This summer has been a very unusual one for me, rather than my usual swimming the Atlantic, I decided to go ashore and experience something new. I was met near Tiverton Parkway by my "Fishman", that's what I like to call him, Colin. He took me on my first train journey to Cornwall, lots of people wanted to know who I was and they could not believe I was a 2 metre Cod. But the Train Guard did not approve and I was sent to the bike carriage to continue my journey.
When in Cornwall I was given my own room with excellent facilities although the sound of the sea was too far away and only could be seen in a small gap, to stop me from feeling a little "seasick". Colin told me all about the campaign Be a Fishermen’s Friend and I was exited to be involved to try and save my home, family and friends, to change stupid man made laws which were clearly not working called the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Colin and his friends in the Cornwall Greenpeace Group had already launched the campaign in Falmouth but knew if I had been swimming around it would have been so much better. He and his friends took me to St Mawes for a day out where I had a lovely time although the journey there squashed up was very funny, Vicki and Becky just did not know where to put me. I met of lots of lovely people who were only too happy to sign the Fish Cards to make sure my home is safe for my children and future generations. Colin, my Fishman, was getting used to the attention and I knew I may have to keep him in his place.
This proved so true at our next event, Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival, where we joined by two beautiful, fabulous campaigners, Alicia and Cristiana. It was a busy couple of days with over 800 cards signed, the Cornwall Group worked fabulously. I had lots of attention and even joined the singing group The Fisherman Friend's on stage. This is where Colin had to remember I was the Star, and told him to stop dancing, it made us both look silly.
The next event was The Rock Oyster Festival where again we met and made lots of new Friends, Helen managed to get lots of celebrity chefs to join the campaign including Rick Stein and I was photographed with Charlotte Church after she had signed a Fish Card. I shared a two man tent with Colin luckily his snoring has subsided and we managed to get some rest.
The Cornwall group then took me to St Ives, where it was a lovely sunny day. I think Becky and Lisa regretted not staying in the shade as they got a little burnt. I met The Mayor who was impressed by my tail movement (although he did not mention how I could walk on land), he also joined our campaign to help save the human fishing communities as well as my home.
Later that month we went to Newlyn where we met up with some lovely folk from Bristol, and Phil and Debbie came for the first time and met some big fishermen who did not agree with everything they were saying and did an admirable job to try and convince them that the law needs to be changed. But also where I realised how much I missed my family and friends as I had a little fling with Millicent Mackerel.
The last event I was involved in was the Newquay Fish Festival, and I started to bump into Friends I had already mede earlier in the summer and it was great to catch up to see how far the campaign had come, Jo came to help and did a fabulous job. Colin did his third live radio broadcast for BBC Radio Cornwall and people were so passionate about saving their communities, the fish, my family, friends and my home that I was truely moved.
Colin and his friends then took our summers work 2226 signed fish to deliver to Julie Girling our MEP and in a meeting with Political Lobbyists the MEP a very influencial member, joined our campaign which was a fantastic result.
It looks like I will be having a bit of a rest, but there is still a lot of work to be done before I can safely go back home to the Atlantic Ocean. So please watch this space and if you have not done so as yet, please Be a Fishermen’s Friend.
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