Did you catch that? On the boats with Cornish fishers

The Guardian

18-03-2025

For a year and a half, photographer Jon Tonks journeyed around the coast of Cornwall, from Newlyn to the Isles of Scilly, Mousehole and Cadgwith, spending time both quayside and at sea. A Fish Called Julie: In waters off Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by Jon Tonks is at the Martin Parr Foundation, Bristol, 3 April to 22 June. The exhibition is part of the nationwide initiative We Feed the UK created by the Gaia Foundation. An exhibition of the We Feed the UK project is at The Royal Photographic Society, Bristol, 3 April to 22 June
Jon Tonks: 'I was fishing with a guy called Jacob on the Isles of Scilly where he grew up. He's 23 years old and has his own fishing boat. He was pulling in his pots to check for lobsters, and would throw back anything undersized or spawning. This one was undersized, so I asked if I could try and capture the return. I primed myself with the camera and flash in my hand, counted to three, and we went for it. I didn't see the gulls top and bottom watching the whole procedure until I developed the film'
'This image was made when I was out with Will, who was line fishing for mackerel. He is 21 years old and lives in Newlyn. He's taken me out to sea a few times over the course of this project, and this was during the second outing. The first time was unsuccessful by comparison, but here he pulled in around 70kg of mackerel by hand. As the boat filled up, I started to run out of places to stand that weren't covered in blood or mackerel. My boots glimmered for days from fish scales'
'I named the project A Fish Called Julie after I came across two sea bass in a container. I was making pictures at the fish market in Newlyn where fish are offloaded, iced and sold. Whether the fish were destined for Julie, who would cook them that night somewhere, or if they'd been landed by a boat of the same name, I was unsure. But to me it looked like a name tag you'd get at a networking event. It made me smile. And for those who might miss the reference, it also made me think of the 1988 British movie A Fish Called Wanda'
The work of fishing communities is dictated by the elements and the seasons. Knowledge and respect for both are passed down the generations. This project is a continuation of Tonks' previous work telling the stories of people whose lives are shaped by geography and history. He was drawn to small towns and islands because by focusing on a microcosm, he could tell a wider tale
'Jof and his son Inigo live on St Agnes, Isles of Scilly. I visited Jof for the first time in January 2024, after a short flight from Land's End and a quick boat trip. He is well known for making traditional withy pots entirely plastic free, using locally grown willow. His workshop was amazing – his industrial design background was immediately apparent. You could see the whole production process: pots that had spent a year out at sea, and some that were brand-new, the warm orange willow fading to a ghostly white'
'This image was made off St Agnes, in Isles of Scilly. After visiting Jof in January 2024, I returned in May to fish with him. His self-engineered catamaran allows him to row in shallow waters. His methods are plastic-free and motorless – I followed him in a kayak. The silence of being at sea without the chug of an engine was amazing. Using my Hasselblad on a kayak was less relaxing, but allowed me to get close to the water. My most lasting memory was of the silence being broken by an inquisitive seal breathing behind me'
'Being a small-scale fisher in Cornwall is a metaphor for how to live your life. When the weather tells you not to fish, listen. Allow the seas to replenish. Sustainable fishing means something different to everyone, but real sustainability teaches us not to be greedy, to give nature a chance and leave enough for the next generation'
'David had spent the day fishing for cuttlefish and I bumped into him at the harbour as he unloaded his catch to the market. The ink across his face was from the fish, released as a defence mechanism when they are caught – apparently it's hard to wash off.' You can read more about this series in this Observer piece
At a time when there is an increasing disconnect between the food we eat and its origins, Tonks's photographs show the communities that have fished off the coasts of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for generations, sharing their stories, traditions and challenges
He captures the wind, rain and unrelenting swells; the nimbleness of the fishers navigating chaotic tumbles of nets and ropes on ever moving fishing vessels; yellow trousers punctuating the ocean grey
Tonks heard the stories of fishers of 50 years, who have witnessed the cod moving north because of rising sea temperatures. He heard of pilchards thrown to the birds in thanks for guiding boats to the shoals as effectively as sonar; puffins starving for lack of the sand eels that have been overfished and fed to chickens. Giant commercial vessels are devastating populations and habitats through overfishing and bottom trawling, legitimised by laws that prioritise profit rather than sustainability
Cornwall is a place of folklore and traditions. Tonks says: 'This is David, sat with a pint and a mince pie at the Ship Inn in Mousehole. It is December 2023 on Tom Bawcock's Eve, a celebration and memorial for a legendary villager who went to sea during severe storms, catching fish for the villagers during a period of famine'
'A huge stargazy pie is made at the pub each year, with fish heads poking out the top of the pastry. David worked much of his life for Trinity House, maintaining lighthouses around the country. He is sat next to a small plaque above an armchair commemorating his late brother'