The skipper and owner of the ‘Lady Hamilton’ Chris Bean, has been awarded an Objective 1 Fisheries grant for almost £450 to introduce a unique fish quality scheme to increase the value of his catch.

When the fish are caught they are placed into large bins filled with a special ice slush. Live fish are placed in a separate bin fitted with an air pump, creating a flow of chilled seawater to keep the fish at a continuous cool temperature.

The 28ft vessel fishes out of Helford for, John Dory, Sole, Turbot, Monkfish, Cod and Red Gurnard among others. By using this quality scheme there is no deterioration of the quality of the fish and the fish are landed as "near live" as possible. This means that the fish landed from the ‘Lady Hamilton’ can be sold in prime condition and for the best possible price. Selected fish target the ‘sashimi’ raw fish market in the UK.

Alison Elvey Objective 1 Fisheries Programme Manager commented "This unique quality scheme will keep fish at the highest quality possible and will help the fishermen achieve top prices for his fish. This type of project is highly encouraged through Objective 1 funding".

Chris Bean, Owner and Skipper of the ‘Lady Hamilton’ added, "The water aeration system has already shown its value regarding the shellfish component of the catch. Prior to the installation shellfish mortality would typically be 5-7%, whereas now the losses are almost nil.

Dylan Bean, Co-skipper of the ‘Lady Hamilton’ is developing a website to promote the sales of Sashimi grade fish from the boat and states that the new system on board has opened up many new opportunities."