Nigel have learnt how small boats can prosper,
0:56:58 > 0:57:01by focusing on by long-term sustainability
0:57:01 > 0:57:04instead of short-term profit.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06And they've seen how communities in the US
0:57:06 > 0:57:09are getting behind their local fishermen.
0:57:10 > 0:57:15Monty is inspired. But what does Nigel think?
0:57:15 > 0:57:18Well, I think the word'll get spread pretty quickly.
0:57:18 > 0:57:23OK, it'll start of gradually, and then probably snowball slowly,
0:57:23 > 0:57:26and even if they only get...
0:57:26 > 0:57:31Say, one small boat in Cadgwith only gets ten or a dozen customers,
0:57:31 > 0:57:35and they're happy with the product they're buying,
0:57:35 > 0:57:37that's what you really want. That's a good thing.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40It's also all down to if the people want the fish.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43You can't sell it to them if they don't want it.
0:57:46 > 0:57:49Direct selling could help small-boat skippers in the UK
0:57:49 > 0:57:51get more for THEIR catch.
0:57:51 > 0:57:55But is there enough demand for seafood back at home?
0:57:55 > 0:57:59And are people in Britain willing to support their local fishermen?
0:58:01 > 0:58:05Next time, Monty and Nigel set some plans in motion.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08But there's some resistance to change in the Cove.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12Getting a bunch of fishermen round here to work in a co-op
0:58:12 > 0:58:14is like getting a horse to live up a tree.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18Then, winter storms blow in, and put everything on hold.
0:58:18 > 0:58:22So, there's genuine tension for me,
0:58:22 > 0:58:24and genuine frustration.
0:58:24 > 0:58:27Yes, it isn't very good out there.
0:58:27 > 0:58:29It isn't very good out there at all.
0:58:43 > 0:58:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd