FISHERMEN working on the historic River Fal oyster fishery in Cornwall, England, met representatives of the Slow Food movement this week as part of a fact finding mission to learn why this traditional fishery needs to be preserved.

Fiona Richmond, executive director of the recently established Slow Food UK, and Silvia Monasterolo, Slow Food’s European praesidium and Terre Madre co-ordinator, spent a day gaining a first-hand insight into how the oysters are harvested by traditional oyster sailing boats.

After spending some time on the water fishing with Tim Vinnicombe, whose family have worked these oyster beds for five generations, they were taken up the river by oyster bailiff Paul Ferris to watch the other harvesting method, using haul-tow punts, at Turnaware Bar.

Clare Leverton, who runs the Port of Truro Oyster Fishery Management Group on behalf of the fishermen, said the visit would help to raise awareness of the issues affecting the fishery and the importance of this unique product.

“A partnership with Slow Food will raise the international profile of the wonderful oysters caught using traditional sailing and rowing boats,” she said.

“The fishermen wasted no time in showing Fiona and Silvia some of the issues facing the fishery, such as the slipper limpet which is a pest affecting the oysters and needs to be eradicated.”

Fishing was followed by a visit to oyster merchants Falmouth Bay Oysters, where the visitors saw the special care taken to prepare and present this top quality delicacy for customers across England and Europe.

Fiona Richmond said: “The Fal oyster is an exceptional product in terms of its taste, quality, and environmentally sound methods of production, history and traditional links with local culture.

“This is exactly the type of product the Slow Food movement would like to protect and support, and we look forward to working with all the stakeholders to learn more and take this forward.”

The Slow Food delegates also later met representatives of Seafood Cornwall, Taste of the West, the Cornwall Slow Food convivium and South West Pesca at Kevin Viner’s restaurant, Viners at Summercourt, to discuss links between the county’s traditional foods and the development of the Slow Food movement in Cornwall.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish European Fish Trader, Fishing Monthly, Fish Farming Today, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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