Meet the fishermen: The Pascoe's, Cornish hake

The Pascoe’s - grandfather Denys, father Andrew, and son Tom, are three generations of fishermen, from Newlyn, Cornwall.

Andrew and Tom both started fishing with their fathers when they left school. For Andrew, that was nearly 35 years ago.

Tom, in his 20s, has only just started his fishing career. Although he’s been fishing as a hobby since the age of six, he will have to study to reach the next level of his licence.

Denys, now in his 70s, fished for hake for many years. Though, now, he does day trip fishing instead.

Sustainability

For the three fishermen, fishing sustainably is vital to their livelihoods and ensures that the next generation of Pascoe’s can continue the family tradition. Andrew owns Cornish hake vessel the Ajax PZ36, which is part of the MSC certified Cornish hake fishery. As an MSC certified fishery, his vessel and the other boats in the fleet have to make sure enough hake are left in the seas for the population to be healthy. They also ensure the surrounding marine habitats are not unnecessarily damaged and that the fishery is well-managed.

This helps to ensure fish on your plate and fish in the sea, forever.