James Cosmo narrates the first in a series about the UK's biggest fishing port, Peterhead in north east Scotland, and the extraordinary people working on land and at sea to put the fish on our plates. The fishing boat Reliance, skippered by John Clarke, heads to a fishing ground off the Shetland Isles in search of whitefish and prawns. Joining John on board is his 21-year-old son David, who hopes one day to take over as skipper. But before he does, John needs to decide if he thinks his son is yet up to the job. David - the youngest person on the boat - is responsible for keeping watch, cooking and looking after the crew on one of the most dangerous parts of the boat, the trawl deck. When a big haul comes aboard, he also has his work cut out cleaning and packing the fish. Another Peterhead boat, the Ocean Endeavour, heads out to one of the UK's most remote fishing grounds, Rockall, in search of haddock. Skipper John Buchan tries out a rookie fisherman, 18-year-old Nathan Foreman. This is Nathan's first trip on a deep sea trawler and John hopes to train him up as a fully fledged deckhand. But Nathan's first trip is going to be uncomfortable - Storm Hector is blowing in, bringing with it gale-force winds. Skipper John burns £3,000 of fuel just to get to the fishing ground and needs some big catches to turn a profit - but the fish prove elusive. When they finally land a big haul, Nathan struggles with the extra workload and lack of sleep on the boat. Bad news for John cuts the trip short, which means Nathan gets back to land earlier than planned. Back on shore, 24-year-old fish buyer Jason Jack is at Peterhead fish market competing with ten other buyers for the morning's finest fish. Jason regularly spends up to £50,000 in the market before most of us have even eaten our breakfast. But will he find the fish he needs at the right price?
Six-part series about the UK's biggest fishing port, Peterhead. The Reliance heads to a fishing ground off the Shetland Isles in search of whitefish and prawns. James Cosmo narrates the first in a series about the UK's biggest fishing port, Peterhead in north east Scotland, and the extraordinary people working on land and at sea to put the fish on our plates. The trawler Reliance is halfway through a fishing trip off the Shetland Isles when skipper John Clarke spots a broken rope that could lead to the boat losing its net. The crew fix the problem and put out the nets again, but they are hit by a rogue wave which rips a two-tonne metal bar off the top of the boat. While John and the crew are clearing up from the accident, the boat's main hydraulic pipe breaks, leaving the boat unable to pull in its fishing gear. If it can't be fixed, they'll have to cut the net free. In the remote Norwegian sector of the North Sea, the pair trawler Rosebloom and its sister ship the Boy John are hunting for hake. A Norwegian coastguard boat announces that officers are on the way to board and inspect the Rosebloom. Skipper Sandy is worried by the visit from the 'fish police' as they have far reaching powers including heavy fines, impounding the boat and even arresting the skipper. It's a nervous wait for Sandy while the coastguard carries out a thorough inspection. Back on land, fish buyer Jason Jack is on the floor of his family's factory, trying to make sure that the fish he's bought get processed and packed up in time to be loaded onto lorries that will take it to customers across the UK and Europe. Jason reveals how the factory caters for tastes in different countries - such as cutting out hake tongues, which are a delicacy in France.
James Cosmo narrates a series about the UK's biggest fishing port, Peterhead in north east Scotland, and the extraordinary people working on land and at sea to put the fish on our plates. The fishing boat Zenith sets out from Fraserburgh - 20 miles away from Peterhead - in search of whitefish and prawns. At the helm is 26-year-old skipper Adam Robertson. He starts fishing 40 miles out to sea, but his net fills up with mud from the seabed which means he has to haul in early. When the net comes up, it's been torn. Adam gets his net back in the water, but it then gets stuck on an obstruction, meaning Adam could lose his net. He manages to free it, and finally starts landing huge hauls of fish. The Peterhead boat Amity is on its way to a fishing ground near the Shetland Isles when it runs into trouble. Something is tangled in the propeller. As night falls, skipper Phil Reid puts a waterproof camera over the side to try to work out what's causing the problem, but it's too dark to see. If he can't fix the problem, the Amity might have to be towed back to port without catching a single fish. But he manages to clear the obstruction and make it to his fishing ground. After weeks of poor fishing, Phil and his Filipino crew need a good catch but the fish prove elusive. Small catches mean less money at the end of the trip for both Phil and his crew, and while Filipino crewman Mikko's cooking lifts the mood, the hauls don't improve. After days at sea, Phil decides to land his catch in Lerwick, in the Shetland Isles, to get the best price for it.
Six-part series about the UK's biggest fishing port, Peterhead. The Reliance heads to a fishing ground off the Shetland Isles in search of whitefish and prawns. James Cosmo narrates a series about the UK's biggest fishing port, Peterhead in north east Scotland, and the extraordinary people working on land and at sea to put the fish on our plates. While the fishing boat Reliance spends the day in port, two of its Ghanaian crewmen take a trip into Peterhead to buy gifts for their families back home. In the evening, the boat heads to the Shetland Isles in search of whitefish and prawns. The boat's nets come up full of mud and sea urchins, which can damage the catch, so skipper John Clarke decides to move to another ground. John's move pays off and he steams home full of prime langoustine and cod. John has been reflecting on the future of his son David, who is hoping to take over as skipper one day. So will John let David take the boat out on his own, and if so, does David think he's ready? On the Amity, skipper Phil Reid tries a new fishing ground to see if he can find a decent catch. But the hauls are disappointing and even a change in the weather conditions doesn't bring a change in fortune. Phil and the crew keep toiling away but return to Peterhead with 200 boxes of fish and just five prawns. On land, Phil has a tense wait at fishing's equivalent of the Oscars to find out if he's won an award for a new kind of net he has developed.
The newest boat in the Peterhead fishing fleet Westro, skippered by James West, heads to fishing grounds in the North Sea hunting for prawns. Westro cost James two million pounds so he has to work hard to pay off his debt. On board with James is his 19-year-old brother and first mate, Stephen, who must help James work out how to fix a tricky problem when a rope gets tangled around the boat's propeller. Another trawler, Zenith, is also in search of prawns, skippered by Adam Robertson. They take a gamble to fish just fifteen miles off shore in a location Adam hopes will bring in a good catch. Adding pressure to Adam’s trip is an unusual passenger, Aisling Duncan, a scientist from the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation. Aisling must work around the clock alongside seasoned fishermen to count and measure the catch for vital research into fish stocks in Scottish waters. Back on shore, ex-fisherman Stephen Bruce has started a new career, as a mobile fishmonger. Everyday self-starter Stephen competes against the biggest buyers in town for the finest catch at Peterhead Fish Market. He then takes his seafood from village to village across Aberdeenshire selling to the public, but will he get any customers?
The brand new fishing boat Westro, skippered by James West, has been fishing in the North Sea for three days hunting prawns, but so far the crew has struggled to find the catch. James launched Westro just two months ago, costing him over two million pounds so he needs to see an improvement in the fishing if he is going to earn a good wage for himself and the crew. James makes the brave decision to sail 120 miles to the other side of the North Sea, hoping to find more prawns and salvage this trip. The hauls don’t improve though and James heaves up a net full of mud, causing damage to the nets. On their final haul of the trip, James finally gets a big haul to send him home happy and make the trip worthwhile. On Scotland’s west coast, Peterhead trawler Ocean Endeavour, skippered by John Buchan, is heading out to remote fishing grounds 300 miles into the North Atlantic. On board is new recruit 17-year-old Gavin Burnett. On this trip, trainee Gavin has some new responsibilities: bringing the fish on board and cooking for the crew. The fishing is booming in Rockall and the Ocean Endeavour is bringing in big hauls of haddock, but with good fishing comes hard work and, after two days of non-stop action, exhaustion catches up on Gavin and his attention to detail starts to slip. After returning to harbour it’s the social highlight of every fisherman’s year, the Fishing News Awards. Westro skipper James is nominated for fisherman of the year and rookie Gavin is nominated for trainee of the year, but will they come home with the prize?
The fish sold at market in Peterhead comes from fishing boats all over Scotland, even as far as northern harbour Scrabster, where fishing boat Reliance is preparing to set sail. On this trip, owner of Reliance, John Clark, is stepping aside as skipper to let his 22-year-old son David take the helm for the very first time. John is on board working as first mate and keeping a close eye on David, making sure he is doing everything by the book, but will David have what it takes to prove to John he can skipper Reliance alone? On the north east coast, trawler Sardonyx is also heading out to sea, skippered by Michael Watt with his brother Brian at his side as first mate. They are on the hunt for squid in the Moray Firth, less than a mile from shore. Fishing close to shore still comes with dangers for the Sardonyx and its crew and they soon have a problem with the net. They can’t lift their 600 kg gear out of the water but luckily Michael comes up with a plan to use the crane to help get the catch on board. On shore, the Robertson family are checking their boat Zenith into the drydock for some vital maintenance work. They are also checking in the Zephyr, a trawler they purchased just ten months ago, which needs an overhaul to match it to their flagship Zenith. There are just seven days to get the boats cleaned, painted and replacement parts in place before the boats must go back into the water.
After three weeks of repairs, prawn trawler Zephyr is finally back in the water ready to fish. Mark and Adam Robertson put the boat to work to try to pay off the repair bills, but just 30 miles out they suffer an engine problem and have to turn back to shore. After a quick repair they head back out to sea only to be faced with another problem, a broken winch. Through some brute strength they get their gear working again and battle on to get a decent catch. On Reliance, David Clark is four days through his first trip as skipper when he faces an inspection by the ‘fish police’. It’s an anxious wait for rookie skipper David as Marine Scotland check his catch and the size of his nets. If he has breached any regulations, David could face huge fines. Once the boat is clear to fish on, David must focus on hitting his trip target and proving to his dad that he has what it takes to skipper Reliance alone. After receiving word that the current market price on fish is riding high, David cuts his trip short and returns to harbour to cash in, but will he still reach his target?
Up the coast from Peterhead, new trawler Faithlie heads out to sea, skippered by one of the most experienced fishermen in the Scottish fleet, Davie Milne. They travel 120 miles from harbour to fish in Norwegian waters where on this trip they are trialling a new style of fishing net, never used before, with the goal of catching high-priced flat fish. It doesn’t take long for first mate Jakey and the rest of the crew to get to grips with the new technology and the nets are a success but will the prices at market reflect the quality of the catch? In waters off Orkney, skipper Iain Harcus is also fishing for high-valued white fish on board the 22-year-old trawler Aalskere. On an old boat there are constant repairs and the crew are put on high alert when their winches suddenly stop working and their nets are stranded in the water. It is down to the boat's engineer to fix the problem. On shore in Peterhead, a new scheme is underway, providing the vital skills needed to work in the fishing industry. This time, teacher Gordon Gibb has five teenagers to train up, some of who have never even eaten fish before, so he is facing an uphill battle to get these kids prepared for a life at sea.
Peterhead boat Westro travels to fishing grounds in the North Sea searching for a bounty of prawns. After an average first haul, skipper James West decides to take a gamble and move fishing grounds. During the trip, there is a celebration on board Westro - James's younger brother and apprentice Stephen West has his twentieth birthday and officially receives his skipper’s licence. This is the last time the brothers will work side by side, so James takes the opportunity to give Stephen a final few lessons and even a chance to manage a haul himself. In the Moray Firth, another two brothers, Michael and Brian Watt, are also at sea, sailing their boat Sardonyx. Fishing close to shore comes with its risks, and the boat is soon snagged on the seabed, listing heavily. Michael must just try to free the boat slowly or risk losing the net or even worse, capsizing. Eventually the boat comes free, and they can fish on. Elsewhere in Peterhead, part-timer Arthur James McKenzie is following in his grandfather’s footsteps by fishing for lobsters just 50 metres from shore. It's more pride that’s riding on his trip than profits as he searches for a prized lobster worthy of his family legacy.
