Newlyn Pier & Harbour Commissioners (NP&HC) were delighted to welcome Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall to Newlyn Harbour on Monday 18th July.

Upon arrival at the harbourside, Their Royal Highnesses were greeted by Lord Lieutenant, Edward Bolitho, who presented Chairman of Newlyn Pier & Harbour Commissioners, Rob Clifford-Wing.

Their Royal Highnesses then met newly appointed Harbour Master, Jonathan Poynter, Deputy Harbour Master, Jedna Robertson Hall and other members of the Harbour team, together with Newlyn Pier & Harbour Commissioners, Godfrey Adams, Sam Winters, Gus Lewis, Peter Channon and Abbie Smith. Thalia Marrington, who is both a Penzance Town Councillor and Cornwall Councillor, was also presented to the Royal couple.

Their Royal Highnesses then proceeded along the quayside that runs adjacent to Newlyn Harbour Fish Market. There, they were introduced to Dr Carly Daniels from the National Lobster Hatchery, a marine conservation charity and Ian Falconer from Fishy Filaments, a company that is repurposing discarded fishing nets into useful products for industry.

Their Royal Highnesses then entered the Fish Market to view a display of locally caught fish, where they met Market Supervisor, Lionel Washer and local fishermen, Tom Lambourn and Andrew Pascoe. The largest fish on display was a turbot, weighing in at 5kg, the market value of which was £125.

An impromptu walkabout took His Royal Highness along the pontoons where he met local shellfishermen, Nathan Thomas and Ifan Williams aboard The Three Jays, the vessel that was integral to the discovery that scallops are attracted to disco lights.

John Ashworth, who runs The Three Jays, later explained that he took part in the research undertaken by Fishtek Marine, the Devon-based fishing consultancy, who made this discovery. “In one year, we haul in 35,000 to 40,000 pots full of crab and lobster, and would expect to see four or five scallops,” John explained. “In one string of 50 pots, containing one string of white lights, we saw a 1500% increase.”

Most scallops are caught by dredging, which can significantly damage marine habitats when undertaken on a large scale so this discovery has the potential to protect the seabed and augment existing inshore shellfish fisheries.

“It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Their Royal Highnesses to Newlyn Harbour and to share its importance as a strategic port to Cornwall’s fishing industry and local community,” explained Chairman of Newlyn Pier & Harbour Commissioners, Rob Clifford-Wing. “We discussed sustainable fishing practices and the need to preserve our ancient fisheries as well as the fisherman’s craft by providing resources to support them and training facilities for the next generation. I also shared the ambition of Newlyn Harbour Commissioners to secure a transformative level of investment to regenerate the harbour estate, which would not only benefit our hardworking fisherfolk but prepare Newlyn for the 22nd century and beyond.”

Photography Credit: Larry Hartwell