No matter where you are in Jersey, you are never more than ten minutes from the sea. For the community, the coast provides endless opportunities to forage and explore, as well as an ancient lifeline. The twice-daily change of the 30-foot tide brings an abundance of valuable fish and shellfish, including crab and lobster, close to the shore.

In Jersey, we have a deep-rooted appreciation for seafood. During the Second World War, Jersey was an occupied territory. While fishermen were grounded to prevent islanders escaping by boat, the community experimented with seafood they could access from the shore, such as limpets, winkles and razorfish, to supplement their diet. Exchanging recipes, such as the classic Jersey razorfish soup, and relying on a strong sense of community spirit brought many islanders through that turbulent time. Despite being under tight control, our knowledge of the tides and diverse local marine life gave us the means to survive and thrive.

Fast forward 75 years, and our 130-vessel fleet of fishermen is facing yet another stark challenge in the form of COVID-19. Restrictions put in place to stop the spread of the virus caused the export market and the restaurant trade to grind to an immediate halt. The markets that Jersey’s small-scale fishermen depended on dried up overnight. Under normal circumstances, about 80% of Jersey’s catch – mainly shellfish – is exported. The main port for our exports is Granville, France, but they can also end up in Spain, and Italy. Southern Europe’s lockdown meant that Jersey’s fishermen could no longer sell their catch via their usual methods.

Thankfully, as it did so many years ago, Jersey’s ocean culture community has stepped up to solve the problem and provide a clear way in which we can support one another. The solution was clear: we needed to be able to buy seafood directly from local fishermen.