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Photo: Courtesy of http://www.portoftruro.co.uk/pdf/fal.pdf
Oyster Fisheries
The Fal Estuary has a traditional and unique native oyster fishery. The Port of Truro
Oyster Fishery has been operational since Roman times and is the largest natural oyster
fishery in Europe whereby only traditional forms of dredging are allowed. It is also the
last oyster fishery in the world still fished under sail and the last commercial sailing fleet
left in Europe. There are approximately 12 sailing boats working the Fal Estuary, and
the main beds lie north of Pennarrow Point.
The fishing season starts
on 1 October and lasts through to the end of March. It is estimated approximately 50-60
tonnes of oysters are taken from the fishery annually (Bate C. pers. comm., 2008).
The oyster fishery is of great importance to the local community through sustaining
business (e.g. the merchants that purify and grade oysters and mussels,
and has export markets nationally as well as in Europe and the Far East), and providing
cultural and economic input to the town through the annual Falmouth Oyster Festival
(held during four days in October).
It is understood that fishing activity during the winter oyster fishing season may occur
within the new navigation channel that is proposed under the PFDI (Toms S. pers.
comm., 2007).
Historically there was commercial activity on the Percuil and Penryn Rivers, although a
decrease in water quality in the Penryn has meant this is no longer the case. The beds
at Percuil are also no longer used commercially.
Private oyster fisheries exist in the Helford Estuary which is leased from the Duchy of
Cornwall. The Helford fishery is mainly Pacific oysters, with seed oysters brought in
from France, grown on and exported.
http://www.falmouthport.co.uk/commercial/html/documents/Section12-CommericalfisheriesandShellfisheries.pdf
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