Cornish Native Oysters - gathered by hand hauling, no engines and no winches

Your 'Fal Oysters' are naturally harvested on the Port of Truro Oyster & Mussel Fishery

Gathered by hand hauling traditional small dredges onboard the 'Alf Smythers' and oyster punt 'Moyana'

They're graded to perfection by eye, purified in an approved environment and packaged personally by the crew

Ordered by phone or online and delivered to you in sealed packaging by reliable overnight couriers

Emptying the Cultch
Photo: Mike Thomas
On a 'Drift' towards Restronguet

Perhaps the most sustainable fishery in Cornwall is the Fal River oyster fishery (officially known as the Port of Truro Oyster Fishery), the last oyster fishery in Europe harvested under sail by Europe’s last commercial sailing fleet. Here on the River Fal. Cornish Native Oysters (oystera edulis) have been harvested in more or less the same, highly sustainable, fashion, without the use of mechanical power, for more than 500 years.

Photo - Kate Cornish 2011

A hand hauled dredge

The oyster season starts on the 1st October and closes on the 31st March, the working hours are 0900hrs to 1500hrs Monday to Friday and 0900hrs to 1300hrs on Saturday. The oysters are wild and propagate naturally, consequently the stock size fluctuates form season to season and in order to prevent over-fishing a minimum size of 67mm is imposed and the Carrick Council oyster bailiff is responsible for policing it. All dredgermen must be licensed.
Extract from HVMCA newsletter No.30 Spring 2005