Fishing in Cornwall

Mousehole Harbour
Boscastle Harbour
Port Isaac, a historic fishing village on the north coast of Cornwall
Polperro, on the south coast of Cornwall, has been an active fishing and smuggling port since the 12th century

Fishing in Cornwall, England, UK, has traditionally been one of the main elements of the economy of the county. Pilchard fishing and processing was a thriving industry in Cornwall from around 1750 to around 1880, after which it went into an almost terminal decline. During the 20th century the varieties of fish taken became much more diverse and crustaceans such as crab and lobster are now significant. Much of the catch is exported to France due to the higher prices obtainable there. Though fishing has been significantly damaged by overfishing, the Southwest Handline Fishermen's Association has started to revive the fishing industry.[1] As of 2007, stocks were improving (cf. River Cottage: Gone Fishing 22/11/08).[citation needed] The Cornwall Sea Fisheries Committee is one of 12 committees responsible for managing the corresponding Sea Fisheries District. The Isles of Scilly Sea Fisheries Committee is responsible for the Scilly district.[2][3][4]

The industry has featured in numerous works of art, particularly by Stanhope Forbes and other Newlyn School artists.

  1. ^ "Line-caught wild bass from Cornwall". South West Handline Fishermen's Association. Archived from the original on 5 May 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2010.
  2. ^ "Kent & Essex Sea Fisheries Committee". Kent & Essex Sea Fisheries Committee. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  3. ^ "FIS - Suppliers - Company Details". Fish Info & Services Co. Ltd. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  4. ^ Breen, Patricia; Vanstaen, Koen; Clark, Robert W. E. (1 January 2015). "Mapping Inshore Fishing Activity Using Aerial, Land, and Vessel-Based Sighting Information". ICES Journal of Marine Science. 72 (2): 467–479. doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsu115.