Newhaven fishermen landing sprats with a brailer

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

22214

Title

Newhaven fishermen landing sprats with a brailer

Description

Black and white negative; good condition. Two Newhaven fishermen with landing sprats and a brailer; there are two other fishermen standing by. All of the fishermen wear oilskins.

Date

1950

Size

5.5 x 5.5 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Museum of Edinburgh

Accession number

Ref 4.151 815/3.

Many fishing communities on the Firth of Forth relied on sprat fishing in the winter months. This was in addition to fishing for white fish, shellfish and herring. In the 19c this caused protests, as the finer nets used destroyed the herring by catching immature fish or 'halflings'.

Here we see Newhaven fishermen lifting their catch of sprats into the hold in the mid 20C. They are using a 'brailer', a large dip-net used for transferring the fish from the ring net in the sea into the boat hold.

The village of Newhaven grew from the site chosen by King James lV to build his greatest ship, the Michael. Until local fishermen began to follow the herring in the late 18C, they made a comfortable living dredging for oysters and line fishing for white fish. Only one lobster boat fishes from the village today, the rest being leisure craft.

Exhibitions with this item

Other views of this item

Related images

Related subjects

Agriculture and fisheries > Equipment > Brailers

Agriculture and fisheries > Equipment > Oilskins

Agriculture and fisheries > Equipment > Sprats

Agriculture and fisheries > Processes > Fishing

Animals > Fish > Fish

People > Adults > Men

People > Agriculture and fisheries > Fishermen

Places > Edinburgh areas > Newhaven

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Transport > Water > Boats