The Cornish Fishmonger has donated £600 to the Fishermen’s Mission as part of its commitment to support the charity through a new donation scheme.

The funds are a result of The Cornish Fishmonger pledging £4 of every online sale of its 20 Portion Cornish Seafood Hamper to the Fisherman’s Mission in Cornwall.

MD of The Cornish Fishmonger, Rob Wing, said: “With less demand for seafood from the hotel and restaurant trade during Covid-19 lockdowns, the fishing industry has struggled to survive.

“The support the Fishermen’s Mission offers both active and retired fishermen and their families is critical to ensure the Cornish fishing community can survive the duration of this pandemic. The scheme is ongoing so we hope to continue to make future donations and look forward to continuing to support the great work the Fishermen’s Mission does.”

Fishing remains the most dangerous occupation in peacetime as one in every 16 career fishermen will lose their life. Founded in 1881, the Fishermen’s Mission is an important charity to the fishing community offering financial, emotional and practical support whenever needed. The charity estimates that many fishing families may face the dilemma of ‘heat or eat’ this winter as the sudden loss of income for self-employed fishermen has been hard for families to bear.

Regional funding manager for the Fishermen’s Mission, Julian Waring, said: “It has been a difficult year for fishing families, the usual routes to market have been challenging for most of the year and now it will be more difficult this winter.

“Innovative routes to reach the customer such as the example of The Cornish Fishmonger has been a lifeline for so many. We were delighted to hear from the team that for every 20 portion Cornish Seafood Selection Box bought online they donated £4 to supporting our work with fishing families. A huge thanks to long term supporter Rob and his team for their considerate fundraising idea, the monies will make a difference.”