FISHING in Looe is a family affair. Everyone knows everyone else. Sean Barratt and Darren Andrews, who met me at the site of the old Looe fish market which closed in 2019, even became next door neighbours when Sean moved from Plymouth fish market.

Sean, head buyer at TSTS (The Sea The Sea), a wholesale supplier of fish to restaurants around the country, was taken on by Plymouth Trawler Agents to help ‘turn the market around’. Within months he’d moved to Looe, frustrated at the lack of scope to implement his ideas, and the Plymouth fish market of 29 years ceased trading.

Catching up with Sean and Darren you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s business as usual, but it’s been difficult for Looe fishing since the Plymouth market closed.

Boat owner Darren starts off outlining the main problem with landing fish in Looe — its tidal harbour and therefore limited access. Some days, he explains, the boats can only get in for two hours to unload — at most four to five adding another layer of complexity to the transporting of fish out of Looe which has been the case since the closure of Plymouth.

The small fishing fleet of 12 boats is being serviced by transport taking the fish to Brixham, a journey of more than 100 miles per round trip, to be graded and sold on, and often, brought right back to Looe. The emergency transport paid for initially by the Harbour Commissioner’s office, has now ended, and the fleet is reliant on contracted transport until they can set up their own - meaning pick-up times that suit the company rather than the fishermen.

The next plan is seeking funding from the reopened national Fisheries and Seafood Scheme to buy their own insulated or refrigerated truck but it’s a solution, they tell me, that isn’t sustainable long-term.

The day-fresh fish that Looe is famous for, is often now 48 hours old before it goes anywhere, and even older at weekends. It’s a situation that is unacceptable for the men for whom fishing is in their blood.

Sean said: “Looe just does day-fresh fish and we are trying to keep that name associated with Looe. If it continues with the overland transport it will be next day grading, then the buyers won’t be able to buy day-fresh fish and trade on that name.

“The problem we’ve got at the moment is the timing of getting the fish there. Monday historically is the busier, more expensive day for the market. If the fish get there on a Sunday night and the staff are too busy, Looe’s fish will be put back a day.

“Now that’s a two-fold problem, where Tuesday the price will drop. If the fish has been delayed by a day and buyers buy their fish, say on the Tuesday from Saturday fishing, it’s not going to be as good quality as it would be if it went to Plymouth the next day, therefore buyers won’t target the Looe boats anymore.

“Unless Plymouth can get something up and running again and the fish can be picked up at night and sold the next day, it’s going to be a continuous problem. The fish will still be sold and the fishermen will still make money but it’s not going to be at that premium that Looe deserves.”

Darren agrees: “It would be sustainable over the long term to get fish to Brixham on the same day, but if they’ve had an influx of landings, then ours will naturally be put back.

“We can’t fault Brixham; they’ve been extremely good to us but there’s only so much they can handle at any one time.”

Pengellys is the main fishing family in the town, and Sam, the fishmonger at the outlet of the same name.

He said: “All the local fishing ports, not just Looe, have been left in the lurch here as it’s so remote. Looe needs an economical way for fishermen to sell their catch.

“The transport to take the catch from Looe to Brixham is anything from 20p to 40p per kilo, and if you’re looking at A-grade fish, you can see a couple of pound per kilo drop in that. The difference from A grade to E grade is £1.50 to £2 difference.”

For all the men the only option is reopening the Plymouth fish market.

Plymouth Fishing and Seafood Association (PFSA) has put out a call for interested parties who want to see Plymouth open again to come forward. They have had interest from Looe, ports in Devon and Cornwall and even the Channel Islands.

Chief executive Edward Baker explains the plan: “Fishermen and merchants are being asked to become part of a co-operative so the industry is investing in itself. Merchants are desperate for it, it really is their livelihood. Our aim is to support the fishermen and merchants who need a fish market here.

“Plymouth has a reputation for top quality day-boat fish and we will modernise the way the market is run to ensure access to this fish can continue and promote it across the UK.”

The mood is upbeat in Plymouth that a solution will be found, much to the amusement of Sean who was betting, with its prime location, the market would be turned into apartments like a mini Royal William Yard.

He said: “They seem pretty keen, with Plymouth City Council, to try and get something back up again, but the trouble is, with this industry, time is of the essence because the longer they delay it, the more buyers are just settled in doing what they’re doing and probably, possibly would not bother with Plymouth. So, it’s pretty urgent.”

Tourist David Neal visits the Looe area regularly and explains his son is a top chef in a large hotel in the Cotswolds. He tries to source direct from Looe, and relies on the reputation of day-fresh fish.

David said: “He’s been down here enough times and seen them landing it; the quality of it and the consistency of it. It’s a lovely message around provenance and local products. To be able to talk about fish and where it’s from - directly from Looe - that’s a great bonus.”

Local restauranteur Fred Alsop, from the aptly named The Fish Market restaurant, is perplexed and hoping for a quick resolution. The restaurant of four years relies on fresh Looe fish for its daily lunchtime menu.

He wants to champion fish with low food miles but that’s just not possible.

He said: “We used to be food miles of metres; now, it’s hundreds of miles for the same fish. It’s a reckless damage to our environment with so many miles.”

The true and only sustainable solution, he says, is for the fish not to move from where it’s landed until it’s sold.

“It would be ideal for Looe to have its own auction and to take the technology they have in Brixham so that fish effectively doesn’t move until it’s sold. Even with refrigerated transport, there’s no benefit in the fish going backwards and forwards.”

“As soon as the fish is out of the water”, he explains, “the clock is ticking”.

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