A new campaign encouraging Plymouth residents to rediscover locally landed fish launched on 12th March with the premiere of a short documentary film and one-night portrait exhibition celebrating the city’s working fishing fleet.

Titled ‘A Taste of the Salt’, the campaign by the Plymouth Fishing & Seafood Association (PFSA) debuted at The Box bringing together film, photography and key industry voices to highlight the people behind the boats that are still landing fresh fish in Plymouth every day. 

The launch event brought together fishermen, local businesses, policymakers and members of the community to watch the film and take part in a panel discussion exploring how more people can be encouraged to eat locally landed seafood. 

Panellists included Edward Baker (CEO of the PFSA), Caroline Bennett (Plymouth merchant and founder of Sole of Discretion), chef Matt Corner and Plymouth fisherman Steve Walker.

The short film, which features first-hand accounts from Plymouth fishermen about the realities of working in the industry today, is now available for the public to watch online at pfsa.uk/a-taste-of-the-salt.

Recent research conducted by PFSA and design partner Meor Studio suggests that many Plymouth residents remain unaware of how to access locally landed fish. The study found that 61% of residents do not know where to buy locally caught fish, while 68% mistakenly believe the Fish Quay has closed entirely.

Despite this, Plymouth remains one of England’s leading fishing ports, ranking fourth nationally by landings last year.

Edward Baker, CEO of the PFSA, said the campaign aims to rebuild the connection between the city and the fleet that has shaped its identity for centuries.

“Plymouth wouldn’t be Plymouth without its fishing fleet. The boats are still going out every day and landing great fish, but many people don’t realise how much is happening on their doorstep.

‘A Taste of the Salt’ is about celebrating the people behind the industry and helping residents reconnect with the fishermen who are still working here today.”

Opening the evening, Councillor Tudor Evans OBE, Leader of Plymouth City Council, reflected on the role of fishermen in the city, describing them as ‘too often talked about, but too rarely talked to’.

A central theme of the evening was how Plymouth can better reconnect its residents to the seafood landing daily in Britain’s Ocean City. 

Discussion during the panel highlighted several practical ideas for strengthening connections between consumers and the local fishing fleets. 

Panel highlights included:

• Caroline Bennett of Sole of Discretion emphasised the importance of clearer branding and provenance information, suggesting that fish could follow the same example of the meat sector in making it easier for consumers to see exactly where their seafood comes from. She also noted that presenting more fish as fillets could help shoppers move beyond the small number of species they typically recognise. 
• Plymouth fisherman, Steve Walker, encouraged consumers to be more adventurous when buying seafood, explaining that unfamiliar species can often be just as, if not more, delicious than more commonly recognised fish. 
• Chef Matt Corner highlighted the role of education in helping people feel more confident cooking seafood, suggesting that initiatives such as school programmes and hands-on learning like the ‘fish finger project’ could help younger generations engage more closely with the industry. 
• Panellists also noted that rising fuel costs and other pressures mean smaller inshore boats could play an increasingly important role in the future of the industry, making consumer support for locally landed fish more important than ever. 
• During questions from the audience, Sam Colton of Brunning Host Ltd, which operates The Bridge at Mount Batten and Turtley Corn Mill, highlighted how restaurants can help support the fleet as part of this wider industry collaboration. She explained that their restaurant champions local fish by naming the names of the vessels that caught it on the menus and featuring a ‘forgotten fish’ dish on their menu to help diners discover different fish. Panellists agreed that initiatives like this show how collaboration between fishermen, merchants, chefs, and retailers can help reconnect consumers with the seafood being landed on their doorstep. 

Councillor Tudor Evans OBE, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said initiatives like the campaign help highlight the role fishing continues to play in the city’s identity.

“Fishing is central to Plymouth’s story. Our fleet remains an important part of the city’s economy and culture, and many residents want to support it. Campaigns like this help people understand where their local fish comes from and how they can support those working in the industry.”

As part of the campaign, organisers are encouraging residents to rediscover locally landed seafood by visiting Fish Quay merchants such as Sole of Discretion, RG Seafoods and Rex Down, as well as Market Plaice in central Plymouth.

PFSA is also developing a Virtual Fishmonger service to help make Plymouth-caught fish easier for local consumers to find and buy. Residents can now sign up for updates about the forthcoming Virtual Fish Market at www.seafoodplymouth.co.uk.

Organisers say that choosing locally caught fish, sharing the campaign online and learning more about Plymouth’s fishing community are simple ways residents can help support the city’s fleet.

The ‘A Taste of the Salt’ film is now available to watch online at pfsa.uk/a-taste-of-the-salt. For further updates, follow @plymouth_pfsa on Instagram or @plymouthpfsa on Facebook.