Sustainable Fish Education
- Educates and Promotes about Healthy Fish and Shellfish and Seasonal and Foraged foods.
- Works in Local Schools and at Community and Tourist events
- Runs Heritage sessions about Local Fishing.
- Links with Seafish, Wildlife Trusts, Marine Conservation Society, SOS Plastic free campaigns
Opportunity to help
- Volunteer for help in the sessions in local schools
- Come along to Cookery Demonstrations at local Events and Festivals
- Assist in Environmental and Craft Workshops
- Run Information Stalls at Community events and Share with local groups
Join us - Contact brilliantfishsw@gmail .com / 07918 779 060
This group was originally established in Cornwall in 2014 as Brilliant Fish Education. A pilot project started early 2015 with funds from a local Rotary Club and Town Council and a 75% grant for Cornwall Fisheries Local Action group funds from the EEC. The first outcome was the excellent poster showing 41 local sustainable fish and methods of fishing created by Plymouth marine artist Debby Mason. This is available to download here for schools to display and create follow up art and other work.
2020
In January we sent a delegate to the informative “Coastal Futures” Conference and received reports on Climate Change and on the work of Inland Fisheries and Conservation.
Felicity Sylvester was appointed as a General Member of the Devon and Severn Inland Fisheries and Conservation Authority
The Plymouth Schools Project was continued with a small grant from Devon Quakers and so we continued our partnership with Food Plymouth CIC and planned to work with over 100 children in Sainsbury Road Primary School with the 3 class teachers and a scientist parent as a group leader. In March we worked there with 2 sessions of “Show and Tell” and Fish Cookery in 3 groups - 2 for making simple fish dishes and 1 making Humus with the vegetarian children in each session. The parents and staff enjoyed the fish pate and sardine sandwiches. This was run in conjunction with Science Week and the science teacher showed all the children a fascinating film of scallops on the seabed.
Unfortunately the Covid Lockdown started at the end of March and so we were forced to review the work. We accepted the Blue Marine Foundation challenge to increase local fish sales and to help keep the local fishermen fishing. We decided to set up online marketing and a delivery service to sell local caught fish to local people. We immediately found a good response from many people who were isolating and many groups of customers in isolated parts of North Devon.
In May we received a Grant from the Fishmongers Company Rapid Response Grant.
By July we had over 100 Customers and they were pleased to receive Westcountry Fish freshly prepared fillets and pan ready whole flat and very healthy oily fish, fish pie mix and smoked fish including pates. We delivered under COVID rules as Key Workers two times each month through the summer.
We supplied many customers in isolated villages and many older people who have continued to be isolated – they have all been very grateful for this service. We have been able to continue our supply once a week from October - December and to run stalls in Hartland in October and December and Bude in December,
We hope to continue to supply the shielding customers and people in isolated villages with local grant support for the extra cost of deliveries -sometimes a long way from Appledore.
Report on Fishmongers Company Rapid Response Grant Work 2020
During March 2020, as the coronavirus restrictions started, the local fishing industry was very adversely impacted as their usual markets to restaurants and export were closed. Fishermen risked going out of business and needed to find a local market for their fish.
At the same time, some supermarkets closed their fish counters and peoples movement and the ability to go out shopping was restricted, especially vulnerable and at risk groups. Fresh fish suppliers became the ninth most popular Search on Google.
Sustainable Fish Education decided to set up a pilot fish delivery service in North Devon. Fresh and smoked fish was sourced from Tregida Smokehouse Ltd, located on the A 39 nr. Bude. A twice-monthly fresh and smoked fish delivery service was established.
A COVID-19 emergency grant from the Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust, with match funding from the Barnstaple Rotary Shop fund, made it possible to cover start-up costs including expenses towards a cool van for deliveries and promotion to a wider audience. The objective was to establish if Sustainable Fish Sales was a long-term viable delivery business and then hand it on to a local organisation or business that could continue to run it.
From April to September 2020 Sustainable Fish Sales delivered more than 1000 packs of fish to over 100 customers. Feedback was very positive and customers especially appreciated having a source of local fish as well as doorstep delivery.
“Fish is fresh and no need for big orders.” “Quality, locally sourced and delivered!” “Very pleased to have this service” “Tasty fish brought to the door!”
Thank you to all our customers and supporters. We are very pleased to have been able to supply fresh local fish – especially at a time when so many people were restricted in shopping or confined to their house.
2019
In 2019 for Devon we have received funding from Quaker Peace and Social Witness (QPSW) Sustainability and New economy funding and Devon Quakers Area Meeting (DAM).
We presented our Sustainable Fish Education programme at the national “Coastal Futures” conference in London.
Delivered 2 community herring events in Bideford West and East and a summer fish cookery workshop in Bideford.
We have developed a new school session at Instow primary school. This is a Talk and Tasting session using Sea and River fish with tasting for parents of smoked mackerel and trout pate and giving out simple fish cookery leaflets explaining how to cook more sustainable local fish at home. We are grateful for support from local supermarkets and suppliers, including Johns of Instow and Tesco, East the Water. Art and craft session were also run by the school and this will be available for display at the planned Torridge Maritime Fest in the Autumn.
The SFE group will be presenting their Herring Events at the North Devon Marine Pioneer workshop in May. We continue to support the objectives of Blue Marine Foundation to create a marketing strategy for Clovelly herrings and other locally caught sustainable fish and shellfish.
In 2019 for Cornwall sessions are planned for 5 Cornish schools to be delivered in Summer Term
2018
Herring Month events in November 2018
Appledore School - talk and tasting session with storytelling, chart making and tasting for parents.
Bucks Cross Atlantic Academy - Film “A Mease of Herring” from North Devon Maritime Museum with Q & A with local herring fisherman.
Clovelly Herring Festival - a SFE Information stall and Scandinavian Smorgasbord Talk and tasting.
Torrington - Herring Talk and Tasting Event at The Plough Torrington
Bucks Mills Atlantic Academy - Practical herring cookery and Science session incorporating Blue Marine/ North Devon Marine Pioneer Herring Demonstration project.
These sessions were part funded by Bideford and Bideford Bridge Rotary Clubs, Devon council local Councillor fund and Bideford Sustainability Group and some run in partnership with North Devon Marine Pioneer and Blue Marine Foundation.
In June 2018 the group changed their name to Sustainable Fish Education to emphasise our work on conservation and education. A mixed programme of events followed:
In Appledore a Herring Talk and Tasting event at the Market Street Kitchen was well attended. At Appledore Primary School we involved children and many parents in a salt cod talk and tasting / storytelling / map making and practical cookery session.
More recently, working with the Way of the Wharves education project in Bideford, we organised a salt cod talk and tasting with storytelling and map-making afternoon for over 100 children at East the Water Primary School.
A popular Salt Cod Talk and tasting event took place at The Plough, Torrington and we repeated this format with a Herring event in November
In 2017 as part of the Devonshire Association Newfoundland / Devon Story we ran a heritage salt cod cookery workshop in Bideford. At East the Water Primary School Bideford we organised a session with storytelling, boat stories, a talk and salt cod tasting session for children and their parents
We then expanded the heritage schools programme with a grant from Bideford Bridge Trust and ran a Storytelling and Talk including tastings, artwork sessions and story telling at Westcroft School, Bideford with over 85 children and many parents.
During the Autumn we organised a Herring Month with support from Bideford Sustainability Group - setting up 15 Fish Stalls with recipe advice and tastings in Appledore, Bideford, Buckland Brewer and Closely.
In 2016 we worked with schools in Liskeard, Cornwall and in Devon at Tawstock nr. Barnstaple, Bideford and Appledore. We also ran “Sharks Tales”4 day Event in Appledore, Devon during the summer with 8 sessions, including, talks, cookery demonstration and craft workshops. A competition and 2 exhibitions were set up and an entry into Appledore Carnival parade to publicise the work of the Sharks Trust. This was supported by a grant from Sea Changers Fund
In 2015 there were school visits to Looe Harbour were organized for Hillfort School, Liskeard, St Dominic and St Mellion Schools from the Tamar Valley, St Cleer School from Bodmin Moor and finally Coads Green. Each visit was followed up by a cookery session using the fish they had all seen in Pengelly's fish shop in Looe. (see Recipes and Schools pages). The schools were hosted at the historic Looe Guildhall where they can eat their lunch in comfort in the Council Chamber. We thank especially Angela Harrison from Pengelleys who coordinated the Looe Harbour visits with the Looe Harbour Master and the Looe Fish Auctioneer - a very comprehensive day with lots of information about the local fishing industry.
There has been considerable support from the head and class teachers and parents for this project. Prominent people in the South West fishing industry have acknowledged that there is an urgent need to educate children and young families about local fish and how sustainable, healthy and delicious it can be when cooked simply. The schools have found that the children and their families that have taken part are enthusiastic about eating more fish.
And in Devon the Appledore Fish Summer School group was formed and arranged 16 events throughout the summer. Starting with a Val Warner Cookery Demonstration at Petroc College in July and ending up with a Community Fun Day with Crab Dressing Competition in September. All the fish cookery workshops and demonstrations were held in St Mary's Church Hall and other venues were used for talks, films and beach walks/cleans. This ambitious and successful programme was supported by the North Devon Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) with European funds and other local council grants.
