03/03/2026
🌊 A Thought Worth Reading – And Worth Thinking About 🐟
Before I start, I want to be open — this isn’t entirely my writing. I’ve had some help putting it together. But the views are absolutely mine, and I think it’s something worth thinking about.
There’s a lot of talk at the moment about overfishing in the news, and rightly so — it’s something that should be thought about carefully by all of us.
Overfishing is a real problem. Anyone who cares about our oceans, our coastline, and future generations should be concerned. I certainly am.
But as a small inshore fisherman and owner of Beer Fisheries Ltd, my biggest frustration is this:
We are not all the same — yet we’re often painted with the same brush.
When people hear “the fishing industry,” they often picture massive factory trawlers sweeping the seas. And yes, large-scale industrial overfishing is a serious global issue.
But that is not what we do.
At Beer Fisheries Ltd, we operate a small inshore boat. We fish locally, responsibly, and in line with strict quotas and seasonal regulations. We see the sea every day. Our livelihood depends on healthy fish stocks — so it would make no sense for us to harm them.
Small independent fishmongers and inshore fishermen:
• Fish on a much smaller scale
• Land seasonal, local species
• Waste less
• Support local jobs and communities
• Care deeply about sustainability
• Depend on long-term stock health, not short-term profit
When you buy from a small independent fishmonger, you’re not supporting overfishing — you’re often supporting the opposite.
You’re supporting:
✔ Selective fishing methods
✔ Shorter supply chains
✔ Lower carbon footprint
✔ Fresh, traceable seafood
✔ Families, not corporations
Large supply chains can involve imported fish, long storage times, and practices that disconnect consumers from where their food actually comes from. Independent fishmongers, like us and many others around the UK coast, know exactly where our fish comes from — because we caught it ourselves or sourced it directly from trusted local boats.
Overfishing is a global issue driven largely by industrial-scale operations. Small coastal fisheries are part of the solution, not the problem.
If we lose independent fishmongers and small boats, we don’t save the ocean — we hand the entire industry over to large-scale operators.
So here’s my ask:
Before you buy seafood, ask:
👉 Where was this caught?
👉 How was it caught?
👉 Who caught it?
And when you can, choose to buy from a small independent fishmonger.
Support businesses like Beer Fisheries Ltd, and others like us around the coast who are working hard every day to fish responsibly and sustainably.
If you care about reducing overfishing and waste, your buying choices matter more than you think.
Let’s protect our seas — the right way. 🌊
