End of Plymouth Fish Market 'disastrous for Looe'

The sudden closure of the Plymouth Fish Auction last month has rocked Looe's fishing industry.

When the fish market in Looe closed in 2019, fishing crews in the town began to rely on the company Plymouth Trawler Agents to take their catches.

To help out the fishermen, Looe Harbour Commissioners are temporarily transporting the day-catch twice a day to Brixham in Devon for its fish auction.

However, Cornwall crews said it was not the commissioners' job to do such work, while other members of the industry have warned that prices could rise as a result.

Mike "Moogie" Pengelly has been fishing off Looe after leaving school in 1967 and owns the small stern trawler the Ganesha with his two sons.

He said things could be "disastrous" after the closure of the Plymouth market "put us in a bit of a pickle".

He said: "We're relying on Brixham now. That's it.

"We used to land on Looe Market, but that collapsed and we went to Plymouth, which was successful.

"Now that's wrapped up and we're in a bit of a mess at the moment."

He said the issue was transport and, although the harbour commissioners had been very good at helping sell catches, he said that was not their job.

"Whether we buy our own transport... we don't know what to do at the moment," he said.

Dave Bond, chairman of the Looe Harbour Commissioners, said: "To get the fisherman out of trouble, we are providing the transport to Brixham Market.

"Fishing has always been the mainstay of Looe. We feel it right to try and help the situation.

"We are in that position at the moment, but, hopefully, it's only an interim arrangement and a transport company or something will develop."

Sam Chapman, of Pengelly's Fishmongers in Looe, had relied on the Plymouth auction house to supply his fish.

When Plymouth Trawler Agents ceased running the fish market on 17 May, he started going to Newlyn to collect fish for sale.

The average time it takes a lorry to get to Newlyn, unload and return is about five hours.

Mr Chapman said he was now considering buying another lorry and employing another member of staff to collect the day-caught fish from Brixham Harbour.

With increasing costs, this could lead to increasing prices of fish, he said.

"Fish is already at an all-time high, and people are being put off by the price.

"This can only go one way, and it's not going to make it cheaper," said Mr Chapman.