Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Episode 3

As the global market for crab grows, Padstow becomes a boomtown. However, lockdown threatens the gold rush, and concerns start to be raised about overfishing.

Padstow is well known for its tourist industry, but there鈥檚 another lucrative industry here that few visitors are aware of. Each year, Padstow鈥檚 fishermen land hundreds of tonnes of brown crab, but the vast majority bypass the town altogether. For decades, lorryloads of shellfish have left Padstow for the continent every week.

Once connected to Europe, Padstow鈥檚 crabbing industry boomed. Britain鈥檚 crab exports to Europe form an industry worth over sixty million pounds. But lockdowns across Europe have brought everything to a standstill, and as the global market for crab grows, concerns are starting to be raised about the effects of overfishing.

59 minutes

Music Played

  • The Waterboys

    Fisherman's Blues

Credits

Role Contributor
Executive Producer Steve Robinson
Executive Producer Jamie Balment
Producer Jess Howe
Series Producer Luke Pavey
Director Fred Windsor-Clive
Production Company Frank Films Television Ltd

Broadcasts

Discover more about the fish you鈥檙e eating, and the journey it鈥檚 been on to make it onto your plate

Find out more with the Open University.