It’s just reaching 5pm and the Nova Spero chugs into port in Newlyn, West Cornwall, laden with hundreds of fresh, line-caught Albacore tuna, waiting to be offloaded and sent directly to customers of M&J Seafood.
Quentin Knights, the ship's co-captain, complains about his bad back, but still manages a smile as the boat docks. "It was a busy trip this time – ship was like a bucking bronco at one point, but we’re used to this weather, and the fish love it.” The fish, rapidly chilled in slush ice after capture, are individually tagged before being bagged, boxed, iced and refrigerated prior to landing. “In our first landing for M&J Seafood, the fish sold out within hours!”
However, this British fishing success story wasn’t always plain sailing! Upon landing their first boatload of fresh tuna in Cornwall, the crew struggled to sell their catch; in some markets making little more than £1 per kilo! The increasing cost of going to sea meant these fisherman would have been mad to carry on in this way.
M&J Seafood saw the potential of this endeavour as a fantastic way of celebrating a British sustainability story, and what better fish to do it with. ”Tuna is one of the top 5 most popular fish for Britons to eat,” says James
The sustainability of fishing is something M&J Seafood takes very seriously, and upon hearing of the plight of these fisherman, realised what a fantastic opportunity it was. So they agreed a fair price for the catch throughout this season to ensure this unique British source is fished to provide quality sustainable produce.
There are two boats – the Nova Spero and the Charisma, which go to sea for 9-10 days at a time from late June to September and use 10-14 lines with lures to catch the tuna – the most selective method of fishing possible.
This method of fishing targets 3-5 year old fish, rich in Omega 3, but naturally tastier than the older variety. Also, by targeting younger fish, the fishermen better understand the population size, which prevents over fishing. Simple methods like these have sustained this fishing ground for nearly a century. As Quentin explains, “I think we’re all realising how privileged we are to be able to do this, to fish this unspoilt fishery, long may it continue”. The fishery is also in the stages of MSC pre-assessment, which will help even further.
Albacore is a less familiar species of tuna in the UK, where we are used to seeing Yellowfin which is sourced from warmer waters. Albacore is smaller, therefore benefits from yielding smaller loins, which offer a different presentation. It has a comparable meaty taste and texture to Yellowfin, but with a much lighter coloured white meat.
When you buy fresh Cornish Albacore Tuna from M&J Seafood, you won’t just get a fantastic meaty, succulent loin or whole fish, you’ll also be helping and supporting one of the most successful aspects of sustainable fishing in the UK. This is what it is all about – working together to provide a better future for our fish stocks and our fishermen. The fact that you can trace the fish back to the boat, and probably the crew-member that caught it, is something to be relished and celebrated. Enjoy!
Meet the captains
These two Cornish fishermen, along with the help of Seafood Cornwall, have established this sustainable commercial fishery.
Shaun Edwards
Skipper / Owner of the Nova Spero
Born in Newlyn, Shaun went to sea from an early age and by the time he was 21 he owned his own vessel and quickly established himself as one of Newlyn's more respected and well-known skippers. Currently tangle netting and gill netting for turbot, monk and pollack, the Nova Spero is consistently among the most successful boats in Newlyn.
John Walsh
Skipper of the Charisma
Brought up in the Cornish fishing port of Newquay, John has been fishing all his life. In his early days he crewed and skippered several vessels working off the north Cornish coast targeting shellfish as well as sea bass, turbot, monkfish and hake. For the last ten years he has skippered one of Newlyn's top netting vessels, the Charisma, primarily targeting hake and turbot.
