Willow crab pots could return in fishing's future
A traditional fishing technique could be set for a comeback in Cornwall.
There has been a renewed interest in making crab and lobster pots from willow which were then completely biodegradable.
Kate Longley saw the skills to make the withy pots still existed in the village of Gorran Haven and helped set up classes to teach the original methods.
Modern pots made from metal and plastic are more efficient, but environmentalists said with pressure on crab fisheries there was a place for the old withy pots.
Crab 'under threat'
Ms Longley said: "We realised that the older gentlemen in the village knew how to make the pots and could still make the pots.
"We were concerned that once they died that skill would be lost so thought it was a good idea to try and preserve the skill and pass it on to the next generation."
John Vercoe, 82, is one of those passing down the knowledge.
" I just come up and have a look to make sure things are going on all right," he said.
"The more they make the better they will become. I think these are very good, some of these first pots they have made are excellent."
'Cultural value'
Jeremy Roberts, chair of The Three Bays Wildlife Group, said: "Crab stocks, particularly around Cornwall are under threat.
"Potentially this offers an alternative.
"It's a less intense form of fishing, it's got heritage and cultural value so local people and those from elsewhere in the country may be prepared to pay more from catch from a withy pot than a normal pot."
The pots can be made from locally grown material and are completely biodegradable.
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