The South West Handline Fishermen’s Association represents over 100 handline fishermen in the south west of England. They are passionate about the fish they catch, how they catch it and have developed a tagging scheme to provide hook to plate traceability.
The fishery
South West Handline Fishermen’s Association (SWHFA) was formed to obtain and manage quota as a non-sector organisation.
The members’ fleet fish for mackerel, pollack, bass and squid.
Since 2023 members also obtain licences for Bluefin Tuna and train each other in quality management of this prime catch.
The Issue
During the 2010’s special conservation measures meant less bass was caught. The good news is that the bass population is now resurging.
As the popularity of sea bass rose, the concerns about the sustainability of wild-caught bass and the environmental impact of farmed bass did too.
Hook and line fishermen responded to this and have been improving the quality of their catches and provide evidence of provenance to get a top price for their fish.
Fisheries have been changing around the SW of England. Bluefin Tuna has arrived and replaced some of the diminishing species
The Solution
Using hook and line means the fishing is very selective both in species and size of catch.
SWHFA have introduced an individual tagging system for each fish caught using a hook and line for Sea Bass and for Bluefin Tuna.
You can visit their website and enter the TAG number and ask ‘who caught my fish?’
The Process
For Bluefin Tuna, each fish that is caught by a SWHFA member is numbered.
For bass, numbered tags are inserted into bass mouth by the fishermen (and remain in the fish until taken out by the end user).
SWHFA train their members on high quality, ‘ikejime’ care of the catch and temperature control.
The tagged Bass are stored in a slush-ice mix in insulated tubs to keep the catch fresh.
The tagged Bluefin Tuna are cleaned and iced in individual insulated bags and the catch is phoned in to MMO researchers.
Once the fish reach market they are re-iced to ensure continued quality.
SWHFA website can be used by anyone in the supply chain from wholesaler to restauranteurs to see who caught their fish.
The SWHFA advocate that when you buy line-caught you can be assured the fish has been caught using sustainable and traditional method with a minimal environmental impact with hook and line.
The tags can be recycled to help save costs. You can return them to: Seafood Cornwall Training, Admiralty Boathouse, 23 The Strand, Newlyn, Cornwall TR18 5HL.
"Once again the SWHFA and their members are setting the bench mark for fish handling techniques aimed at ensuring top quality fish are reaching the consumer in the very best condition possible."
