Showing posts with label 2023-10 UK Southwest coast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2023-10 UK Southwest coast. Show all posts

95。2023年10月14日 漁市場經濟學

Brixham 海鮮批發市場,在五年前現代化,取消現場競投,改在網上進行,增加世界各地買家外,又少了一重中間人的利潤,而且,把傳統有底價,競投者向上抬價,改作由高價下滑至底價,買家要手快拍板買下,即時把每天銷售數字,提升20%!

是學習荷蘭鮮花批發市場的方法,當年改作網上由上而下投標,有同樣結果。

好處是競投人士多了,且價格上升,漁民直接得到增加了近兩成的收益。而那兩成,並不一定直接轉到市民身上,可能只是少了中間人的利益。

解釋得如此清楚,因為領導參觀漁市場的,不是普通導遊,而是這市場的財務總監,有問必答。







場內大魚很多,都由餐廳買下,切件奉客,以保證穩定供應和件件差不多樣子。例如六公斤的多寶魚,以二百鎊售出,餐廳可以收回千鎊的餐牌價錢。

問近年漁獲有沒有下降,答案是沒降反升。政府有限額管理外,最奇異是多了幾個往常很少捕獲,而這兩年越來越多的品種:墨魚、南歐八爪魚和藍鰭吞拿魚。這三個往常在南歐海域出現的品種 ,現在愉快地游到英倫海峽生活,說明海水在暖化!

英國人其實不大愛吃海產,漁市場生意八成外銷,墨魚和八爪魚,成為南歐國家的搶手貨,以補當地的不足。

而藍鰭吞拿魚,那天市場內就有三條,直去倫敦,可能再轉口他國。基本上,人在 Brixham,完全沒有地利,沒有看到供應吞拿魚腩的餐廳,外面漁店所見,出售的海鮮非常有限,絕對不會特別引起食慾。

另一位導賞員,負責漁市場的品質管理,以前是船主,捕漁為生。從他的解釋,知道現在的運作,汽油費接近收益一半,已沒有本地人加入漁船工作,辛苦外,因為漁牌貴,不像以前,有望成為自己的生意。船上工作的,船長以外,全是菲律賓人。船隻數目,連年下降,但船隻大了捕漁能力較佳,令漁獲沒有減少。

來到Brixham 遊玩,房屋密密麻麻塞滿海岸,以風光計,坦白說遠不及愛爾蘭的寧靜天然,但這個漁市場參觀項目,真的大開眼界增廣見聞,是出門旅遊的樂趣。

UK southwest coast tour 2/2 - Dunster

Located on the north coast near Bristol, and a convenient stop on the way back to Pembroke for the ferry back to Ireland, is Dunster.

It caught my attention not just because of the location, but the description that it is the best preserved medieval town in UK. 
 



 
Dunster lives up to the reputation, though pretty small with just one road through the village, has higgledy-piggledy old houses, all different in sizes and designs. 
 



Dovecote

 
A few beautiful old wooden structures around, beautiful flowery public gardens, a most amazing dovecote where doves were raised for food in the old days, and a castle up in the hill nearby.



The castle buildings have changed over the years and now resemble a big Manor House.
What I like most is the garden around the buildings, with many tropical plants with giant leaves because of the mild microclimate, gives it a romantic charm. 
 

Tall tree trail

 

Restaurant The Elephant, Torquay UK

Delicious tasting menu at The Elephant, Torquay, good portion size, good seasonal ingredients and a Chef with very good sense of flavor.









Crab meat, scallop, wild mushroom with lamb sweetbread, sea bream, dry age beef, roasted lemon curd, and warm chocolate dessert, a lot of interesting combinations.

UK southwest coast tour 1/2 - Brixham

 






I thought it is a small fishing village next to Berryhead nature reserve, somewhere nice to have a break next to the sea after a short visit to London. Turned out to be heavily populated with many holiday homes. Stayed in the old part with narrow lanes and old renovated fisherman cottages. 
 




 
Still nice to walk around the coast, with a few geological interests and enjoy seafood. 
 



Rockfish restaurant, Brixham

 
Because of it’s good location, sticking out into the English Channel, it has the biggest fish wholesale market in UK except Scotland. Every Wednesday, there is a tour organised by the fish market, led by the Financial director and Head of quality control.
 




 
Impressive to learn that since upgrading to on-line auction 5 years ago, attracting buyers from around the world to bid directly, no my middle man, and a top down bidding system (instead of traditional bidding upwards) sales value increased instantly by 20%. 
 

 
A few warm water species have migrated into the English Channel in recent years, like cuttlefish, giant octopus and bluefin tuna, a sure sign that water temperature had gone up.