In the 1700's the fishing industry in Cornwall centred around the pilchard. A fleet of seining boats would en=
circle
a shoal of fish under the constant guidance of a cliff=
top
'huer'. The fish would then be cleaned, salted,
pressed and stored in the salt cellars - a job carried out in the main by t=
he
women and the children. The modern fishing industry hinges on deep sea traw=
ling
for a wide range of different species including Cod, Pollack, Sole, Hake,
Plaice and Tuna. Today the Newlyn fishing fleet
ventures ever further afield struggling to surv=
ive in
the face of dwindling fish stocks, restrictive quotas and foreign competiti=
on.
In the meantime, mackerel boats and smaller fishing vessels operate from al=
most
every Cornish port and cove with Crab and Lobster fishermen working a long
season to provide top quality shellfish for hotels and restaurants countryw=
ide
=