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OPEN COUNTRY
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SatÌý 6.10 - 6.35am
Thurs 1.30 - 2.00pm (rpt) |
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Local people making their corner of rural Britain unique |
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This week |
SaturdayÌý26 April
Repeated ThursdayÌý1 May |
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Long before 1066, the town of Hastings had a flourishing fishing industry. In those days there was a well sheltered harbour but storms during medieval times meant that the harbour was cut off by a shingle spit. Undeterred the fishermen hauled their boats up onto beach known as ‘the stade’ or landing place which they still do to this day. Indeed Hastings has the largest beach launched and landed fleet in the country – some say in the whole of Europe.
Now the fishermen want to show their continued commitment to sustainable fishing by pursuing an eco-label hat trick. They’re hoping that in the next few weeks The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for well managed fisheries, which already covers the Hastings Fishing Fleet Pelagic Fishery, for mackerel and herring, and The Hastings Fishing Fleet Dover Sole Fishery, using trammel nets, will also apply to the Dover Sole caught by Otter trawl, Gillnet and remaining Static Gear Fleet.
Local businesses are standing behind the fishermen. Rock-a-Nore Fisheries is the first fishmongers in Hastings to sell MSC fish and ±Ê¾±²õ²õ²¹°ù´Ç’s the first restaurant. Judges Bakery owned by Jo Fairley and Craig Sams, the creators of Green & Black’s organic chocolate, has developed their own version of a fish ‘sausage roll’. The mackerel rolls are called ‘Mack-a-Rolls’ and those with kipper are called 'Rock-a-Nore Rolls', a reference to the beach-side street where fish has been sold for centuries. The showcase for the MSC fish along with other local food is The Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival held annually on the third weekend in September.
Yet despite their not insignificant contribution to making Hastings into a gastronomic and cultural hub, the green credentials of the Hastings Fishing Fleets cannot save the livelihoods of the fishermen which are now severely threatened by what they see as punitive fish quotas. Paul Joy can trace his family’s fishing tradition back to the 1200s, yet because of the limits being placed on him, he fears that he now might be the last in his line to go to sea.
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If you know a special place in the U.K. countryside rich in natural history, history and landscape features then pleaseÌýdoÌýÌýcontact us |
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