Students from Rye College have been getting first hand experience of the local fishing industry, with the continuation of a programme at Rye Fish Market for Year 9.
Rye has been a fishing port for generations and fishing forms an essential part of the local economy. We are lucky to have retained a fishing fleet, and the related employment on the boats, shops and in the national and international distribution of fish. But how often do students get to appreciate the complexities of catching and processing fish?
In the case of 14 Rye College students and their teachers, quite a lot! Louise Chapman took them on a journey that started with the boats on Simmons Quay through to cooking and eating freshly caught haddock, bass, and scallops at the Seafood Bar adjacent to the market.
Most of the Rye fleet are day boats, so the fishermen catch and return on the same tide. The student group saw the boats on the quay and had an explanation of the complexities of tidal fishing. They were then taken through the refrigeration and preparation area before getting the first “live” view of the vast array of fish in the shop. Adam Stent, whose father, and grandfather were fisherman, talked the students through where the various types of fish came from and encouraged handling the fish … with gloves of course! Live lobsters were also on display.
Then it was time to get down and dirty! The students were invited outside, in beautiful sunshine, to the fish bar where freshly caught local fish is prepared and served every weekend. But first the fish need to be prepared … Adam gave the students a demonstration of gutting and filleting fish … and then handed over his knife!
After some reluctance, much gutting and filleting followed with the students having the unique experience of preparing a freshly caught fish and then, under Louise’s direction, cooking and eating it. By the end, any reservations were cast aside and, as far as I could see, everyone enjoyed the whole experience, as well as eating the end product.
As Louise says: “Our local schools need educational programmes like this to raise general awareness on our food chains and to inspire potential careers in the fishing industry. Sustainability is another critical challenge for the fishing industry that we all need to understand.”
This awareness programme is planned to be continued with Rye College, and hopefully other local schools in the future.
