A 13-year-old fisherman from Cawsand is among a number of young voices who feature in a new series of podcasts, which aim to shine a light on the rewards and struggles of the industry.

The four-part programme entitled ‘Young Fishers’ has been made by Cornwall-based Miracle Theatre, who have captured the essence of fishing across the United Kingdom.

Among the stories to tell is that of Antony Newcombe, the youngest participant in the series, who fishes off his home village of Cawsand — where he has built a steady market with his own business, Forgotten Cornish Fish and Crab, for his catch of locally-caught sustainable lobster, brown crab and fish.

All landed from his own registered punt, Antony often details his fishing activities through a vlog on his You Tube channel where he has built up quite an online following.

This latest series, which is the brainchild of producers Hannah Stephens in Cornwall and Emer Morris in Scotland, allows listeners to glean a fascinating insight into the fishing industry.

Antony is one of five young Cornish fishers to feature in the series, the others being Jack Kelly-Granger (West Cornwall), Tom Lambourn (Newlyn), Jack West (Mevagissey) and Jonny Pascoe, who works out of Mullion Cove.

“My motivation to join the podcast was that it’s great to see people interested in what young fishermen around the UK are doing,” said Jonny, who is the most southerly-based participant.

Jonny Pascoe, who works out of Mullion Cove, Cornwall, and is part of the new Young Fishers podcast.
Jonny Pascoe, who works out of Mullion Cove, Cornwall, and is part of the new Young Fishers podcast. (Kirsten Prisk Photography)

“It was nice to be asked to tell our stories - sharing our struggles and celebrating our successes with others who understand what we face out here.

“It’s also a chance for other young fishermen to hear what their peers are going through, how they’re adapting, and maybe find inspiration in the ways we all cope and succeed.”

As well as the five Cornish fishers, three from Scotland - Ross Davidson (Lossiemouth), Erin McKenzie (Mallaig) and Tom Robertson from Lerwick on the Shetland Islands - also make up the series.

“The average age of a UK fishermen is 58, but we found that so many young people are still jumping right in,” explained producer Hannah. “There’s so much to navigate in an already hard and demanding industry, yet those we spoke with are all passionately driving forward and campaigning to shine a light on the positive, fun and lucrative sides to fishing too.

“From Newlyn to Shetland, everyone’s story and route into fishing is different, but there is this united resilience and determination that resonates in all the young people we had the privilege of meeting. Making this series has been totally inspiring.”

The podcast will go live from the launch party, which takes at the Fishermen’s Arms pub in Newlyn on Friday, November 29.