The Fishery

The Cornish sardine Fishery

Sardines are caught around the Cornish Coast but primarily in Mounts Bay and Mevagissey Bay with a fleet of 15 vessels operating from the busy fishing ports of Newlyn, Mevagissey and Plymouth.

Ring net vessels in Newlyn Harbour

Sardines are predominately caught using ring nets. This method of fishing is very low impact as the vessels will search for the Sardines using sophisticated sonar, when a shoal is spotted the net will be deployed with the aim of encircling the fish. The fish will then be brought on board and stored in dedicated tanks filled with ice water to keep the fish in the highest quality. Fishing operations can take as little as an hour and at times the vessels may be fishing just minutes from the harbour mouth.

Diagram of a ring net in operation

Ring net full of Sardines

Sardines being ‘brailed’ aboard a Mevagissey Ring netter

Fresh Sardines on ice!

All skippers, owners and processors operate according to the CSMA Code of Conduct.