Without the fabulous local fishermen here in South Devon, there would be no ‘Salcombe Crabfest’… the men and women in this industry work tirelessly in often dangerous conditions to provide the delectable, mouthwatering seafood we are lucky enough to enjoy.

Here, we have interviewed local fisherman and keen supporter of Salcombe Crabfest, Chris Puncher, to understand a little more about his fishing operation.

Firstly, thank you for chatting to us – and for very kindly donating the crab and lobster for the cookery demonstrations at Salcombe Crabfest this year, as you have done previously.

That’s a pleasure, I’m very happy to help out. The event is a great way of showcasing the local crab and lobster available, and what could be better than seeing chefs create tasty dishes before your eyes, using this wonderful local commodity. I can’t wait to see what they rustle up in the kitchen this year!

Tell us a little bit about how you got into the fishing industry.

Whilst I have always enjoyed fishing, I don’t come from a fishing family – my father had a small-holding and was actually a graphic designer! My route into fishing was less conventional than some – I studied trout and salmon farming at agricultural college in Winchester. When I graduated, I decided against heading to the lochs of Scotland to work on a salmon farm, choosing instead to move down here, where I bought a charter boat, as well as a small fishing boat off a friend, operating 30-40 pots. I then moved on to a slightly bigger fishing boat operating 150 pots, before selling the charter boat and going in to purely commercial fishing, investing in Mayhem II in 2012.

How big is your set up now?

I now have 600 pots – 400 lobster pots (soft eye creel pots) and 200 crab pots (inkwell pots). We operate in two areas, one just outside of Salcombe, and one between Start Point and Prawle. There are two of us on Mayhem II – I have a full-time crewman who is fantastic. He has been with me for 3 or 4 years and was a chef previously, before deciding on a change. He is only 25 – I think he is the youngest full-time crew member in Salcombe. We head out every day that the weather allows.

Where do you sell your catch?

We have always sold the majority of our crab and lobster to pubs and restaurants. During the pandemic, we did a lot through our Salcombe Fish and Shellfish Ltd facebook page, selling to local people, and we are looking to expand this and offer an online shop in the near future. Since the easing of the restrictions and the re-opening of eateries in the region we have been so busy keeping up with demand, we are still playing catch up!

If we do ever have any spare crab and lobster that aren’t bought locally, every Monday GHM Crab Purveyors collect any surplus, and it is live exported to Portugal.

What do you enjoy most about being a fisherman?

You just cant beat it – even after 18 years in the trade, I still get such a buzz when we lift the pots. I still find myself looking over the side of the boat to see if we’ve caught any crab or lobster. It’s great!

For more information about Chris Puncher, or to purchase local crab and lobster, visit www.facebook.com/salcombefish or email chris@salcombefishandshellfish.co.uk.