Something Fishy _ British ports landings in the 50s

[LBRJ]

When looking for something to back up what  I had mentioned about fishing and the amounts landed at British ports, I found this map.

 

One can see why trains from the East Coast ports were so common

 

http://the-environment.org.uk/bristish_isles/images/img1C.gif

 

The fact that Grimsby landed as much fish in a week as Brixham did in a year was slightly shocking, and I knew it was in the order of magnitude

Just not quite that far!

Edited April 12, 2018 by LBRJ

[Wickham Green]

When looking for something to back up what  I had mentioned about fishing and the amounts landed at British ports, I found this map.

 

One can see why trains from the East Coast ports were so common

 

http://the-environment.org.uk/bristish_isles/images/img1C.gif

 

The fact that Grimsby landed as much fish in a week as Brixham did in a year was slightly shocking, and I knew it was in the order of magnitude

Just not quite that far!

There's certainly something fishy about the precise detail of every tiny fishing harbour on the east coast yet the west coast lists only a handful - which assume include several smaller sources ..... most notable is the absence of Mallaig as a separate listing !

[Rivercider]

When looking for something to back up what  I had mentioned about fishing and the amounts landed at British ports, I found this map.

 

One can see why trains from the East Coast ports were so common

 

http://the-environment.org.uk/bristish_isles/images/img1C.gif

 

The fact that Grimsby landed as much fish in a week as Brixham did in a year was slightly shocking, and I knew it was in the order of magnitude

Just not quite that far!

The Brixham fishing fleet was slow to modernise, being far from the nearest coalfield, I think the fleet was still mostly under sail until WW2.

Early in WW2 part of the Belgian fishing fleet sought refuge in Brixham bringing their modern motor vessels which meant motor vessels were adopted by the Brixham fleet after the war.

Now I think that Brixham is the most important fishing port (by value) in England,

 

cheers

Edited April 12, 2018 by Rivercider

[Andy Hayter]

There's certainly something fishy about the precise detail of every tiny fishing harbour on the east coast yet the west coast lists only a handful - which assume include several smaller sources ..... most notable is the absence of Mallaig as a separate listing !

 

Mallaig does not appear on the official listings for 1950

 

http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/1061/0058734.pdf

 

This raises the question of whether it was somehow overlooked (unlikely) or whether its boats were registered and/or included with another west coast port.  Whatever the reason it seems separate statistics were not available/provided.

[The Johnster]

As well as the North Sea location of what were still then the prime fishing grounds, which favoured the East Coast ports, one must take into account the major tonnages of differing types of fish, which again favoured the East Coast; vast amounts of plaice and other flatties, herring and cod were supplied by the smaller drift net boats from them.  The West side of Great Britain was more suitable (though by no means exclusively) for the mackeral, pilchard, crab, and lobster trades, and the deeper, rougher, waters favoured small day fishing inshore boats and a few big trawlers that could go further out; these went for Newfoundland Grand Banks cod, but in nothing like the North Sea quantity.

 

The development of fast fully fitted fish trains encouraged the trade supplying London and the big Midlands conurbations.  The whole thing is vastly changed nowadays, with the North Sea and Grand Banks fished out years ago.  Fish was cheaper in real terms, because it was more plentiful, and more acceptable to the mass market; nowadays it is morphing into a luxury item, and Sea Bass, which would have been chucked back in the day, is highly sought after.  The result is that the East Coast ports no longer have the same advantages over the Western ones that they once had.

[Wickham Green]

Mallaig does not appear on the official listings for 1950

 

http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/1061/0058734.pdf

 

This raises the question of whether it was somehow overlooked (unlikely) or whether its boats were registered and/or included with another west coast port.  Whatever the reason it seems separate statistics were not available/provided.

Fair point ! - and Mallaig doesn't have its own registration letter(s) to this day : http://jg.ten27.org/jg49.htm

[lmsforever]

I worked in the wholesale fish industry for fifteen years and every morning we received a delivery from Grimsby (6 day a week) this is where our white fish came from. But the firm I worked for started to have contracts with individual trawlers mainly at Brixham and we would sell their fish as caught by them and the customer knew which boat supplied the product.Fishing is still a major industry and with fish arriving via Billingsgate British customers have never had such a wide variety of fish to eat ,shame it comes on a lorry but that's progress.

[Fat Controller]

I wonder if Mallaig is covered by the 'Loch Carron with Skye' landings? There other ports missing- Whitstable has a number of boats working out of it, for example.

[The Johnster]

But the likes of Whitstable, or Hastings, do not contribute major tonnages; they are small, beach launched boats that can only put out in favourable weather conditions as they cannot be launched or landed in heavy surf.  They do not carry the gear required for deep sea trawling, and work fairly close to shore, landing whatever is seasonal.  Cod, before it was fished out, was a winter fish in British waters, and tended to be brought in by larger, sea-going boats that could work in rough conditions; the North Sea, especially Dogger Bank, can kick up some very unpleasant waves. 

[Andy Hayter]

I think the key point is boat registration.  There are lots of minor East Coast landing points, but they tend to be aggregated to the local major port.  So for example, Redcar boats are registered with Hartlepool.  That sort of situation probably applies all around the cost.

[Andy Hayter]

Just to add, neither Whitstable nor Hastings seem to have individual registration.  So even had their catches been substantial, they would be recorded at wherever the boats are registered.

 

Ramsgate or Faversham perhaps for Whitstable, and Folkestone or Portsmouth for Hastings.  You would need to look at the boat registration number which is always painted prominently on the boats.  The letters give the clue to registration.

 

http://www.navalmarinearchive.com/research/fishing_ports.html

 

Edit to add:  Note the comments opposite "OB" Oban wrt Mallaig.

Edited April 13, 2018 by Andy Hayter

[DavidBird]

 ..... most notable is the absence of Mallaig as a separate listing !

 

 

Mallaig does not appear on the official listings for 1950

 

http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/1061/0058734.pdf

 

... whether its boats were registered and/or included with another west coast port.

 

 

Fair point ! - and Mallaig doesn't have its own registration letter(s) to this day : http://jg.ten27.org/jg49.htm

 

 

 

 

...

 

http://www.navalmarinearchive.com/research/fishing_ports.html

 

Edit to add:  Note the comments opposite "OB" Oban wrt Mallaig.

 

Indeed.  All Mallaig boats were, and are to this day, registered as OB, for Oban.  That included my late father-in-law's boat.  All landings are recorded against the boat's registration number.

Edited April 13, 2018 by DavidBird

[Ben Alder]

I wonder if Mallaig is covered by the 'Loch Carron with Skye' landings? There other ports missing- Whitstable has a number of boats working out of it, for example.

 

I think it would be in the Fort William figures, and the NW ports - Lochinver, Kinlochbervie, Kyle of Lochalsh - in the Loch Broom and Lochcarron ones. There are several landing points omitted from this area, and I suspect the grouping is from a civil service point rather than a physical figure of every individual harbour. It does show the preponderance of landings on the East coast, although the balance changed annually, as the fish moved around.

[Phil Bullock]

As well as the North Sea location of what were still then the prime fishing grounds, which favoured the East Coast ports, one must take into account the major tonnages of differing types of fish, which again favoured the East Coast; vast amounts of plaice and other flatties, herring and cod were supplied by the smaller drift net boats from them.  The West side of Great Britain was more suitable (though by no means exclusively) for the mackeral, pilchard, crab, and lobster trades, and the deeper, rougher, waters favoured small day fishing inshore boats and a few big trawlers that could go further out; these went for Newfoundland Grand Banks cod, but in nothing like the North Sea quantity.

 

The development of fast fully fitted fish trains encouraged the trade supplying London and the big Midlands conurbations.  The whole thing is vastly changed nowadays, with the North Sea and Grand Banks fished out years ago.  Fish was cheaper in real terms, because it was more plentiful, and more acceptable to the mass market; nowadays it is morphing into a luxury item, and Sea Bass, which would have been chucked back in the day, is highly sought after.  The result is that the East Coast ports no longer have the same advantages over the Western ones that they once had.

 

Most bass you see on the table these days never sees a fishing boat! Farmed am afraid. Plenty of cages in the Med...Hope its more environmentally sustainable than our salmon farming industry.

 

Phil

[The Johnster]

Most, but not all, Phil; I bought one off a boat at Mevagissey only a few years ago.  Have to say I find it overrated; bit of a King's New Clothes thing going on perhaps.  Give me a really fresh mackeral any day!

Edited April 15, 2018 by The Johnster

[Wickham Green]

Most bass you see on the table these days never sees a fishing boat! Farmed am afraid. Plenty of cages in the Med...Hope its more environmentally sustainable than our salmon farming industry.

 

Phil

I thought Bass came out of beer barrel ................................................................

[lmsforever]

Fish species from the far east are becoming more popular but you cant beat a kipper from Northumberland the taste is wonderful and with vinegar black pepper and butter ooer I am feeling very hungry trouble is my other half cant stand them so I have to wait for her to be out for a day to have them.

[Andy Kirkham]

Of all the fishes in the sea,

I dearly love the bass.

It climbs up all the seaweed trees,

And slides down on its hands and knees.