A very early start for the Adventure Group

Ten adventurers set off on an early, silver, misty morning for Brixham to enjoy a tour of the fish market – England’s biggest! We were made welcome by our guides, Adam and Neil. We saw the informative filmstrip with poetic commentary (available on their website) and watched the fish auction live projected on the wall above the stairs. The auction is no longer attended in person; it takes place electronically. All the information buyers need for each lot is displayed on the auction screen. Details of the type of fish, weight, condition, how caught, the fishing boat and more.

We dressed in white overalls, plastic shoe covers and blue hairnets to see the wet fish area. It was cold, wet and noisy. The impression was of a highly organised, labour-intensive process. Forklift trucks, both manual and motorised criss-crossed the floor, fish being hauled in great white plastic crates for loading and onward travel. The fish are sorted into species, cleaned and packed in ice by crew before being taken into the fish market. Here, an incredibly complex conveyor system grades them into ten different boxes by weight and generates a printed label giving all the details required for auction. The machine is fed through the night by a team of two workers who take care to load the fish the right way round and the right way up!

We saw over forty species of fish, shellfish and molluscs. Such is the richness and variety of marine life in our English Channel! We were able to roam the floor, to pick up and examine the fish and ask our guides wide-ranging questions which were answered fully and with good humour. Cuttlefish were the grand finale of the tour. They are kept in a separate are of the warehouse as they are messy; their blue-black ink stains the hands and clothing. Great plastic skips of this slippery mollusc bathing in its own juice are destined for export. The domestic market prefers the similar, but cleaner, flesh of the squid – at five times the price!

Many thanks to Deborah for arranging this exciting and informative tour.

Mary Parsons

Photo credit: Deborah Wallis