Crew of the 'Pride of Cornwall' landing a catch of sardines in Newlyn harbour, after a night's fishing, Cornwall, England.

The fishermen use a method known as purse or ring netting for catching sardines, and is similar to the seine netting used when pilchards were the mainstay of the fishing industry in Cornwall, the sardine being an immature pilchard.

This is an environmentally friendly way of fishing as only one species is targeted and so there is rarely any unwanted fish caught.

Fishing for sardines is best in the winter months and as stocks are plentiful in this part of the country they are unaffected by quotas.

The benefits of eating this kind of fish have been widely publicised in promoting good health and so the potential for expanding the market is significant.