A Fishing Trip!!

Tourist complains about sight of fish in harbour

Most holiday makers taking a stroll around a working harbour might expect to see the odd fish.

But when David Copp came across a fishing trawler moored in Ilfracombe Harbour he took great offence and complained about the “disgusting” smell.
The 46-year-old was outraged that his children, aged seven and nine, had been forced to endure the sight of 12 crates of dead fish and crabs, piled up on the quayside.
He said the ordeal had left them “quite distressed” and demanded to know why the harbourmaster was not more considerate to tourists.
“There were flies flying around and the smell was awful,” he said. “The ship was just sat there not doing anything, and there were 12 crates of dead crabs and fish just lying there covered in flies.
“It’s not the sort of thing you want to see on holiday, there was a real stench.
“My children were quite distressed by it. These people should be a bit more considerate to the holidaymakers."
Mr Copp called Ilfracombe harbourmaster Rob Lawson to complain about the smell that had emanated from The Lady of Lundy trawler before calling the North Devon Journal to air his woes.
Mr Lawson tried to explain that fishermen depended on the daily catch for their livelihoods and that it was a common site on a working quayside.
“He was very upset that he had come across the boxes of fish and thought it was entirely inappropriate and not a good sight or smell,” he said.
“I explained the workings of the harbour and that it was a working quay and that while it was not ideal, sometimes this happened.
“But he didn’t calm down, he went to the local newspaper and then when they printed his complaints, he came back to me to see what I had to say.”
Mr Lawson admitted that it was quite unusual to have a working harbour with public access.
But he added: “This is generally considered an asset because visitors can get a really good feel for how the industry works, they can enjoy the whole experience.
"I told this chap that you shouldn't take your children to a harbour if that is how they react to dead fish."
Mr Copp is understood to have been on a two-week family holiday in the popular north Devon tourist resort when he lodged his complaint, which attracted disbelief from locals.
One said: “Ridiculous. Does he think all his food comes in packets? What did he expect to see at a working harbour?”
Tony Rutherford, the managing director of Bideford Fisheries said "Seeing us in action is often considered a tourist attraction in these parts."