Words and Imagery by Sami Kimberley / Published January 2024
Photographer and filmmaker Sami Kimberley shares images documenting a field trip to Newlyn’s fish market; one of the UK’s largest fishing ports where up to 40 different species are caught and traded. The series exists in anticipation of a longer term project exploring the complicated relationships between the fishing industry, communities, ocean health, dinner plates and Sami herself.
Part One: A Drop in The Ocean
Growing up in Cornwall, the intricacies of the fishing industry have always been a source of internal conflict for me. I spent my childhood wandering along beaches and visiting coastal towns that relied on fishing as a source of livelihood, surrounded by holidaymakers and locals alike indulging in some of the freshest seafood you can get.
When I returned to Cornwall and moved to Newlyn, a village close to Penzance with a long history of fishing, my feelings sharpened. On one hand, I see up close how the industry fuels local economies and supplies food both locally and globally. But my love for animals, my concern for the oceans, and the looming climate crisis bring an undeniable sense of discomfort.
In 2024, as part of my studies in Sustainable Development, I visited Newlyn Fish Market, and it became a starting point to explore the gritty reality of fishing practices and their impact on ocean life and humanity. Cornwall’s seas provide around 66 commercially valuable seafood species, as noted by the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide. Here, I documented a single morning at the market—a snapshot of beautiful, lifeless bodies marking the start of a global distribution chain and symbolizing the livelihoods of countless Cornish families.
The effects of the global fishing industry on our oceans and the planet are alarming, with systems that often seem to benefit only short-sighted mega-fleets and corporations. Industrial waste from fishing, which makes up 46% of the infamous Pacific Garbage Patch, alongside overfishing, declining stocks, bycatch, and the destructive impact of trawling and dredging, point to deep flaws. Studies reveal that bottom trawling alone not only devastates marine habitats but also releases carbon emissions on par with the aviation industry. This method violently disrupts habitats essential for species’ survival—for example, seagrass beds where juvenile cod find refuge to grow safely into adulthood.
Whilst this article is just a drop in the ocean to the intracies of the situation, it opens a door into the entangled lives of humans and marine ecosystems and the uneasy truths behind ‘sustainable’ fishing. The images highlight the beauty and mortality of the situation, a contrast of vivid colours, commercial graphics and captivating lifeless forms - mirroring the complexity of the situation as a whole.
To be continued...
Growing up in Cornwall, the intricacies of the fishing industry have always been a source of internal conflict for me. I spent my childhood wandering along beaches and visiting coastal towns that relied on fishing as a source of livelihood, surrounded by holidaymakers and locals alike indulging in some of the freshest seafood you can get.
When I returned to Cornwall and moved to Newlyn, a village close to Penzance with a long history of fishing, my feelings sharpened. On one hand, I see up close how the industry fuels local economies and supplies food both locally and globally. But my love for animals, my concern for the oceans, and the looming climate crisis bring an undeniable sense of discomfort.
In 2024, as part of my studies in Sustainable Development, I visited Newlyn Fish Market, and it became a starting point to explore the gritty reality of fishing practices and their impact on ocean life and humanity. Cornwall’s seas provide around 66 commercially valuable seafood species, as noted by the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide. Here, I documented a single morning at the market—a snapshot of beautiful, lifeless bodies marking the start of a global distribution chain and symbolizing the livelihoods of countless Cornish families.
The effects of the global fishing industry on our oceans and the planet are alarming, with systems that often seem to benefit only short-sighted mega-fleets and corporations. Industrial waste from fishing, which makes up 46% of the infamous Pacific Garbage Patch, alongside overfishing, declining stocks, bycatch, and the destructive impact of trawling and dredging, point to deep flaws. Studies reveal that bottom trawling alone not only devastates marine habitats but also releases carbon emissions on par with the aviation industry. This method violently disrupts habitats essential for species’ survival—for example, seagrass beds where juvenile cod find refuge to grow safely into adulthood.
Whilst this article is just a drop in the ocean to the intracies of the situation, it opens a door into the entangled lives of humans and marine ecosystems and the uneasy truths behind ‘sustainable’ fishing. The images highlight the beauty and mortality of the situation, a contrast of vivid colours, commercial graphics and captivating lifeless forms - mirroring the complexity of the situation as a whole.
To be continued...