The Suffolk coast is popular for sea fishing, with inshore trawling fleets at Aldeburgh fishing mainly for sole and plaice, and lining for cod. Sprats are caught from October to January, whilst from April until November shrimps, lobster and crab are the main catch. Fish can still be bought direct from the fishermen's sheds on the beach.
With the catch coming in early in the morning this is the time to get really fresh fish.
Fish shop on the beach to buy direct from the fishermen
One of the best fish stalls to buy direct off the beach is by the left lookout tower when you look out to sea by Oakley square.
There is good range of fish to be had including Cod, sea bass, skate, plaice, mackerel, whole or dressed crab, dover sole and lobster.
History
In 1839 there were 192 boats in Southwold catching herrings, sprats, smelts and shrimps as well as sole and cod for the London market. Most operated from the beach. The boats were pulled ashore with ropes wound round primitive windlasses known as 'crabs' fixed in front of the boat owners' huts. The fishermen were based on the beach in black-tarred sheds, still to be found at Aldeburgh - these are mentioned in Crabbe's story of the Aldeburgh fisherman, Peter Grimes. Benjamin Britten was inspired by these poems and wrote an opera called Peter Grimes.
Suffolk fishing boats had strange names, crayers, busses, pinks and ketches. the Suffolk fishermen turned to the smaller clinker built fishing vessels not dissimilar to those used by fishermen today at Aldeburgh for their onshore fishing.
Beach Fishermen threatened with extinction
This traditional way of life, so ingrained in Aldeburgh's history and tradition, is currently being threatened by new Government fishing quota's set in the latter part of 2008.
Fishing boats under ten metres cannot make a living from the amounts they are permitted to catch. They are allowed to catch 50kg of cod a month and 250kg of Dover sole, and banned from catching skate. This means they will earn approximately £80 a month whilst incurring diesel costs of £1,500 needed to set to sea.
Some may not fish again this year because they cannot support their families.
What is ironic is the small fishing boat's effect on the depletion of fish stocks is marginal, which is why the quota system was created. The outcome is that centuries of fishing families making a living on the sea, will themselves become an endangered species. Particularly as Dutch and Belgian trawlers fish in the same area of sea, and take as much as they want. It makes a mockery of the government policy and does not support the traditional ways of local people.
Currently cod can be bought from the beach in Aldeburgh. If fish is bought not supplied by the local fishing fleet, it will have probably been bought in London's Billingsgate market. The road miles for the fish's drive from the docks to Billingsgate plus the round trip from Aldeburgh to the market and back, are in the hundreds of miles.
At a time when jobs are being lost because of the UK economy, why not allow the local people to have their fishing livelihood that is calculated to be sustainable for the fish stocks and at the same time, reduce the carbon footprint?
Stay at Pelican Cottage
a delightfully modernised Victorian fisherman's cottage with four star accommodation right in the heart of Aldeburgh high street with the beach close by.
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holiday cottage facilities
