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| Fish washed up on Marazion beach in Cornwall | Fish washed up on Marazion beach in Cornwall |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Thousands of fish have been washed up on a Cornish beach, a fortnight after a similar mass beaching nearby. | Thousands of fish have been washed up on a Cornish beach, a fortnight after a similar mass beaching nearby. |
| The latest stranding took place on Marazion Beach near Penzance, in front of St Michael's Mount. | The latest stranding took place on Marazion Beach near Penzance, in front of St Michael's Mount. |
| A carpet of sardines and other fish appeared on the beach on Saturday evening and many remained there on Monday. | A carpet of sardines and other fish appeared on the beach on Saturday evening and many remained there on Monday. |
| Experts believe it may be because fishing boats have had to release part of their catch. | Experts believe it may be because fishing boats have had to release part of their catch. |
| The bulk of the fish appear to be sardines, with some mackerel and herring also washed up. | The bulk of the fish appear to be sardines, with some mackerel and herring also washed up. |
| Witness Katrina Slack said: "I've never seen anything like it. It was like the waves were made of fish." | Witness Katrina Slack said: "I've never seen anything like it. It was like the waves were made of fish." |
| Read more on fish strandings and other Cornwall and Devon stories here | Read more on fish strandings and other Cornwall and Devon stories here |
| Earlier this month there was a stranding at Pentewan Beach near St Austell, about 40 miles from Marazion. | Earlier this month there was a stranding at Pentewan Beach near St Austell, about 40 miles from Marazion. |
| Fishing industry representatives say the most likely reason was down to "ring netters". | Fishing industry representatives say the most likely reason was down to "ring netters". |
| The boats work by encircling shoals, or part of shoals, with a large net before closing it up into a circle on the surface. | The boats work by encircling shoals, or part of shoals, with a large net before closing it up into a circle on the surface. |
| When they catch too many fish there is a danger of the boat being pulled under. | When they catch too many fish there is a danger of the boat being pulled under. |
| To prevent this some of the fish can be released from the bottom of the net, but they usually die. | To prevent this some of the fish can be released from the bottom of the net, but they usually die. |
| There are about fifteen of the boats operating along the south Cornish coast between Plymouth and Mounts Bay, and they have been busy in recent weeks. | There are about fifteen of the boats operating along the south Cornish coast between Plymouth and Mounts Bay, and they have been busy in recent weeks. |
| 'Seagull fodder' | 'Seagull fodder' |
| Simon Cadman from the Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority said "the numbers of fish have been exceptionally high." | Simon Cadman from the Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority said "the numbers of fish have been exceptionally high." |
| He said: "We can't be 100% sure, but there's a strong likelihood this is to do with ring netters. | He said: "We can't be 100% sure, but there's a strong likelihood this is to do with ring netters. |
| "This is not good in any respect and fishermen, like anybody else, don't want to see this amount of fish ending up as seagull fodder. | "This is not good in any respect and fishermen, like anybody else, don't want to see this amount of fish ending up as seagull fodder. |
| "We are talking to them about what has gone wrong to try and stop it happening again." | "We are talking to them about what has gone wrong to try and stop it happening again." |
| Debbie Crockard from the Marine Conservation Society said: "This is not illegal but it's not something we want to see happening. | Debbie Crockard from the Marine Conservation Society said: "This is not illegal but it's not something we want to see happening. |
| "It needs to be looked at as fishermen don't want it either. The safety of fishermen is important, but we should find a way to avoid getting into the situation in the first place." | "It needs to be looked at as fishermen don't want it either. The safety of fishermen is important, but we should find a way to avoid getting into the situation in the first place." |
| Paul Trebilcock from the Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation said he did not think fishermen were intentionally throwing away their catch. | Paul Trebilcock from the Cornish Fish Producers' Organisation said he did not think fishermen were intentionally throwing away their catch. |
| He said: "Sometimes they simply catch too many fish for the ring netters to handle and they escape or need to be released. | He said: "Sometimes they simply catch too many fish for the ring netters to handle and they escape or need to be released. |
| "This has nothing to do with quotas, but simply too many fish in the sea in this case." | "This has nothing to do with quotas, but simply too many fish in the sea in this case." |
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