A roar of the tractor’s engine, puff of smoke, and tightening of the cable, and the wooden boat slides cleanly from the sea to the shore at Thorup Strand on a spectacular Saturday afternoon. The daily catch of Baltic plaice, maybe two dozen fish pans today, will go to markets in northern Denmark.
This was the ideal location for Slow Fish, part of the Slow Food movement, to gather and discuss Reclaiming the Commons. Care for both fish and communities, protecting and restoring marine ecosystem services was firmly on the agenda. With exquisite meals and a diverse audience including many branches of the fishing industry, the meeting was a reminder that first and foremost, fish is food.
Michèlle Mesmain, international coordinator of Slow Fish, organised the meeting at the Thorup Strand Fishermen’s’ Guild. Slow Fish Northern Seas campaign aims to promote artisanal fishing and neglected fish species. A report from the meeting will be published.