By enjoying seasonal, locally-sourced seafood, you're supporting sustainable fishing practices and reducing the environmental impact associated with long-distance transportation. Plus, seasonal seafood is fresher, more nutritious and flavourful, offering you the best of what our waters have to offer.
At Henderson To Home, we're passionate about providing the best seafood from the British Isles while safeguarding our oceans. By adhering to seasonal fishing practices, we ensure that fish and shellfish are harvested at their peak, allowing populations to regenerate and maintain healthy numbers. This approach not only supports the natural cycles of marine species but also guarantees the freshest, highest-quality seafood for our customers.
Our sustainable fishing methods are designed to minimise environmental impact and protect the delicate balance of our ocean ecosystems. Here are the techniques we use:
Hand Diving:
Our scallops are carefully hand-picked from the seabed by dedicated divers in the Isle of Mull and Brixham. This method causes minimal disturbance to the seabed, preserving the habitat and allowing marine life to thrive. Unlike dredging, which can devastate the ocean floor, hand diving ensures that the ecosystem remains intact.
Pots:
We use baited pots to catch crabs, lobsters, langoustines, and Torbay prawns. These pots are placed on the seabed and left for 24 hours, attracting shellfish to climb inside. This method is highly selective and sustainable, reducing bycatch and preventing overfishing.
Rod & Line Fishing:
This traditional method involves catching fish one at a time using a rod and line. It eliminates bycatch and allows for the immediate release of any undersized or unwanted fish, ensuring they return to the sea unharmed. This low-stress method is ideal for maintaining healthy fish populations.
Small Gillnets:
Our small gillnets have minimal impact on the seabed and are highly selective. The mesh size can be adjusted to target specific species and sizes, avoiding the capture of juvenile fish and reducing bycatch.
Rope Growing:
For our mussels, we use a technique called rope growing. Mussel seeds are placed in a sock-like structure around a long rope, which is then submerged in the ocean. Over the course of a year, the mussels grow naturally, supported by the nutrients in the water. This method has virtually no negative impact on the environment and produces plump, delicious mussels.
Eco-Farming:
To support the fragile wild populations of salmon and trout in the UK, we source these fish from sustainable small-scale farms committed to innovative fish welfare and low environmental impact. Our ChalkStream trout from Hampshire and Loch Duart salmon from Scotland are farmed using methods that prioritise eco-friendly, responsible practices and dedication to environmental stewardship and animal welfare.
We're not just committed to sustainable sourcing; we're also dedicated to transparency and education. By sharing our fishermen insights and stories, we aim to connect you with the people and processes behind your seafood, helping you make informed choices that support sustainability and local towns. This can help increase demand for sustainable options and encourage better practices.
Keep in touch with all the live action on our Henderson Seafood Instagram.